How to Stay Grounded (and Entertained) During the Pandemic
It is the winter that has felt like years already. As the time of the pandemic stretches out, Americans are getting antsy and even more on edge. As we recently surpassed half a million deaths in this country, we have all become weighed down not just by our collective grief but by the emotional toll that the continued uprooting of our lives has taken for those of us who have survived this long.
“Pandemic fatigue” is a real thing, and public health experts identify that as the safety measures take a toll on our day to day lives, Americans will start to get careless and may ease up on social distancing measures and other precautions. While vaccinations give us hope towards some semblance of normalcy, it could take months—if not longer—for herd immunity to be achieved.
I have tried to approach this continued rupture—in addition to the onset of winter, which comes with its own fatigue-inducing conditions—as a prolonged opportunity for reflection and introspection. Rather than perceiving that my life is “on hold” until the threat of the virus abates, I have tried to develop new rituals and routines now to remain grounded day to day. It helps to engage in mindfulness-based practices, like meditation and yoga, both of which are regular fixtures during my week. While my bubble is extremely small and exclusive to select family right now, I try to stay in touch with other loved ones and friends via phone, texting, and yes—even letters (what can I say, I love analog!).
Numbers suggest that anxiety is on the rise for many Americans, and we are all experiencing burn out. I have observed this in my own life when I talk to family and friends over the phone, particularly those who are more isolated than others. While there is no quick fix, I recommend honoring those feelings and offering patience and self-compassion in moments where the emotional burn out or fatigue really hits. There is no “normal” under these conditions—particularly for those juggling working and parenting at home, which often also includes the challenges with remote learning—some days will be more chaotic than others, and we are all just doing the best that we can.
I wanted to specifically share with my readers some of the podcasts, websites and books that I have turned to both in moments of stillness and reflection and as a balm against the chaos. As someone who is able to work from home, I have tried to focus on expanding my reading and focus inwards rather than succumbing to the temptation of binge-watching Netflix—although there are days when that may be comforting.
To Read: (Online): As I have recommended in a previous article, I find Kajuan Douglas’ Wake up Well Monday blog to be both insightful and entertaining. His most recent post is entitled “Binge Watching is the New Meditation,” a very timely and resonant topic. Douglas offers simple tools and practices that readers can immediately apply to their own lives in a relatable way. His notion of creating rituals daily to enhance each moment is a practice I have tried to integrate in my life since we met, inspiring my most recent foray into experimenting with making French press coffee at home. We have discussed the way that morning rituals can be intentional, setting the foundation for how our day begins. In fact, Douglas began this endeavor in part because he found that he often experienced a dip in energy on Sunday evenings, in anticipation of Monday mornings. The opportunity to reflect on such feelings was part of the impetus for his creating this virtual space. I found myself smiling when he recently texted me on a Monday morning with the enthusiastic refrain of “Happy Monday!” marveling at his ability to create space for positive changes not just within himself but in the greater community he has fostered.
To Read: (Books): Readers have likely identified that I am an avid reader, whether it is for my academic pursuits or leisure. I have been immersed in the book by Dr. Beseel Van Der Kolk entitled, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma”. This is a particularly timely topic given the collective trauma that many have experienced since the pandemic began. Dr. Kolk presents a vast and thorough overview of trauma research that is relatable and insightful even for a non-academic audience. Extensive notes and a resource list are included, in addition to chapters on how to engage in practices that facilitate healing. As an extension of this book, I also recommend “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay that similarly tackles opportunities for self-healing, and has been identified by multiple people in my mindfulness community as a transformative book.
I have found that some of the moments of greatest stillness and peace that I have experienced during the pandemic have been those moments of solitude when I have been able to focus and immerse myself in reading. Moreover, the mental toll that the pandemic has taken for me personally has often interfered with my ability to pursue my own research endeavors at the level I had before we started working remotely. I find that reading these kinds of books has excited the same intellectual muscle and curiosity for me that would regularly be sparked by my research pursuits, but in a more manageable way for me, given the other professional demands I am navigating right now.
To Listen: (Podcast): Perhaps one of the most transformative and empowering sources I have leaned on to process my own grief during this time has been the podcast “Griefcast” hosted by Cariad Lloyd. This podcast reflects the very human process of grief in a poignant and raw way that has resonated with me profoundly. Listening to this show has been a revelation because grief is very rarely openly discussed in our culture. And yet, especially now, as the death toll continues to reach new, horrific milestones, we could all use a more transparent reckoning with how to process death and dying. We are all experiencing collective grief—whether from deaths of our loved ones to this virus or losses of other aspects of our regular day to day lives, we are all grieving in some way right now. What this podcast has invited me to consider is that impermanence and loss is a regular part of the human experience, and to be patient and gentle with myself and loved ones as we all navigate through our own personal grieving process. T
While it is not an easy time for any of us, a moment dedicated to a good read or scroll through a meaningful article online can help to facilitate stress management and focus. My final recommendation for readers would be to guard your mind against the noise of the outside world—in other words, limit your social media and cable news consumption right now. If you find yourself experiencing spikes of anxiety as you scroll through your social media feed or cable networks on television, that could indicate a lower vibration connected with that practice that is not serving you well. Our cognitive resources are so limited right now that it could be a transformative practice to start engaging with those things that serve us and make us feel better and energized, rather than further depleting and draining our minds.