What is On Your Mind?

What Is On Your Mind?

Omini (not his real name) feels good when the going is good and feels really bad when it gets rough.  He is always afraid whenever he foresees setbacks on his way. “Tough times must come, but how you handle them is very important”, his friend explains.

Many of us may be like Omini. Just thinking about the recent extension of the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine (a.k.a lockdown) could ignite worry. However, as Omini’s friend rightly notes, “tough times must come, but how [we] handle [tough times] is very important.” The COVID-19 pandemic is surely one of those tough/rough times.

It is hard to believe that we have been on enhanced community quarantine for three weeks already but we survived. Praise God! Let us, therefore, approach the coming days with hope and optimism, constantly reminding ourselves that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22, KJV).

“Extra weeks of staying at home, and you want me to be happy?”, you may ask. Yes, be happy! A happy, peaceful mind strengthens the body and improves digestion, enhances appetite and sleep, improves the general well-being, and prolongs life.  According to Shen-Nong, joy makes the heart merry but anger wounds the liver, worry hurts the spleen and fear affects the kidney. A bad mood weakens the body’s immunity and impairs the effective and efficient functioning of the body’s cells, tissues, organs, and systems. 

Make the best out of COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine. Continue to do the following:

• Engage in regular exercise, including active pulses (in-house exercises) to protect against Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that occurs in the vein around the thigh and lower leg, due to limited movement and other conditions.
• Eat also foods rich in vitamins and minerals (fruits and vegetables).
• Drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.
• Maintain a fairly stable schedule (exercise, eat, rest/sleep at regular times).
• Avoid anxiety, pray more, and live just one day at a time.

May God bless you!

Dr. Godwin N. Aja

Professor

AIIAS Graduate School

Public Health Department

#StaySafe #StayHome #Self-quarantine #EatWell #SleepWell #RestWell #DrinkWater #RemainDistantly-sociallyConnected

Since 1987, the AIIAS Public Health Department has offered the Master in Public Health (MPH) degree program. AIIAS faculty and student body represent more than 70 different countries. This means that every class has international and multicultural components where public health students can come to know other cultures by first-hand experience. Many Public Health students choose to pursue double emphases, which opens up increased employment opportunities. AIIAS MPH focuses on wholeness from scientific and Adventist perspectives and the integration of faith and service as necessary professional competencies. AIIAS Public Health graduates serve the Adventist Church in different capacities and work in prestigious NGOs. Several have continued their education and obtained doctoral degrees from internationally renowned universities.

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