I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling stressed. The uncertainty of the quarantine, worrying about doing a good job homeschooling my daughter who is in first grade, and wondering how I should dress to buy food has put me in such a tizzy that it’s become nearly impossible for me to write. And writing is not only my full-time job, it’s my vocation.
Like most of you, I am practicing social distancing from my home. For me this is not too far out of the ordinary. As a writer, I have been predominantly work at home for most of my career, but I do enjoy getting out every once in a while and seeing the world. I wanted to share some tidbits from my three plus week homestay.
Could you imagine going through the COVID-19 pandemic fifty years ago? Twenty years ago? How about ten years ago? Our ways of communication has greatly increased in just the last ten years. FaceTime went live June 7, 2010. We’ve all seen the commercials and the pictures of people, mainly kids, on their various handheld techno gadgets and rolled our eyes. How many times have you said, or wanted to say, “get off your phone and go outside!”
Sounds like a Gabriel Garcia Marquez title, doesn’t it? Well, I’m certainly no Marquez, and I’ve always been more logical than romantic, but these last couple of weeks have already taught me a few things.
Recently, I became aware of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. I was thinking about the lesson that Fred Rogers would teach children about how to cope with profound crisis. He said to look for the helpers because there were always helpers. Sometimes they we teachers, sometimes police officers or doctors and nurses. Sometimes they were neighbors, but there were always going to be helpers and the helpers would help.
During this unusual time in all our lives due to the Covid-19 virus, many of you are at home and now thinking it is a good time to bring a new cat or kitten into your home to spend time with while you shelter-in-place. But what happens when we all go back to work? Are you going to then think the cat/kitten won’t work because you’re busy again?
I never planned to be in isolation. I figured my wife and daughter might, but me? What a surprise!
Now, what’s a restaurant reviewer supposed to do when he can’t go to restaurants because he’s supposed to avoid going out, which means he’s stuck at home, trying to put together meals from what he has on hand in the house?
Staying healthy and active is a goal most people have. However, daily life gets in the way of exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation. When a crisis like the coronavirus hits, worry and an excess of conflicting information can add stress and decrease focus. Dr. Carol Osborne, an integrative veterinarian in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, shares tips for weight loss, stress relief, and adapting for changes in your work schedule which in turn, affects your pets.
