I am sure that many of you are facing similar challenging times with the global pandemic. There is lots of fear over the uncertain future, there is tons of worry for ourselves and our loved ones, and there are (for many) financial and logistical challenges as we weather this situation. I don't know about you, but I have been feeling a bit worn down as I process everything, and have also had some issues quieting my mind enough to sleep. It's tough!
There's nothing I can offer you to ease this situation, but I'll at least provide the following advice:
1. Don't take in too much news! In the beginning of all this, I was reading many articles and listening to NPR on my way to and from work, and just getting an overload of COVID-19 information. On a drive to Virginia (to do a 50-mile race!) a few weeks ago, my husband and I listened to the news for the first 3 hours of the trip and got a continual stream of COVID-19 news - we finally turned the radio off and streamed an episode of CarTalk just to laugh!
The Health Director in my town has offered some great advice - she suggests you limit the time/amount of news you take in each day, and instead turn to TV for entertainment (stream old episodes of Seinfeld, or get sucked into Breaking Bad...). I currently read the daily briefing from my state emergency organization (MEMA) and otherwise don't follow the news. But, I've recently started watching Scandal. :)
2. Give yourself a break! There's high anxiety right now, and all this stress takes a toll on your body in a negative way. Add to that any loss of sleep, and you may find yourself slower or more tired on runs. Give yourself a break from any judgment or expectations on your runs - know that this is a completely normal reaction to all that's going on. Do what you can without adding any stress by being critical of your pace or of the mileage that you completed.
True confessions - I intended to run 10-12 miles this past Sunday. My friend joined me for the first 3 miles, but my plan was to continue on afterwards. It was a beautiful day, and I was on some awesome trails! But, I found myself feeling tired (hiking up climbs that I typically run), and also feeling more anxious about getting to the grocery store than with hitting my mileage goal for the day. I ran about 5 minutes beyond when my friend left me, and doubled back to my car to head to the store. My mind wasn't engaged in the beauty of the trail, I was stressing over something else, and it was best for me to simply cut the run short, get to the store, and put that out of my mind. Point is - what I did is completely a-ok!!!
3. Celebrate what you CAN do rather than dwell on what you can't! Right now, we can't go to the movies, out to dinner with family and friends, send out kids to play dates...heck, you can't even hug a friend you haven't seen in a while. (My husband, who is a total introvert, says this is his perfect scenario, but I digress!) Gyms are closed, which limits our ability to cross train and lift, and places such as yoga studios aren't open either. There's a lot that we can't do right now.
However, we live in a great time of technology - and I have been amazed to watch folks embrace it, which opens up some new and exciting opportunities! My friend is a yoga instructor, but lives far enough away that I would never be able to take one of her classes. Well, now she's offering virtual yoga so for the first time I can log in and take one of her classes! Also, due to a bit more free time (no social life!), I have the time to be more diligent with my strength training - which is a great way to channel some of my anxiety.
Best of all, I am healthy and able to get outside to run. We all are so fortunate to have the ability to move our bodies and we should not lose sight of that. Spring is coming, there are buds on the trees and (at least near me) the crocus' are starting to bloom. Weather is getting warmer - it's a great time to get outside and move. And I've never seen the trailhead busier than over the past week - it's glorious to see so many others enjoying nature, breathing fresh air, and enjoying movement! And I consider myself lucky that I have the ability to run and explore the amazing trails near me. Celebrate that!
4. Do what you can to remove stresses from your life. This might be impossible, but now is a great time to evaluate what brings anxiety or stress to your life and work towards minimizing it. I challenge each of you to take a hard look over what brings stress in your life and see if there's a way to manage it or change it. I know, much easier said than done.
For example, I put stress on myself to be involved and help out as much as I can - I'm a 'yes' person. It means that sometimes I look at my workload and wonder how I'll get it all done or when I'll have time to sleep. I will be in the middle of helping with one organization but my mind is thinking ahead to the next commitment as I stress whether I'll be late to that meeting or as I brainstorm ideas to contribute.
As I work to minimize my stress level, it makes sense to evaluate what commitments and obligations I have, and perhaps look to focus my efforts to what is important. While I know that now is the time to help out, I ask you each to consider how much help/support you can provide if you're spread too thin? Is you're really engaged if you're constantly thinking of the next thing you need to do? Wouldn't it be better to get involved with a small number of commitments but to be able to commit to a higher level? I suggest you take the time to consider what you're involved with and have the courage to commit to those opportunities that truly resonate with you and that will bring joy (but not add stress) to your life, and equally have the strength to say 'no' or walk away from commitments that leave you overloaded or add undue anxiety to your life.
My point is, overcommitment is something that brings a level of anxiety to my life (at times), and is something I have complete control over. Take the time to evaluate what is adding stress/anxiety to your life, and what you might be able to do to remove or reduce that stress/anxiety in a productive manner.
5. Find ways to connect. If, like me (but not like my husband), you enjoy interactions with people then find a way to continue to connect with others. Maybe that's via running with a training buddy (following the guidance to not get too close, and any other applicable regulations of course!). Perhaps you participate in a virtual happy hour where you and your friends gather remotely for a beer and gab via any video chat/conference call session. Maybe it's time to start up a book club as a way to connect with others and have something to discuss that isn't COVID-19. Perhaps it's simply by calling an old friend to reconnect. Either way, it's a great time to cherish the connections we have and to embrace the technology that allows us to reach others!
6. Find a way to do something good. There are so many that are struggling more than we are through this situation. Is there anything you can do to help out? (Reality check - the answer to this might be NO for some people, and that's ok!) Think creatively about it. Can you donate a few dollars to a local charity or a few cans of soup to your local food shelter? I saw that my local senior center is looking for volunteers to help deliver boxed lunches to local senior and to stuff mailers - is there an opportunity near you to donate some time to help someone out? Or, do you have a lonely neighbor who could use someone to check in with them, a local (struggling) business that you can promote on Facebook to get them attention, a friend or family member who could use a daily call to have someone to listen? I'm personally using this time (when I won't be racing for a bit now anyway) to find the time to donate blood. Doing a good deed not only helps out someone else, but the residual feeling that you have makes it a mutually beneficial act. (Did anyone else remember the Friends episode where Chandler bet Phoebe that there was no such thing as a selfless good deed? No? Just me? Ok...how embarrassing...I've now outed myself as a major Friends fan.)
Anyway, I know that none of these are game changers...and that we will all feel the anxiety during these uncertain times. I simply offer these nuggets as suggestions to help you work through the current situation in a healthy and safe manner.
What suggestions do you have to share with others? What are you doing to manage your current situation?
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