Should we or shouldn’t we?
This was the question my husband and I kept asking each other for over a week before our children’s birthdays. It is the day they look forward to the most each year – even if they have to share it with each other…and they wanted to go to their favorite breakfast restaurant.
It had just opened – with social distance guidelines – but we still felt confused and concerned.
Should we go? Is it safe? What’s the risk?
After a week of going back and forth it took waking up to a power outage the morning of their birthdays to make the decision for us…we would go.
So how was it?
Actually, quite nice!
We waited in our car until our table was ready and then we were seated a good distance from other tables. The menu came up on our phone as soon as we took a picture of the QR code on the table.
Servers and staff wore masks and gloves and environments were wiped down in between each seating.
I’m not sure if it was due to less guests having to be served or if the staff was extra grateful for the patronage, but our service was the best we have ever received at the restaurant and we left feeling good about our experience.
Which lead me to ask Dr. Graves about navigating this back and forth to determine what is okay to do right now and what isn’t.
I know…it’s like a never-ending cycle of the same question, but when faced with the reality of actually going through with something – such as eating inside a restaurant – how do we really feel about things?
His answer helped me define and create perspective for how to make decisions about what to do or not to do as we move forward…
Dr. Graves believes in taking a holistic approach to not only our health, but our entire life and decision-making processes.
In this realm, holistic refers to an array of areas in your life that make up what is needed to live your best life. When it comes to making decisions on what is best for you right now, consider things such as:
– your job/career
– financial security
– your children’s education
– you and your family’s physical health needs; exercise; diet
– you and your family’s mental health needs; self-care; social relationships
– extended family member needs such as elderly parents’ isolation/socialization
– what’s going on in your community versus other locations around the world (what’s the data in your particular area)
as well as any specific things that put you or your family at high-risk for losing any of these such as compromised immunity for health or the possibility of losing a job if you are unable to physically be there.
When taking these into account, it’s about risk versus benefit.
Do the risks outweigh the benefits, are the benefits worth the risks, or is it a wash either way?
When it came to choosing to go eat at a restaurant for the first time since the re-opening phase, the stress of bad weather, the closing of most fun options for the kids’ birthdays, and having no power when we woke up outweighed the risks for us. At that point, we just wanted stress-relief and meaningful time with our kids.
What will you take into consideration for making decisions moving forward when it comes to eating out, getting together with friends, going on a vacation, etc.?
While it’s normal to be scared and confused, try not to stay stuck in fear. Living in fear can wreck the immune system and stress you out even more.
If you are ready to seek out health solutions to issues that may have been put on the back burner in effect of stay-at-home orders (such as chronic pain, sleep issues, digestive upset, anxiety, hormone imbalance, etc.) and you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the greater Denver metro area, please call our office at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about your issue and learn how we may be of help to get you feeling better.
Are you ready to get back to life? If so, we can help.
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