We have lived through another COVID Christmas, but this time home alone self-isolating because my husband got COVID for Christmas. He came back from a business strip late Friday night, and by Monday he was having symptoms. It was time to get tested. Again. In making the decision to live our Covid life as close to normal as possible, including travel, we had taken so many of those stick it up the nose tests. But this time was different. The red line quickly appeared on my husband’s test. The little red line that meant we would not be going anywhere for 10 days, and will be on our own on Christmas. We weren’t surprised. We expected to contract the virus at some point. When you are out and about at a time that a highly contagious virus is circulating in the United States and around the world, it’s like playing a game of tag. It was our turn; we were tagged out. Luckily, we are double-vaxxed and boosted. This is not a post urging people to get vaccinated, receive the booster shot, and continue to wear a mask. I believe in freedom of choice. However, I have the urge in me to share my perspective that I’d like there to be some consequences for people who choose not to get vaccinated. When I engage in high-risk activities like trekking, I need to purchase a special insurance for outdoor injuries and emergencies. By the same token, those who won’t protect themselves, and others, from the deadliest disease in American history, need to foot the bill should they incur higher health-care costs. This is not a moral judgment. It is a case of consequences following actions.
But off my high horse, and back to the story. My husband developed very mild symptoms. I chose to not self-isolate from him. It was an easy choice for me. We were in it together: stuck at home for the holiday, but at least not alone. As an FYI, I remained negative and symptoms-free for the duration of the mandatory isolation period. With not a whole lot we could do, we had to look for the bright side of quarantine. During the week, it was easy. We decided to willingly drown ourselves in work as a distraction and to make the endless hours pass. This became more of a challenge by Christmas Eve. Our Covid cloud had a silver lining. In a way, staying home in a stormy weather seemed less daunting. I have never personally subscribed to the idea that sunny weather is “good weather,” whereas rain and snow are “bad weather.” I try not to let rain and snow stop me from having a fun time in the outdoors. The mantra I adhere to is the Scandinavian maxim: “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.” However, if I am honest, there’s something very comforting about watching the rain from inside a warm house. There’s something to be said for the snugness of being at home when it’s pouring outside. However, we still had to deal with the many hours ahead of us when all of our holiday plans were totally interrupted. We had to find healthy ways to avoid coronavirus cabin fever.
The most obvious first step was to re-calibrate our mindset to find the positive and remain upbeat. During the past 10 days, we challenged ourselves to count our blessings: having a secure roof over our head, Amazon fresh deliveries, great food on the table, and each other. Rain or shine, Covid or not, we knew the sun was shining above the bad weather, and we would be back to normal soon enough. I had to keep reminding myself that I had my health and no symptoms. In tough moments I kept chanting: “My home is my safe haven. I have people who love me. I am happy. I have so much to be grateful for.” My personal challenge was to learn to move slowly. To be grateful for and take advantage of the precious time afforded me by Covid to try on a new lifestyle - to embrace slow living and enjoy the unexpected rest and relaxation. I have to fess up and admit that maintaining a positive attitude while in isolation wasn’t easy. We used five strategies to battle our inner Eeyore and stay on the bright side of our bubble of two.
2 Short-term Relief Strategies:
Strategy 1 - Binge Watching.
With plenty of time on our hands and nowhere to go and no one to see, binge-watching was an easy escapism. It’s similar to picking up a book you can’t put done. There’s something immensely gratifying about watching an entire season of a show over a weekend. Our chosen one was Ted Lasso. I heard about the premise of the show, but it didn’t seem very appealing to me. With so much time to spare but nothing much to do on Christmas, it was the perfect choice. We needed a feel-good show. Ted’s relentless optimism and enthusiasm were contagious. Watching it was like curling up into something fluffy and soft. We surrendered to the schmaltz and let it make us merry and bright.
Strategy 2 - Comfort Food
Sometimes when dealing with difficult and unpleasant situations, giving in to cravings (and enjoying every bite) can be a form of self-care. Comfort food can provide a needed break from the crazy roller-coaster ride of life. Good food is a feast for the senses. The act of eating can bring spectacular joy to a bleak house. When life gives you lemons, place your Amazon Fresh order. Then indulge (responsibly) in your favorite comfort food and home-cooked meals. Whether cheesy, spicy, salty, crunchy, or sweet, eat slowly, savor the taste of each mouthful, and let the flavors soothe your soul.
3 Long-term Resilience Strategies:
Strategy 3 – Embracing the Here & Now
When you are isolating and apart from everyone as well as dealing with the sudden disruption in the daily schedule and routine, 10 days can feel like an eternity with every day feeling like Groundhog Day. We had to actively remind ourselves that while there’s no shame in doing nothing at all, it’s better for us to keep busy, active, engaged and connected with the outside world. We made a commitment that besides working, we’d fill our days with a variety of mood-boosting activities and find creative ways to entertain ourselves and seek productive personal development. I ended up doing extra workouts and breaking my Duolingo records. But the point is that we each had to show up, be present, and be brave and bold with the choices we made each day. Focusing on the here and now helped us stay honest in making a conscious effort to find the joy in the little things.
Strategy 4 – Appreciating Moments of Joy
We typically dare ourselves to do “big things” and live a life filled with big adventures. We are not very good at taking the time to smell the roses. Thus, a 10-day stay at home sentence felt, at first, as though all the things that bring us joy were taken away – spending time with people we love, joining classes we enjoy, and exploring new places, new things, new everything. Suddenly, we had to find contentment being confined to our home. We felt like being subjects in a positive psychology study exploring new ways to be happy and finding the moments of joy throughout the day. I am glad for the opportunity and the experience of slowing down and getting back in touch with the little things that bring me joy. Apparently, I can be very happy just keeping it simple, capturing the fluffy moments, and savoring everyday pleasures.
Strategy 5 – Accomplishing Something Every Day
Rest and relaxation, even laziness, can be a good thing. Everyone deserves a slow day, or week, now and again. But knowing ourselves, we were trying to prevent the yucky feeling we get when the days all blend together. We wanted to keep feeling the awe and avoid the plain blah. For us, the solution was to feel productive making progress on our projects every day. No matter how small. So, we pushed ourselves to keep working and get creative taking some side projects off the back burner. This was a great way to infuse energy and excitement into the mundane during isolation.
But now, that this is behind us and we return to regular life, what’s next? How should we welcome 2022 and from where? Stay tuned!
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