Wellness and the Coronavirus

My bubble of wellness now seems a long time ago. Within a few days of my coaching in wellness course I became a remote worker. Not such a hardship you may say but I much prefer working from an office even if the commute is often unpleasant.

For years I was based at home albeit much of my working day being out and about. And having young children made it an ideal way of working. But the delineation between work and home life was often blurred and I missed the casual conversations you have in a workplace.

But I currently have no choice. For the next few weeks at least I am a home worker.

It gradually dawned on me that I should use the time freed up by the absence of a commute to focus on my wellness. Particularly important as the the situation we find ourselves in has the potential to have a huge negative impact on our physical and mental health.

I was going to the gym. I was being particularly lavish in the wiping down of equipment with alcohol spray. But no longer. So I will need to dust down the weights I have at home and consider how I’m going to keep myself fit without my gym fix. I’ll hold off from bombarding my PT until tomorrow.

The main challenge is going to be in retaining good mental well-being.

I’m not anxious at becoming ill. I’m not in a vulnerable group despite being over 60. My immune system is strong. I can’t remember when I last had a cold.

I am fortunate in having a job that won’t disappear as a consequence of social distancing.

But I am concerned as too how this pandemic will play out. The possibility of a recession or even a depression. The loss of our liberties.

I’m reconciled to the postponement of the many things I was looking forward to. There is always next year. Or maybe later this year. Who knows. We are living in very strange times.

So how do intend to use the extra three hours I now have.

Firstly, I won’t be getting up so early. On a working day my alarm goes off at 5am. This gives me 6-7 hours sleep if I go to bed at 10. Getting up at 6am will give me 7-8 hours sleep. Many of us are sleep deprived. I for one will now be getting the optimum quota.

The dog will get a longer morning walk. And as the days are getting longer this will be in the park. We are fortunate that this pandemic has hit at the beginning of Spring. Just imagine dealing with it in the depths of Winter.

Thirdly, I am going to try meditation to set myself up for the day. There was a strong focus on meditation last week. The science supporting it is quite robust. It has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mental and emotional health, increase self awareness and lengthen our attention span. What’s not to like? It has always seemed a bit new age to me but I’m giving it ago.

However, so far not so good. I have downloaded the app. Got comfortable. But the first day I couldn’t stop my mind racing. And the second day I just forgot. But next week is a new week.

Finally, I’m learning a new skill. Crochet. Again so far not so good but I’m determined to master it. Watch this space for my first creation. A teddy bear.

The last week has been hard for everyone. Some more than others. But we have to get through it. And maybe, just maybe, we will emerge all the better for it.