Coronavirus… It’s Starting to Feel Real

For awhile, social isolation wasn’t so hard. I mean, you get to stay in your house, do a few projects, sleep, eat and drink whatever you want without consequence. The Coronavirus “Quarantine 15” weight gain was something we would all experience. Then, deal with it when this is over.

“When this is over…” When will this be over?

The reality is setting in—it might not be soon.

What was easy has turned hard. Really hard. It takes a toll on your mental health. Quarantine, be it forced of self-imposed, has real consequences.

There’s a new Gallup Poll that says sixty percent of us are feeling stress and worry. Eight in ten Americans say their lives have been disrupted a great deal or a fair amount by the Coronavirus.  Eight in ten? I need to meet the other two! Who are they?  Where are they?  How are they not feeling this stress?

The Washington Post has a piece on anxiety and Coronavirus.  Advice on how to feel better.  Here’s some of what Professor Katy Milkman from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania suggests.

She says we need to be intentional about our social connections.  Use Zoom and FaceTime to connect with others.  Check in with friends and family.  Reach out to a long lost friend.  Have dinner with someone using technology.

Another thing Professor Milkman advises is using something called the “three blessing exercise.”  It’s simple, it’s easy, and it works.  Count your blessings. Even when there is not a lot to be thankful for right now, find something.  Three things. Write them down.  Everyday.  Studies show it can improve your mood in just a couple of weeks.

I’ve been doing this for awhile.  Just spending a little time every day being grateful.  I do it every morning during my meditation.  I promise, it works.  I’m glad to know there is science to back it up.  No just me being all “Woo-Woo-Eee.”  That’s my term for spirituality.  “Woo-Woo-Eee.”  I’m a pretty “Woo-Woo-Eee” kind of person, by the way.

Grateful. Today, I’m grateful for my family—Enrique, Coco and Josephine.  I’m grateful that I still have a job… and one that I still enjoy.  I’m grateful that I have this blog now, too.  It keeps me occupied.  Always thinking about what to write about next.

Try this exercise.  Three things.  Three things you are grateful for.  In “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby sings to Rosemary Clooney…

“When I am worried and cannot sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep.  I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

Yeah, I know, it sounds simple.  Even dumb, maybe.  Maybe a little too “Woo-Woo-Eee.”  Try it.  It works.  You’ll thank me for this later.