"I'm not going to live in fear," an acquaintance stated, suggesting that those who take COVID precautions are fearful. I liken Covid precautions to wearing a seatbelt. You don't think about wrecking or getting in a fatal accident every time you put it on. You buckle your seatbelt because it's the prudent and responsible thing to do. Wearing a mask and social distancing demonstrates the same level of prudence.

Most of us have grown weary of this pandemic. We want to go out and connect again, have a drink with friends…remember 2019. I vowed a few months ago that when this comes to a safe decline, I will have more fun, party more, let loose more, laugh at stupid jokes, and sing karaoke at the little neighborhood pub I visited occasionally. For now, I vow to do everything in my power to prevent the risk of COVID, my children, my extended family, my neighbors, and their families.

In my community, some people think it's acceptable to ridicule people for being COVID smart. Even a family member commented he felt that someone wearing a mask in his home was like them, "implying something." I feel someone wearing a mask in my home is a sign of respect to me, my family, and my sphere of influence. My family and I are playing it safe this season, and I won't apologize for it. We are participating in virtual school. We order groceries online and do store and curbside pickups. We play at the school during off hours instead of the park. We take walks through the neighborhood instead of visiting the gym. We are doing what we can to minimize contact with crowds because I believe this is the best thing for my family and my community.

Some believe if you don't think about it, it isn't there. I do agree your beliefs have a substantial impact on your reality. If you are super-conditioned for that belief, that could be true for you. However, a true belief isn't what you say it's, a belief lives on a much deeper subconscious level. I challenge that with the bombardment of evidence of COVID's existence, few people could have a strong enough constitution to denounce its existence. I believe we can boost our immune systems by taking proper care of ourselves and trust our bodies will protect us. Your neighbor may not take the same care. It's a time for love and compassion for others right now.

I grew up in an area that frequented hurricanes, and when in doubt, I remember my dad boarding up the house and packing all 9 of us in 2 cars, picking up neighbors that may not have had a way out of town, and getting to a safe place. We didn't do this in a panicked way; it was methodical and with ease. "It's the smart thing to do," my dad would say. As the head of the household, he was responsible for nine souls, so he erred on the side of caution. I guess I follow the same model today with my three children and my high-risk mother. If one of us were to get COVID, we will probably all be completely fine, but on the off chance there's some complication, I wouldn't forgive myself for knowingly putting us at risk. I don't fear COVID. Our immune system is a complex and magnificent system with the ability to combat this virus. I still have a healthy respect for COVID and wouldn't like to contribute to the spread that could result in anyone's illness or death.

I definitely don't encourage people to fear COVID, because what you fear has a pesty way of finding you. Instead, I believe in a 'set it and forget it' method. Put smart practices in place and get on with living, doing business, and planning your post-COVID future. Restrict your in-person social life, but maybe learn that second language or redecorate your home. Perhaps you have the time to start that business you keep putting off. Catch up on your reading, get in shape, work on your relationships. Call your mother, your brother, your sister, your grandparents, and say I love you.

How to be SMART about COVID?

De-Stress

This pandemic has brought about changes for most of us. I recently heard someone say, no human likes change except a wet baby. This change can be stressful. It's brought about financial uncertainty and even hardship for many families. The short-term stress response can bring an immune boost, but prolonged stress weakens the body, causing an increase in inflammation and disease susceptibility. Learn ways to de-stress, so we can make clear decisions best for you and your family.

Manage Your Risk

Make sure your health is in tip-top shape. If you have diabetes, now isn't the time to cheat on diets and skip meds. If you are hypertensive, take your meds, cut the salt, and engage in safe exercise. Monitor your levels and be compliant like never before. Healthy blood sugar levels play a significant role in the body's ability to battle COVID favorably. You know this, so follow the physician's recommendations for managing your disease and be SMART.

S.M.A.R.T.

Sanitize Regularly –

Use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving public places. Take care to keep your hands away from your face until you have an opportunity to wash them with soap and water properly. Wipe down the surfaces in your vehicle and doorknobs. If you work in an office, sanitize your workspace. Any community areas that require touching should get your attention. This would include refrigerator handles, drawer pulls, and printers. If your kids are in school, post-school hygiene is important. Most kids don't socially distance 100 percent of the time. If you don't believe this, pass by a high school between classes or after school or visit the elementary school during recess time. If my kids were on campus, they would have to scrub in, wash up to the elbows, and wash their faces. I would have a designated place for their school items away from common areas. Studies show COVID is most commonly spread person to person, but it does live for varying time frames on surfaces. Disinfecting surfaces is good practice as we move into flu season with COVID still thriving.

Wear Face Mask in Public –

Studies have proven that wearing face masks reduces the spread of COVID. I've worked with T.B. patients and other infectious diseases during my nursing career without contracting anything using the proper personal protection equipment. For us, the public, it's a cloth face mask. Masks prevent people from spreading germs from their mouth or nose to their hands and onto surfaces in common places. Masks limit the distance droplets travel, making it less likely to contract COVID from an asymptomatic person. Wearing cloth face masks are smart practice, whether it's mandated in your area or not.

I always tell people, I've been wearing a mask since way before it was cool to wear a mask. I was surprised that other people weren't. In the early days of COVID everything was so unknown, but we knew 500 people a day were dying in Italy. That's all I needed to know. I googled the mask that they used in China for S.A.R.s and M.E.R.s, and I started sewing. I sent the pattern to my family members out of town. When no one else was wearing a mask, my family was, from Philly to Cali down to Texas and Louisiana. We are not alarmists; we choose to do what's best for our families every time. I got looks, but I didn't care. I just thought about my baby boy at home with some unknown heart condition I was protecting by simply covering my nose and mouth while at the grocery store. You think I would let a stare bother me. I saw people remove their masks when they realized other people weren't wearing theirs. Never let someone else's opinion of you sway your decision to do what you think is right. We are the ones that will live with the consequences of our actions, not the random person with a judgment.

Keep A Positive, Healthy Attitude –

Stay focused on your health and not on a fear of COVID. Take the proper actions to stay healthy. Take your supplements as recommended by your physicians. Find out if you should take a Vitamin D supplement. Healthy vitamin D levels have been synonymous with a healthy immune system and a healthy body. If you have known conditions, take care to manage them with the utmost care during this time. Eat better, drink water, and get some light exercise (preferably outdoors away from crowds).

Unmanaged blood glucose levels play a key role in a person's COVID outcome. There was a study conducted in China on non-diabetic hospitalized patients with blood glucose over 126 upon admission to the hospital. They can predict outcomes and risk of complications by the admission blood glucose levels. If you have ever been diagnosed pre-diabetic, now is the time for another screening and M.D. follow up. If you have diabetes in your family and haven't had a recent physical, it would be wise to get an A1C screening. Know the signs and symptoms of an elevated blood glucose level. Noticeable signs of hyperglycemia(high blood sugar) are frequent urination, excessive thirst and hunger, and unexplained weight gain or loss. If you have any of these symptoms, see your general practitioner. If you have found a competent doctor, do what he says. If you haven't, find an endocrinologist you trust and do what he or she says.

Routinely wash your hands—

How often you should wash your hands depends on where you are and what you are doing. Avoid shaking hands. If you work in a public place and you come in contact with common doors or other objects like the copier, it would be appropriate to apply hand sanitizer after each encounter with these items.

Think of Others—

If you are sick, stay home. If you are a healthy person, you will likely be fine if you get COVID, but think of the people you come in contact with. The healthier you are, the more likely you can become a super spreader. You may not feel unwell; your healthy immune system knocks it out without a problem. But while you are mildly ill, you can spread it to someone else who isn't as healthy as you are if you move about. Have compassion and think of others when you make decisions about COVID.

Side Note: I would be remiss if I skipped discussing the people who are gripped with fear from COVID. Take a deep breath or two or ten. Stop following the death toll daily. Stop watching and reading the news so much. The world is going to do what it does whether you monitor it or not. Put SMART practices in place and trust you are doing everything you can, the rest is out of your hands. Most people get COVID and recover without any problems. The odds are in your favor to recover without complications. If you are high risk, then take the added precautions, but do what you do out of love for yourself and your family, not out a fear of COVID. Choose love, reject fear.

My Perspective

Many believe there are only two primal emotions in the human being, love and fear, and that we cannot experience both simultaneously.

In the same way that light removes darkness, love removes fear.

I think the people living in fear are the ones who refuse to wear a mask even when mandated, fear to show vulnerability and fear of judgment from their sphere. Reject fear, choose love.

Adhering to COVID precautions is the higher emotion when acting from a place of love for yourself, your family and your community. I strive to choose love and reject fear.