Staying balance, positive, and hopeful during this extended time of the coronavirus and isolation can be increasingly difficult particularly if you live alone.
Current research shows that as many as 30% of people are showing signs of depression, anxiety, and physical stress. To offset these symptoms, we must develop counter strategies to increase joy and pleasure in our daily life to take care of our mental and physical health. It makes a tremendous difference in how we feel.
Here are a couple of ideas you can consider while the weather is still good. At least once a week invite someone over to join you in these activities if you can practice social distancing and maintain healthy boundaries. If friends can’t attend in person, use Zoom, Google hangout, Skype or other media tools to have them join you. Then,
1. Have a picnic in your backyard, under a tree or in a park nearby. Pack your favorite picnic foods, have your friends bring their own, and enjoy the outdoors and all its delights. Nature nourishes our souls.
2. When at home, break out the good ‘china and crystal’ and candlelight. Make a special meal and truly enjoy your dinner. Have a virtual dinner party if your dining room isn’t large enough for social distancing. Invite everyone to set an elegant table, make a gourmet meal, and enjoy the company virtually.
3. Put on your favorite music and dance. Music lifts our spirits, movement gets the energy flowing, and makes us feel better when our spirits are low. Humans have always used music to express our feelings our despair, grief, laughter, joy, and hope. Put on the music that expresses your mood of the day and dance away. Schedule a set time for others to join you in your home or yard if you have the space, or online, or simply ask other spontaneously to join your dance of the day. Music is good for the soul at any time. “When words fail music speaks.”– Irena Huang
Past generations lived through years of deprivation after the World War I and II, the Great Depression of 1929, and the recent recessions, as well as the polio epidemics, and the influenza epidemic in the last century. We will emerge from this pandemic too. It is merely a question of time.
Meanwhile, we must make a concerted effort to maintain a positive outlook and focus on the future of our world after this pandemic. The coronavirus will not go away tomorrow, and we must develop coping mechanisms for finding balance, happiness, joy, and connection in our daily lives. This is the current norm we must deal with. So, let’s acknowledge our fears and face them, ensure the health and safety of those around us, act for the good of all, and be grateful for the delights of life surrounding us.
