So, I started again to write and came up with the idea of a COVID survival kit.
I have had some challenging days around the pandemic. I am not the easiest person to live with during normal times and am sure a greater challenge during the pandemic. But, overall, we have weathered the storm so far pretty well, I think. We are in our tenth month of being somewhat locked down, and I thought I would share some of what has helped me as it might help others.
So, here it goes, we have been officially locked down since March 7th. I know that date because it was the day I flew back from Savannah. In the beginning, we stored up on essentials, not knowing what this meant. Would the stores run out of toilet paper, and we even bought enough dry beans to store to be extra safe. After trial and error, here are some of the tips that have helped me survive the pandemic.
Find space in your home to be alone. It is not just for your peace of mind but for others. I have an
"office" as it gives me somewhere to go each morning, do work and also gives us space from each other. Not only are we more productive, but it gives us space and allows us to maintain individuality.
Find entertainment to minimize frustrations and stress: I ordered on eBay a WII U console. I remember the Wii I had in Jersey, and the tennis game, to be a good way to get out frustrations and decided this would be a good addition to my being frustrated in the house. It has worked and does give me the advantage of an outlet that is somewhat physical. So, I was told the newer consoles don't focus on the actual moving around that the original WII and WII U but focus on entertainment that can distract the mind from today’s stress.Reduce alcohol consumption. I know this will be controversial, but we stopped most drinking in May. It was not a conscious decision. We ended up on a dier because we baked lots of cookies in April and went on a diet. As much as a nice drink helps take the edge off the day, it also distracts me from staying focused on life and the moment. Not drinking helps me learn better approaches to coping with stress, which is a good thing.
Focus on healthier living. At the beginning of the pandemic, we bought comfort foods from the Nanny Goat to store in our freezer. They ranged from Swedish meatballs to chicken spaghetti. They were tasty, but they also were loaded with calories. So, along with the drought on alcohol came the focus on healthier eating as well. We did this by starting back to Weight Watchers, and they have very good recipes that led us to healthier cooking. We stopped eating meat at home, as we were upset with the lack of care for workers in that industry, and turned our cooking and eating to more fish and chicken. It has improved our health and required me to learn how to cook fish better and be more experimental with vegetables.
Focus on family.
It is easy to focus on the impact of all of the stay at home rules has on me. I want to sit at a bar and have dinner, and enjoy the company and let Frank and I relax out of the house. After the first month or so here, traffic came back to more normal, and as I drive by restaurants at mealtime, the parking lots are pretty full. But, I need to turn my eyes in a different direction. First, we have Frank's parents we see fairly often. Even when wearing a mask, doing all of these things puts more people at risk than just us. In our mid-50's, we are in a higher risk group and don't need this bug either. But, to keep our family and us safe, we need to focus on more than just ourselves.Focus on yourself. On the other hand, it is necessary to not forget about yourself and your happiness. We can get lost in the news, get lost in all of the stress others are under, and more importantly, our happiness and contentment can get lost. When I get the most stressed out, and not just during the pandemic, it is when I forget to put myself on my list of priorities. I can end up in a week looking back at all of my stress worrying about parents, partners, pets, and world peace and realize that the one person not on the list is me. I have learned to walk more, to find space when needed in my office.
Prioritize Home. Like others, I can get distracted by others’ issues and needs outside of the house, from family to work to just listening to the news. I have learned to be more patient and understanding at home. In the middle of a pandemic, we ran into a necessary remodel of the bathroom, which also spread to the kitchen. We started out discussing every detail, and I finally came to an odd conclusion. What I would have chosen on my own, Frank may not have liked. But, I would like what Frank decides just fine. So, I took myself out of the decision making once we chose the appliances. It took the tension out of the house, and we ended up with a great bathroom and kitchen. Prioritizing our relationship meant giving up some control, and all was better for it.
Exercise:
Even during the cookie baking marathons, I didn’t get out of my routine of power walks in the morning. During those walks, I can focus on what is bothering me and could see what mattered and what was just frustration and stress. I learned not to listen to music, and I start each morning looking for one word to describe my mood as the day is starting. This allowed me to rebalance myself and to set priorities for the day. Not only does it help to get the body moving, but especially during times of real stress and angst, it allowed me to change how I was responding to the day.
Pet your dog and cat: We don't have children, and I can only imagine the stress that goes with having to home school, work, and keep the house together. But, in our world, it is our pets that remove stress from our day. They provide unconditional love, and they can hear and listen but not repeat. It is also that they are very routine-oriented. So even as work ebbs and flows, and we might be inclined to sit or lay around and mope, they won't let us. They both expect us up at around 5:30 AM. Lucky wants to be fed, DaisyBelle wants a walk, and we are up and about. This is a good thing, and I know our lives would be much less content without them.
Experiment and try new things.
I was a bit wary of trying to bake bread. The kneading of bread made me wonder if I can do it. I have baked some great loaves of bread and created some rolls that were more ammunition quality, but trying to do something new had kept me energized. I also took classes in writing, coding, and other subjects to get smarter and see what other areas I can grow in during these challenging times.
Write about it. This blog helps me a great deal. It is a way to share what is on my mind and see what is important enough to write. That said, I had written some posts that never made it to the blog but just writing about it helped. They were either negative and ugly, and nobody needed that right now, or it leaned to negative political comments.
Create opportunities to spoil yourself. I bought a projector for the bedroom. In regular times we don't want a tv in the bedroom. But, in these times, I can plug in and project a Netflix show on the wall gives Frank the time to watch shows that I may not want to watch. I am also hoping that it will work outside for warmer weather movie viewing.
Make cooking at home worthy of your time.
Buy the best ingredients available. Finding organic chickens and meats matter, and driving 30 miles to Tyler, TX to get fresh fish matters. Experiment with new seasonings to liven up repeated recipes. If you find a chef or site for recipes you like, follow the recipe a few times before you start to add your own flair.
Finally, reach out and touch someone. I have seen this time to be good for reaching out to some friends I lost contact with along the way. Having more people to talk to outside of the home is a good thing. It is also a compassionate thing to do as we are all trying to deal with the pandemic and life challenges in general.
So, if you have any suggestions to add to my list, please do. If you try one of my ideas and it doesn't help your situation, I am sorry.
I am sending you all hugs and best wishes from East Texas.
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