“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
So, yesterday I said that I was attempting to manage my attitude toward the situation I find myself in, that we are all in our own way finding ourselves in, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In a world that is (temporarily) taking away our ability to control many aspects of our life (how and where we exercise, how or even if we work, how we socialize, how we take care of shopping, banking, medical appointments – the list goes on) the one thing we can control is our own attitude.
Yesterday I also wrote here that I would be working as part of a skeleton crew two to three days a week. Well, about a half hour after writing that I got word that my place of business is closing for the rest of this week to sort out how we can all work remotely beginning next week. Words I hear a lot these days are, “It’s a fluid situation.” As someone who loves structure and routine, those are not my favorite words, but I’m rolling with it. Below are some of the things that are helping me roll in the right direction.
- Sleep. I’m going to sleep and waking about the same time every day, regardless of whether I have to go into work. This is something that I usually try to keep to anyway. I can’t remember the last time I slept in. When I get out of my sleep routine I can start to feel weird. I don’t like the logy feeling I get when I’ve slept too much. It feels just as bad to me as sleeping too little. Just the right amount (which for me is 7-8 hours) and at the right time works best for me.
- Fresh Air and Exercise. I’m sticking to my first-thing-in-the-morning walks, but now that Chris’ gym is closed, he is joining me on this first walk of the day. First walk of the day because now that Sam is home he and I go on a couple more walks throughout the day and evening. Exercise is scientifically proven to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. I always, always, always feel better after a walk, even if I was feeling fine before the walk. If, heaven forbid, we are asked sometime in the future to “shelter in place,” I will be the crazy (but happy!) lady walking laps around her own back yard (actually, I just heard that shelter-in-place orders allow for people to go out for walks and fresh air – phew!).
- Writing. I have been keeping journals since I was a little girl and I find journaling very therapeutic. This blog is a sort of a journal for me, but I also keep a bullet journal and a gratitude journal. I will write more about my journals in future posts but if you’re wondering what these types of journals are, here are links that describe bullet journaling and gratitude journaling. I’m using my journals to document what is happening in the world and in my life at this time. Along the lines of documentation, I am taking pictures wth my phone of things like empty grocery store shelves, signs up in store windows, etc. This helps me process what is happening and see it as an historic event rather than something that is personal to me. I’m also taking a daily screenshot of the World Health Organization’s “dashboard” graphic that shows the number of cases in the world.
- Enjoying Hobbies. A couple of weeks ago I bought a food dehydrator. It was a purchase I had been wanting to make for a couple of years, but I tend to agonize over purchases like that. Will I use it for only a week and then leave it to collect dust? Isn’t it awfully bulky? Like that. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and just do it, and I am so very happy I did. So far I have made crackers, dried citrus slices (I can’t even tell you how delicious these are), tomato slices, and apple slices. Sam and I are going to make beef jerky one of these days. It’s so much fun! Another thing that Sam and I like to do is make puzzles. We spent many happy hours during his winter break making puzzles, so I’ve ordered a couple of 1,000-piece puzzles from Amazon and I’m looking forward to getting them.
- Helping Others. We are making a daily trek to Open Door Coffee to get a takeaway coffee. We will be getting takeaway Mexican food from a local business that is feeling the pinch of social distancing. I have started calling my mom twice a day now that I’m home for the foreseeable future and she isn’t able to go to her usual daily social club that she loves. A friend and I are cooking up a fun project to spread some cheer in our neighborhood. I’m going to send out cards to friends celebrating the first day of Spring. Getting outside of my own head and taking actions to make the situation better for other people is a great way of using what little control I have for good.
- Meditation. I try to meditate every day, using the “10 Percent” app, and I have been doing this for a couple of years now. I could write many paragraphs about meditation and will write a whole post about my meditation practice later this week, but meditation is something I need in order to mitigate my normal tendency toward anxiety. Especially right now, it is a non-negotiable for me, like brushing my teeth. It must get done, because it works.
- Eating right. Oh, it would be so very easy to fall into the tempting pit of stress-eating right now. That Oreo cookie would comfort me so much! For the 5 seconds it takes to chew and swallow. Then I’ll need another Oreo because I’m still stressed out. And another. And another. Pretty soon the package of Oreos is gone, my body feels like crap, and my mind is still stressed out (actually, more stressed out now, because I’m angry at myself for eating all the Oreos). The truth about stress eating is that it only alleviates stress in the moment you are actually eating. It does absolutely nothing to help the situation. What I need now is a body and a mind that are as strong as I can possibly make them. How I am getting that is partially through eating three really healthy and tasty meals a day. No snacks. Again – non-negotiable.
- Nature therapy. Spring is beginning to spring up all around us, and I am spending a lot of time really noticing what is going on in the natural world around me. We have two bird feeders outside one of our kitchen windows, and I could just watch the birds (and pesky squirrels) forever. The robins are back. Little green sprouts are popping up. Daffodils are getting ready for the amazing show they are about to put on for us. It is all loveliness and life out there- just what I need to focus on right now. It’s a balm for my soul.
- Limit Media. Updates on the COVID-19 situation are coming in constantly. I could literally spend my whole day scrolling through news reports. I’ve decided this is not good for my mental state and I am limiting myself to one news outlet that has live updates (New York Times is offering unlimited free access to coronavirus-related content right now in exchange for your email address) that I will check twice a day, in the morning and evening.
- Music. Music has such power to affect my mood. Unlike Oreos, I can binge on music and music videos and actually end up in a better mood (and not an ounce heavier!) There are some songs that just slay me with their beauty, or make me happy all over. I’m indulging in those types of songs these days.
I hope this list has helped you think of some things you can add to your life to keep yourself on a positive trajectory.
See you soon, friends. xoxo
