Technology Makes Isolation Bearable But Can Take a Toll on Health

As we all do our best to isolate and protect ourselves from the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), using technology has been a saving grace. From ordering groceries online to homeschooling our children to utilizing videos for physically moving our bodies to having a drink with friends over Zoom to talking to our grandparents on FaceTime. There are so many times throughout the day that I am so grateful for the technology that makes this possible. Throughout human history diseases have threatened our species over and over. But for the first time we have the ability to quickly identify and test for a new disease, nearly immediately alert everyone in the entire world and take measures to prevent the spread. Unfortunately this currently means isolating ourselves for the safety of all of us. Many people have been predicting this situation for years but I don’t think anyone could have predicted the intensity of how this would feel. If you crawl into bed at night feeling as if you are living in a movie, you are not alone. If you wake up feeling as if you are still dreaming, you are not alone.

If you feel lucky and unlucky and lonely and connected and scared and hopeful and grateful and resentful, spared and saved all within the same hour, you are not alone. We are all trying to figure out how to best cope with this new world we live in. Being a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioner, I use this methodology as a way of life and a way to cope with this bizarre new reality.

Ancient Wisdom to Navigate Current Problems

There are many imbalances that can occur from our current situation.

Stress causes Liver Qi Stagnation: muscle tightness, specifically neck and shoulder tension, eye twitches, menstrual cramps, breast tenderness

What you can do: Move your body, stay active. Stagnation is what it sounds like, your Qi/energy is not flowing properly and gets stuck. Walk, jump rope, do online workout videos, support small business owners by joining an online class or hiring a personal online trainer. Deep breaths.

Overthinking/Worrying causes and caused by Spleen Qi Deficiency: diarrhea, upset stomach, fatigue, sugar cravings, insomnia due to worrying

What you can do: Meditate, experiment with meditation apps with guided sessions, restorative yoga. Eat foods easy to digest, limit greasy, heavy foods, dairy, sugar, coffee.

Sadness/Grief damages Lung function: Lung Meridian is related to your defensive Qi or immunity. This is especially important currently because Covid is very contagious and is attacking the lungs.

What you can do: Get fresh air-open your windows, take a walk with a face mask, long, slow, deep breaths, increase Vitamin C and zinc, ask your acupuncturist about shipping an immune boosting Chinese Formula, jump on a trampoline or bounce to help drain lymph.

Too much screen time/computer work and too much work in general causes Yin Deficiency: Yin Deficiency symptoms can include difficulty falling asleep, night sweats, dry eyes, waking often, dry hair, lips, skin, tendon pain in wrists. Yin is the fluid that moistens and nourishes our bodies. Screens are very hot and drying therefore as we use our smart phones, iPads, computers, smart TV’s during this isolation it is creating imbalances in our bodies. While necessary especially during this time, we need to counter all this technology with other habits.

What you can do: Eat food that nourishes Yin- root vegetables, seaweeds, healthy oils like olive and coconut oil, avocados, fish oils, nuts and seeds, especially black sesame seeds. Avoid too many hot/dry foods such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy food. Take frequent breaks from your screens, try to limit screen time, keep plants next to your computer. If you use a laptop, don’t rest it directly on your lap and use a keyboard with a cord. The radiation from typing with your hands directly on a laptop is very hot and over time drys out your tendons, especially in your wrists, commonly causing wrist pain. Try to keep your hands about 6 inches away from the laptop. If you have a cordless keyboards and mouse for your desktop computer, get ones with cords.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are a great way to boost immunity, keep stress levels down and address any other imbalances that you may experience. When it is safe to come out of isolation, we would love to help get our community back into the world feeling healthy. Garden Acupuncture is located on Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Our team has over 70+ years of combined experience! Check out and explore our website! GardenAcu.com