The news of the eventual spread of the COVID-19 virus is ubiquitous and all of us at Flourish! want to keep safety AND mindfulness front and center so that our clients are doing the best they can to keep ensure wellness during a time of uncertainty.

First and foremost is everyone’s safety and for the month of March we will offer phone or video appointments if you are experiencing coughing, shortness of breath, fever or “under the weather.” It is best for you and the others at Flourish! if you stay at home but we want to make sure that if you need therapy you can still receive it.

If the symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath occur and it is less than 24 hours before your appointment, we will waive late cancellation fees for the month of March (and this may be extended).

Here is a link to the CDC’s recommendations for prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

At Flourish! we hope you will be practice mindful awareness of your contact with others and thoroughly wash your hands after touching people and publically shared objects such as any type of handle, railing, button, or device. The same applies to your personal devices and those that are shared with others (for instance, wiping the microwave at work with disinfectant wipes before and after using).

Another aspect of mindfulness is to connect to your body’s ‘whispers’ of a tickle in your throat, a slight change in your breathing patterns, a feeling of your body temperature slightly changing, or noticing that your normal level of energy is a little less than it had been. If you are connected to these whispers Flourish! recommends you take your temperature daily (at minimum), stay home and rest, and if symptoms worsen within 24 hours of first feeling the ‘whispers’ reach out to a health professional / doctor as soon as possible.

We understand that some of these symptoms could be confused with seasonal allergies that are upon us. Mindful awareness is important here so that you do not dismiss your whispers or symptoms as ‘just allergies’ … a thermometer plays an important part; if your immune system is fighting a virus, your temperature will elevate. Please note that you don’t need to have a temperature of 99℉ to have a fever. Some people have lower body temperatures than 98.6℉ so knowing your normal body temperature before you have a virus or infection is important. This means taking your temperature today or tomorrow, when you don’t feel sick, is a great way to establish your normal / baseline body temperature (and it wouldn’t hurt to do this once a week, just for fun).

At our office we will be using single use paper towels in the bathroom and will be running all of our shared glassware through the dishwasher on the ‘sanitizing’ setting.

Flourish! Tips for Mindful Wellness

Make sure you have a thermometer in your home and/or office and know what your normal body temperature is (not everyone is 98.6).
Wash your hands thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds, and if in public, dry them on a single use towel or air machine.
Drink lots of filtered water; fill your plates with a colorful array of fresh / organic fruits and vegetables ; avoid junk food / processed foods (foods that come in a box or bag), foods that have ingredients that you can’t pronounce, and foods with added sugar / high fructose corn syrup.
Wash your bed linens and bath / hand towels every few days and dry them thoroughly before using.
Take at least five (5) minutes every day to sit quietly and breath deeply through your belly.

Wishing everyone the best in health and wellness,

~ Cyndi Collen, LCSW

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