Thoughts By Myself #1

As anyone who’s read my writing over the past few years knows, I am an anxious person in good times and in bad. It’s not a fault, it’s being consistent. COVID19 has ramped up my anxiousness a lot. In this brief message and the ones to follow, I will share a bit about what I am doing to take care of myself, my family, my colleagues, and my fellow shoppers.

My wife and I recently took an early morning outing to Walmart, keeping social distancing in mind. Walmart, Meijer, Chief, and Aldi are the way we socialize now. Everyone was friendly, even those who didn't get the last packages of toilet paper. It amazed us. Usually, many shop heads down with a frown on their face, but on this early morning trip, we found people kind, helpful and even smiling.

Most of us attempt to rise to the occasion in a crisis. We try to stay positive. Staying positive requires practice and a little discipline. Here are two things we did to help us regain some optimism:

1. Dose the amount of news you watch or listen to!

We noticed that the same bad news is on repeatedly. We decided to limit ourselves to ninety minutes of TV news per day. We start locally and then we pick one national news channel that is more balanced and less hyped-up. Then we watch and occasionally binge-watch shows we like.

2. Create a schedule.

We’ve been lucky enough to be “working from home” for the past year! I learned early on that without a schedule which also means getting dressed in a shirt, pants, and laced shoes (and make-up for Mary), I felt grungy, gross, and good-for-nothing. This is not a vacation, so limit the booze and snacks. Eat well. Learn to cook. Get outside. All of this goes into the schedule.

Start here. More to come. Stay safe.