I know many of you are very worried about the current state of the world. You might be confused, afraid & nervous about how suddenly your situation has changed! But, I want to encourage and empower you to divert that energy into POSITIVE thoughts and actions because YOU, my friend, have an integral part to play in helping our world to heal and come back into a state of peace and normalcy.
Firstly, let me assure you — you CANNOT give nor get COVID-19 to or from your loved ones! The WHO and CDC are two very big, powerful organizations that are run by SUPER DUPER smart people. They have announced over and over again that your family members, friends and acquaintances do not have to worry about you being a direct source of virus transmission. With that being said, there are several things you can do to help your family as they struggle in dealing with this pandemic.
- Do Your Very Best to Remain Calm at All Times!
- your family members are probably a bit FREAKED out, they might even be sick – this puts you in a unique position to offer them the extra attention, love and assurance they need at such a tumultuous time
- the people in your life could very much use extra hugs, kisses & snuggles right now – those things are FREE and you have an endless supply of them to give
2. Get Plenty of Rest, but Don’t Forget to Exercise!
- give yourself & your family permission to take more naps!!! – be sure to use the extra fluffy pillows and snuggly blankets too!!
- make sure to exercise at least once a day – play with your toys more than normal, engage your human in fun games, and get fresh air if possible – it is especially good for our bodies and mental health right now, so go outside if you can…..sit on the porch, take a walk – just remember if it’s in a public place, your person still needs to observe the social distancing rule of at least 6 feet, so this probably means NO BUTT SNIFFING for you!
3. Eat a Well Balance Diet – but extra snacks are OK too!
- your parents have a lot on their mind right now, so they might need a gentle reminder to stock up on extra food for you too – if you are running low on supplies, tipping the food container over or dragging the bag out of the pantry into middle of the kitchen floor will probably suffice to alert them to the situation at hand!
- do your part by rationing – for once, it’s OK to not eat everything on your plate! – also, by eating smaller portions at meal time this will leave extra room in your belly for SNACKS!!!!
4. Find Creative Ways to Stay Entertained!
- electronic options for amusement are limitless – binge watch NetFlix with your person, make funny videos together for YouTube or pose for Instagram pictures – who knows, you might even become and over-night internet sensation and get invited to go on the Ellen DeGeneras Show!
- PLAY!!! – your human probably still has to work while they are home with you – be respectful of that – but by providing them with a healthy amount of diversions and opportunities to pay attention to you, you can make their day more productive and fulfilling; some ideas include re-arranging the stacks of papers they have carefully lain out, walking across the computer key-board a few extra times than normal, playing the staring game (I promise you will win every time!) – I am certain you can come up with many more ideas on your own!
5. Be Extra Kind & Positive – Reach Out to Others!
- do your best to maintain a chipper attitude – wag your tail more than normal, purr more loudy, sing an extra happy song! – your family will appreciate it more than you will ever know; this might be SUPER hard for those of you that LIKE your “me-time”…….having your space and time invaded by all these people will be difficult; just remember this is a temporary situation and you will survive!
- be generous – if you have extra supplies, now would be an AWESOME time to make a donation to an animal shelter in your community; they always need things like blankets, towels, toys, food & treats – have your human call ahead or check the shelter web-site to see what items are most needed
- check on your neighbors – especially the old ones! – NOBODY needs to go through this alone! ask your family for permission to go visiting with somebody they know that could use the extra hugs, kisses and snuggles you have to give – you don’t even have to be nervous about it or practice ahead of time – you are already an EXPERT at doing all of those things! maybe your family could even make a care package for the person in need – be sure to include some rolls of toilet paper – good thing we don’t use it – I hear it’s in VERY short supply!!
6. Just Be YOU!!!! remember…….out of all the pets in the whole wide world, they chose YOU to be a member of thier family! each one of us has something very special and unique to offer our loved ones during these uncertain times; this is especially true if you have feathers, fins or scales instead of fur!!! In your very own way, you can help your family make it through and create memories together that will last a lifetime!! GOOD LUCK, stay safe and BE PAWSOME!!!!!