Here's something to ponder...

In a recent article regarding massage therapy and Covid 19, there was information presented which discusses a strong possible link between high cortisol levels and risk of death due to Covid 19. Cortisol is a hormone produced when we find ourselves under emotional stress. It has a direct affect on our immune systems and tends to slow down the initial immune response to infection as well as impairing the function of the immune system in general. In fact the study cited in the article saw a whopping 42% increase in the chance of mortality with a doubling of cortisol in the patient with Covid.

As you may have guessed, many of us find ourselves under constant stress these days whether it comes from our work (or lack thereof), financial situations, lifestyle choices, relationships, and of course the pandemic. This is not a good situation for any of us who might eventually be exposed to the virus down the road.

With this information at hand, it is being surmised that practices which allow us to control or mitigate our stress response can be extremely important in dealing with infections such as Covid. Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, regular exercise, and Massage Therapy all work towards that end, helping us to reduce our stress levels and thereby reducing the production of cortisol in our bodies. This in turn helps us to keep our immune systems functioning as they should, giving our bodies a better chance of dealing with infections like Covid.

So, if you have the ability to partake in any of the above listed activities while remaining safe, please do so. I'll put some new links on my "resources" page for help in this regard.

While it's nice to know that vaccines are becoming more available and that our world wide health care providers are constantly learning better ways to treat this virus, we still have to take responsibility for our own health and well being and taking care of ourselves by reducing our stress levels can go a long way to ensuring our own health during the pandemic.