This Is Angela Kinsey's Top Coping Strategy During the Pandemic
Welcome to Deep Dives, a newHealthvideo series where inspiring peopletalk about a health topic that’s meaningful to them and share relatable stories around health and wellness. Watch Angela Kinsey's Deep Dive above!
The coronavirus has added a new layer of stress to our lives, and the adjustments we've all had to make have been hard. Angela Kinsey (aka, Angela fromThe Office) has had to make changes as well, and she's feeling the stress from them deeply. First, there's the agony of not being able to see her elderly mom.
金赛的82岁的老母亲住在德克萨斯州和she feels tremendously fortunate to have her sister living there with her during the pandemic. Still, she misses visiting her and having to cancel family gatherings. "We've put them on hold to keep people safe," Kinsey tellsHealth.The one way she eases the anxiety of not having IRL visits? Lots and lots of FaceTime.
Another stressor is explaining to her kids (she has one child of her own and is the stepmom of two) why their usual routines have had to change regarding going to school and hanging out with friends, and that it comes down to protect them from the virus. "I hope that they will take away some of that wisdom from this time about learning how to cope, how to problem-solve, and see things from a different point of view," Kinsey says.
There has been one positive development during the pandemic, however: a new dinnertime ritual she does with her kids called "roses and thorns." Explains Kinsey: "We say one of the positive things from our day and then we say one of the things that wasn't great, because you've got to be able to share all of that. It's really healthy to affirm each other." She wants her kids to know that lightness and happiness still exist in seemingly dark times.
Kinsey's overall coping strategy with pandemic-related changes is one she learned from her parents—just "sitting for a minute" and taking some time to recharge. She does this by wearing her coziest clothes and having a cup of tea for 10 minutes in her backyard. "I just sort of take in the morning and I don't have my phone, and just be still," Kinsey says. "There's something so lovely about having those few moments every morning." TheAdvil Dual Actionspokesperson also prefers going on nature walks, dancing, or doing a quick jog, turning to Advil when aches and pains kick in.
You can watch the rest of Angela's deep dive in the video above.
To get more inspiring stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for theHealthy Livingnewsletter