Hello from Symphony: An update from our community

As the global spread of COVID-19 continues to affect every one of us, we at Symphony are determined to take precautionary measures to support the health, well-being, and safety of our global team members and their families. Starting this week, members of the Symphony community in all countries are working from home. 

As working remotely has the possibility of making certain functions and roles more difficult, we are ensuring that all team members have the resources and equipment they need to continue functioning, securely, in their roles while remaining safe. We have provided additional guidance to our team and are continuing to update resources.

Although we place a high value on our on-site visits and in-person interaction with our clients and partners, we have temporarily canceled all client visits, conference attendance, cross-hubs travel, and other business-related trips.

Symphony Community Support Center

Within our company, we have created a new department that will serve as community support and provider of any assistance to our teams during these times of need. One of the first activities that we rolled out is the Community Support Center guide that will help us stay safe, physically and mentally healthy, productive and connected with our important communities.

We are extending some of the most important learnings to our online community, hoping that we could help and motivate you as well. Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle - you should eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, get adequate sleep, take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly and take care of your mental health.

What to eat, drink and what to avoid?

Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. Because your body doesn't produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health which means that you should eat citrus fruits, but also red bell peppers. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table.

Yogurt can also be a great source of vitamin D, so try to select brands fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defenses against diseases. Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B-6 which is vital to the formation of new and healthy red blood cells.

Green tea and chamomile tea can help strengthen the immune system. Even if the effect is minimal, you can't go wrong, since both are loaded with powerful antioxidants unique to each tea. Orange and tomato juice are also great for the immune system because of their rich vitamin C content. Water is essential regardless of whether or not you want to keep your immune system healthy as it keeps us hydrated and can even encourage healthy skin. However, drinking water regularly also helps to flush out any toxins from the body, thus enabling the immune system to function as normal.

This is no time to bombard your body with processed foods, inflammatory omega-6 oils (soybean oil, corn oil, etc), fried foods, high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugars or chemical additives. These toxic “treats” force your body to do extra work to expel all this junk and repair the internal inflammation that they cause in your body.

Think about your physical activity

Because home working lacks the formal routine of the office environment, it can be very easy to neglect the physical side of home life and to get into “sit all day mode”.

Due to the overall impact that physical activity has on our body, mind, and health, it is recommended to pay serious attention to it during these work from home times to compensate for the lack of our daily activity routine. There are plenty of helpful online home exercise programs that could be helpful during these days, so check these links out: 30 Moves to make the best out of your at-home workout or the best workout apps in 2020!

Don’t forget about your mental health

Infectious disease outbreaks, like the current Coronavirus (COVID-19), can be scary and can also affect our mental health. Although a certain level of anxiety is quite normal in these extraordinary circumstances, it is of utmost importance to us, as well as to our community, what we do to stabilize ourselves and channel anxiety into precautions for our own and others' safety.

How to help yourself? 

- Balance the amount of time you spend thinking/discussing this topic  - Make a daily routine - Try to anticipate distress and find ways to relax and be creative - Stay connected with people - Talk to your children 

Before you go…

- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. - If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. - Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. - Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Remember, someone can carry the virus but doesn’t have to experience disease symptoms.  - Put distance between yourself and other people. - Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash. - Disinfect your laptop, mobile phone, doorknobs, tables, floors, carpets, and car regularly. - Make sure to clean your shoes whenever you’ve been outside. - Change clothes immediately when you come home. - Avoid any public gatherings, there is no reason to expose your self.

Stay healthy. Stay safe!