Safe Access, Self Isolation, and Staying Safe and Healthy (Part 2)
by Troy Meadows LEGION's Co-founder
PART 2 DEALING WITH SELF ISOLATION
Self-isolation is tough if you have never intentionally practiced it.
In my past, as an advocate for cannabis, I have had the misfortune of spending a few months in the county jail--the first two weeks of which were spent in 20-hour lock-up in single-occupancy cells. 20-hour lock-up means that you are only let out for 3 one-hour periods to eat meals. You are given a single one hour period for rec time. This is a story for another time, but that experience did give me perspective on what it is like to be isolated from humanity.
I can attest that it is not easy to deal with.
Here are a few things that you can do to make the time spent in self-isolation bearable if not enjoyable.
Work Remotely-
As the Marketing Director at LEGION, I manage remote teams and have the luxury of being able to accomplish 80-90% of my duties remotely from a laptop and a phone line. I understand that not everyone has this capability, but I can tell you 12-hour workdays make the time fly by pretty quickly :).
Make sure that you have all the necessities needed to be productive. For me, that is my laptop, portable standup desk and of course a little LEGION by my side.
Meditation-
I covet my meditation time, blocking out 11 min every morning to do the same meditation that I have done now for over five years. Taking the time to center one's self, to sit in silence with only your breath can have a very profound effect on your overall mental wellbeing. It has most certainly had a positive impact on mine, and many studies point to this as well. Now I get it all the time when discussing meditation with people; these responses always come up:
"I tried it, but I am no good at it."
"I did it for a few days; it did not work for me."
My answer here is…and I bet Michael Jordan came out of the womb with a killer jump shot. Now I am not saying that meditation will make you an elite superstar, but what I am saying is practice makes perfect.
As with any deliberate practice, success is measured in years, not days, and there is no time like forced isolation to start building good habits.
But don't take it from me. As Tim Ferriss, in an interview with Business Insider, commented: "Despite the fact that these are people from tennis to surfing to cryptocurrency to fill-in-the-blank, like any field you can possibly imagine — some type of morning mindfulness or meditation practice would span I'd say 90% of the respondents." This is in reference to his new book, Tribe of Mentors, where he interviews 140 top performers across all walks of professional and social life.
If you are interested in getting started with a meditation practice but do not know where to start, there are a few applications that can get you on the right track.
Head Space is popular, and the people that I have talked to who use it like it.
But my personal favorite is Waking Up, by Sam Harris. Sam takes a very agnostic approach to mindfulness that I think is both approachable and effective.
Exercise -
As an avid runner, daily movement is essential for me some times to the extreme. Check out this past LEGION IG post to see some of the craziness that I get myself into. As a creative, it is where a lot of ideas bubble up, especially if you are cooped up behind the computer all day or need to change up the scenery between rewatching all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. Getting outdoors for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood is beneficial for you in so many ways. Exercise and fresh air studies show help to optimize your immune response, and who does not want that right about now? Plus, the silver lining with most of the world slowing down and so many cars off the road is that the air is noticeably cleaner, making a leisurely walk around the neighborhood that much more enjoyable.
If you can get outside into nature even better, the smell of the trees, feeling the wind on your face, is a great way to forget, even for a few minutes, what we are all faced with right now.
The Japanese have a practice of forest bathing, where one spends time walking amongst the trees to envelop themselves in the smell of the deep pine forest that is abundant on the island nation.
Remember, however, that when venturing out of the house for a respite in the open air, we all need to practice social distancing right now. Even if you do not have symptoms, it is essential that when you are in public, that you act like you have the virus.
This means:
-Keeping at least 6 ft between yourself and any other individuals outside who are not members of your household. This means when using sidewalks and park trail systems to give plenty of room to pass. This may require stopping to move into a driveway or off the trail to keep your distance.
- Remember that single track trails are very narrow, and may not provide enough room for a 6-ft distance. These trails should be avoided if possible.
-Avoid touching any public surfaces with your hands.
Remember that our ability to get out to exercise is a privilege right now that may be taken away if we cannot get a hold of the spread of this outbreak. Do not spoil it for the rest of us!
REMEMBER TO PRACTICE SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES.
UPDATE: Since this publication Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Mono, Monterey, San Diego, Sonoma, Ventura counties as well as many others have closed many regional parks. Please check you local county regional park websites for more information.
California Department of Recreation - detailed listing of many county park closures
CA.gov, as well as the CDC website, have excellent resources for furthering your knowledge on how to stay safe and do your part to avoid the spread of the Novel Coronavirus.As of this publication, all parks in Sonoma County are now closed for the duration of the shelter in place. This is because of too many people using these resources and not practicing adequate physical distancing guidelines.
Eat a Balanced Diet -
Anyone that knows me knows that I am huge on wholefood plant-rich nutrition. Now, I am not saying that you should make some crazy dietary changes. I do want to make this caveat: I am not a licensed dietitian or a doctor, and I do not pretend to play one on the internet. What I do nutritionally works well for me, and aligns with my core values: Do the least harm possible to yourself and the environment.
That being said, when you are stocking up for the coming weeks of isolation at home, avoid buying the mega bag of chips and loading up the freezer with processed foods and TV dinners. For your immune system to fire on all cylinders, you need to eat a variety of foods that cover all the colors of the rainbow. I am not talking artificial colors here either:) Frozen fruit and vegetables are a great way to add vital fresh food to your diet that will keep well for the coming weeks.
Maybe you have been thinking of jumping on the smoothie train?
Here’s a great recipe to keep your spirits high:
One frozen banana
a 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
a 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen kale
a heaping spoonful of peanut butter
One tablespoon of chia seeds
One tablespoon of hemp seed hearts
a few ice cubes
a splash of almond milk or water
Just load it all up in the blender and add your liquid of choice until you have the consistency you prefer.
Smoothies make for an excellent nutrient-rich breakfast or post-exercise treat. All you need is a blender, and you are in business.
Oregano Oil -
During cold and flu season, I will take a few drops of essential oil of oregano oil with a little bit of water every morning. There have been many studies that link oregano essential oil with antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In natural medicine, oregano oil is touted as a natural remedy for respiratory ailments. If you want to learn more, Healthline.com has a great page on oregano oil that can help you further your understanding.
While it is the concentration of carvacrol and thymol in oregano oil that the research shows provides a lot of the benefits, one thing that I found fascinating when digging into some research was the type of terpenes found in the oregano oil namely β-caryophyllene and γ-terpinene; you can learn more here:
As you may know from our blog series Talking Terpenes, β-caryophyllene and γ-terpinene are very common in different cannabis strains. This brings me to the last thing that you need to make sure you have for proper self-isolation: Cannabis!!!
Cannabis-
First and foremost, you want to make sure that you are purchasing from licensed dispensaries and from reputable industry brands.
As a Founder and Marketing Director over here at the LEGION, I am rather partial :). These days, it’s the Watermelon Zkittles California Sauce PAX Pod and our new Monarch Cartridge Strain Lemon Banana Sherbert that I just keep going back to. Both of these products are 100% cannabis-derived and offer a full spectrum cannabinoid and terpene experience that is perfect for my needs. I have been using the LBS mostly during the day when creativity needs to be at its highest--pun intended--and the Watermelon Zkittles more to the eve when it’s time to mellow out!
Vape, not your thing? More of a flower or edible kind person?
Check out our friends at Humboldt Trees for their amazing estate-grown farm-to-table line of flowers and prerolls.
Also, if you have not tried Glowing Buddha's gummies, you should. They are a family-owned business local to Northern California; actually, they are our neighbors and are a passionate team of cannabis enthusiasts.
Remember, we are in this together!
As humans, we have the uncanny ability to rise to the occasion when the going gets tough, and our backs are against the wall. Every generation before us had to endure their existential crisis. Now is our time to shine; just know that patience is the virtue that will see us through this.
If you found this helpful or in any way meaning full please leave a comment, share with a friend and remember to practice good physical distancing practices. We will get through this together!