JANUARY 27 • 2022 | 31

very helpless and like they 
don’t have any control over the 
situation.
”
Now, Michiganders are 
growing irritable. Schwartz 
is seeing a lot of “when is 
this going to be over?”-type 
thinking, with frustration 
mounting over rapidly 
changing guidance from the 
CDC. 
“The information changes 
every day, which seems to 
also create anxiety for people 
because nobody knows what 
the right answer is anymore,
” 
she says. “There are those 
concerns and worries that 
people aren’t doing what 
they’re supposed to be doing 
[because of that].
”
When it comes to how 
people are actually handling 
the Omicron surge, though, 
Schwartz says the response 
is mixed. Some people have 
chosen to quarantine once 
more and remain in mostly 
isolated settings, while others 
are choosing to go on with 
their lives as planned.

AN INCREASE IN 
HYPOCHONDRIA
It’s also a challenging time for 
people to accurately gauge 
their symptoms, which is 
leading to an increase in 
hypochondria, Schwartz says. 
“
Any little symptom that you 
normally wouldn’t think twice 
about… ‘Is it COVID?’ is the 
next thought that comes to 
your head. Health anxiety has 
significantly increased because 
just about anything can be a 
symptom at this point.
”
The uptick in anxiety can 
also blur the lines between 
stress-related symptoms and 
those caused by virus or illness 
because anxiety can also 
cause things like headaches, 
stomachaches, fatigue and 
a general feeling of being 
rundown. All these factors 

combined mean it’s more 
important than ever for people 
to prioritize their mental 
health, Schwartz says, and to 
practice self-care.
“Self-care is important and 
making sure that you are 
doing things for your health,
” 
she explains. “Remember that 
this time of the year is hardest 
on everybody in Michigan, so 
you have to make sure you’re 
eating healthy, exercising and 
socializing, whether that’s 
in-person or virtually.
”

FINDING BALANCE
Communication is key during 
this difficult time, so being 
able to have open discussions 
with loved ones about your 
personal comfort level matters.
“People are still across 
the board in terms of where 
their comfort level is with 
[Omicron],
” Schwartz says. “I 
don’t think there’s any right 
or wrong; I think you just do 
whatever you’re comfortable 
with.
”
The best way to handle 
that approach, Schwartz 
recommends, is to find 
balance.
“You can be talking about 
it too much and focusing on 
it too much, and that’s not 
healthy,
” she says. “It can be 
hard to find that balance when 
that’s all you see on TV and 
read; but at the same time, you 
have to talk about how you 
feel because you can’t keep it 
inside. That’s not good for you 
either.
”
Ultimately, it’s essential 
to do what’s right for you, 
Schwartz says. “Make sure 
that you’re doing things that 
you enjoy. You have to be 
able to balance out something 
positive with all of the negative 
stuff that’s thrown at us.
“Self-care leads to 
resilience,
” she adds, “that’s 
what we need right now.
” 

Learn more by contacting us at
(248) 687-7300

A Healthier You Starts With
The Right Combination

of A Well Balanced Lifestyle

Our Convenient Locations: 

Headquarters
4967 Crooks Rd, 210, Troy, Michigan 48098

Karmanos Cancer Institute, McLaren Clarkston
5680 Bow Pointe Dr, Ste 102, Clarkston, Michigan 48346

McLaren Flint Breast Surgery
3500 Calkins Rd, Suite B, Flint, Michigan 48532

Prevention. Diagnosis. Treatment. 

A good path towards feeling your best starts with optimizing your breast 
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Experts agree that health outcomes fall into a few common categories – 
sleep, stress, fitness, and diet. T
o align with these common health areas, we’ve 
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Our caring and friendly staff assist patients step-by-step through their breast 
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patient is healthy, happy, and cancer-free.

Our experienced Breast Cancer Surgeons were selected not just for what they 
know, but who they are as people. They treat the whole patient – mind, body, 
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At Comprehensive Breast Care, we offer:

• Early detection and breast screening tests
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Dr. Ashley Richardson
Dr. Eric Brown
Dr. Linsey Gold

