Coping with the Stress of H1N1 and Information Overload

Anybody else overwhelmed about the information regarding H1N1 this past month? It’s practically impossible to escape the crush of swine flu related facts and vaccination options. No matter the medium, be it the Internet, TV, radio, we’ve been overloaded with information regarding this pandemic and it seems to be a popular conversation with just about anybody you talk to these days.

Worst of all, the amount of email forwards I receive on a daily basis where poor Piglet is getting abused by Winnie the Pooh and company!

[Seems like something out of a movie but this was Mexico earlier this year!]

One thing to remember in all of this hoopla is the media and how they always reports things that go wrong, but rarely seem to find enough ink to talk about things that go right. Therefore, we hear about and subsequently pay more attention to the few people who ended up very sick or unfortunately died from the swine flu than the many people who successfully recovered from the swine flu.

What should you be doing?

I’ll start off by telling you what you shouldn’t be doing and that is focussing your energy on the fear that comes along with these pandemic situations. Rather, it’s best to focus your efforts on your own personal health and well-being, while taking precautions that will also prevent you from becoming ill in the first place. Think pro-active and not re-active!

Coping strategies for pandemic situations

To help you gain some peace and mind during this latest pandemic craziness, I decided to do a little research for you all and provide other coping tips during stressful times with an emphasis on coping with pandemic concerns:

Stay informed:
Consulting your doctor or physician can help you most accurately assess your personal risk of getting physically sick. Other sources such as nurse practitioners, public health hot lines, or government websites (such as US Department of Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, and the World Health Organization) are great places to find the basics and consider different options available to you and your family.

Follow health and safety guidelines:
The agencies above, together with any local, provincial, or state agencies have a ton of resources for home, office, or other workplaces to minimize your risk of contracting a virus. Want to know what the #1 protection against infectious disease was? Look below…

Proper hand washing:
It’s kinda of funny that I’m writing this down but cleaning one’s hands is a little trickier then it sounds. Check out the image below and then think about the times you missed a step.

[Hmm... not sure I like the idea of using your sleeve in step 6]

Using alcohol-based hand-rubs:
When immediate access to soap and water is not available, go for it. However, research studies have questioned the effectiveness of sanitizers specifically those labeled antibacterial. Check this out:

According to a review of 27 soap studies at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, antibacterial soaps and sanitizers containing triclosan (and bars with triclocarban) are no better at preventing infections than regular soaps and may also decrease the effectiveness of some     antibiotics.

The bottom line is plain soap and warm water are still king for keeping clean.

The study also mentioned alcohol-based sanitizer formulas containing 62% ethyl alcohol are ideal for on the run cleaning and don’t contribute to antibiotic resistance while non-alcohol sanitizer formulas containing benzalkonium chloride, or BAC, have been associated with antibiotic resistance.

Keep this in mind the next time your tempted by hand sanitizer sales at WalMart!

Balance information with common sense:
Sure we could all start living like bubble-boy (top 5 Seinfeld episode reference) and not worry about the spread of germs but how depressing would that be?

Remember that you need to balance gathering information and following safety guidelines to reduce risk while not letting the media warning or the attention to safety guidelines completely consume you.

Eat right and exercise regularly

Of course, the best way to be proactive about your health is to eat right and exercise regularly. Being that your reading this here at The Fat Loss Authority we trust your on the right path to a healthier and happier lifestyle. if your looking to try something a little different from the exercise side of the equation, check out these body weight exercises from the Turbulence Training program. Keeping your workouts fresh and interesting are just as important as the workout itself!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at and is filed under Exercise, Stress Reduction, What NOT to do?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.