Managing Stress In A Post-Pandemic World
Yumé Takeuchi, L.AC
During the past 2 years of the pandemic, we have collectively experienced an unprecedented amount of uncertainty and stress and are only beginning to understand the impact it has had on our lives. There has been an enormous amount of loss and grief and, for many, it has been a struggle to manage the daily stresses of everyday life combined with the challenges of living in a pandemic.
My personal experience with stress and symptoms from stress began in May of 2020, soon after going back to work as a full-time acupuncturist at a busy clinic. I quickly realized I needed to do everything I could to keep myself healthy and be able to provide the best care for my patients. I hopped on the trending home workouts and home cooking lessons and made sure to set up weekly appointments with my acupuncturist. These treatments quickly became my refuge and a place where I could unplug and unravel from a week of thoughts, concerns and anxiety and then feel recharged for another. As the pandemic continued and my anxiety began to increase, I had found a way to manage my stress and a preventative approach to taking care of my physical and mental health.
But I have a small confession to make. As an acupuncturist who has been practicing for over 10 years, I only recently started getting these regular treatments. Having grown up in Japan where this modality of medicine is more accessible I would see an acupuncturist frequently for various symptoms. But it was the pandemic that made me realize the importance of regular treatments and what it means to really take care of oneself. The slower pace of the pandemic enabled me to see my weaknesses before they appeared and feel where the cracks in my health have a tendency to show when stress is increased. In a world with Covid, “preventative” started to take on a different meaning and I became more senstitive to the affects of stress on my immunity and how it was impacting my work and my relationships. The weekly acupuncture treatments provided me a way to create accountability for myself (how am I?) and with my practitioner (how are you?) and helped me get through a very challenging time in my life.
Studies are now showing that long-term stress is the leading cause to more serious health problems and a significant factor in impacting one’s mental health. As we continue to live in a world of instability, how we manage our stress has become an essential part of how we take care of ourselves. I encourage anyone who is experiencing increased stress and anxiety to take this approach of continued and preventative care and find comfort in knowing that you can be taken care of.