“The world is in crisis! Don’t just do something. Stand there!”
This is a ridiculous yet accurate phrase for these upside down times. As the lockdown drags on, and doesn’t offer any clear end over the coming days, it’s not easy to keep doing nothing. So while we are advised to Stay Home all our flight or flight instincts scream no! I must run or retaliate! I must do something!
We all enjoy shelter, it is a basic human need. So when the shelter in place restrictions were announced, it sounded we were embarking on a welcome break. Unpaid holiday? Why not?! Netflix and snooze? Absolutely! That was at the beginning. But staying indoors all day, every day, can fuel anxiety, insomnia and that too-familiar sense that, well, humans simply aren’t meant to spend the whole day inside. We miss a lot when we surround ourselves with walls, and most of us have a fear of missing out. So much they invented a word for it, FOMO. And top of the list of things we miss indoors? Sunlight.
So, during lockdown, I’ve been trying to get exposure to sun-strength rays too. Apparently “Coronavirus hates the sun” – double score! – although any scientist will say it’s not that straight forward. But sunshine does lift my spirits, and it seems I am not alone, with the last few months seeing a collective rise in fair weather pursuits, such as gardening, biking, outdoor games and running. To jump on the band wagon, we have just placed an order for two beach cruiser bikes for the teens. No more bike-share schemes in this family after the weekend.
CI Gov press briefing: 8 new cases, all non symptomatic. 129 total cases, with 61 recovered.
Sometimes, if I have spent too long inside, start to panic about things; not seeing my parents, losing the business, not being able to send the teens to school or university. I try to calm myself by standing still, and coming into the present. This is familiar to anyone who has meditated or practiced mindfulness, and it’s surprising how easy it is. I stand in the sunshine, and name five things I see. There’s a palm tree, a lounger, the dog, a rock, and a wine glass B left lying around last time he had a cheeky rosé with his mate next door. It’s that simple. Breathe. Realise that in the present moment, nothing I’ve anticipated has happened. In this moment, I’m okay. I have food. I am not sick. Nor is my family.
I believe we will find meaning in this crisis, and find light in these seemingly dark times. Even now people are realising they can connect through technology. We are not as remote as we thought. We are discovering we can use our phones for long conversations, or daily WhatsApp checkins. I have certainly enjoyed the advent of Zoom happy hour. Even the normally negative space of Facebook is connecting folks through shared interests. Last week I joined a group that a friend set up, called Covidgraphy, and it is a truly delightful visual walk through other peoples’ days, photo, upon beautiful photo, being shared, and savored, with positive comments to follow. So while we are learning to appreciate each other better, I believe we will continue to find meaning now, and when this is over.
But until it’s over, I’ll just stand here. And get my Friday Happy Hour on.
