write
COVID 19 will be around for a while. Hopefully not a long while, but we don't know yet. People everywhere in the year 2020 are frustrated, bored--and very afraid. Home gets smaller by the day as cabin fever sets in. Relationships get strained. Wit's end is the next stop.
But there are worthy distractions we can engage in to pass the time we have for years coveted and are now presented with, albeit in a very backhanded way.
For the last however-many years, myself and most people I know have been trying to find the time to do all the things on our my mental checklists. That time is here--with a scythe in its hand wearing a dark hooded robe. I am not able to work from home like many in San Jose, CA who have tech jobs. My job as a piano service person requires me to be at a school, church or in homes to practice my profession, so until AT LEAST May 3--the current estimate for when social distancing will no longer be necessary--I've got plenty of time
Here are just a few ideas to minimize the stress of overthinking our current predicament:
GENERAL
Sleep more, including naps with your cats or dogs
Binge watch your favorite shows
Engage in (friendly, hopefully) interactions on your favorite social media platforms
Have an extra glass of wine with dinner
Reconnect with your significant other in meaningful ways
EXERCISE
Life always improves after a workout, even if the thought of actually doing one causes you anxiety...
Enjoy the outdoors, if that's possible in your part of the current world. Observe local rules and regulations. Exercise and Vitamin D from the sun significantly strengthen your immune systems. Cycling (NOT in groups) and hiking are my preferences. Keep your distance from partners and passers-by. 6 feet is adequate, they say, but an MIT study says the virus can fly farther.
If you have weights or a stationary bike, you can get the endorfins flowing in your own home, which will improve your mood and interactions with those you're housebound with. Trust me here.
CREATIVE
Since you joined the rat race as a working individual, haven't you always wanted to reconnect with your inner Dickens or Austen? Now would be a great time to write stories, chapters, poems and articles. You even have WriteHere to motivate you:-)
Read that pile of books on your nightstand
Have a seat at the piano, or pick up that guitar or violin in the corner and start making some music
Make a movie on your computer. There are plenty of free/cheap programs that can help you splice together videos and pics from that logjam of digital pics in your computer that you've always said you'd organize
Go down the YouTube rabbit hole and find all those songs you never thought you'd hear again
I hope you all stay safe and sound. Please take care of youselves.
