I’ve been doing a lot of walking on the trails by my house lately. I began early last week when I decided to stop going to the gym. The trails weren’t too crowded then. I walked Monday thru Thursday then took a few days off because of the weather. This week, I have never seen so many people on the trails. Walking, jogging, running with dogs, families walking in packs, the occasional rollerblader trying to rough it out. It’s a busy time to be outside when you have nowhere else to go.
I realized that if I walk early in the day, I’m less likely to encounter so many people. When I pass people, I wave and give a little nod, trying my best to keep my distance from everyone I pass. It’s important to keep moving. My lungs feel good for the hour I’m outside, listening to a podcast or audiobook to try to keep my mind off of what’s happening as much as I can. Unplugging and disconnecting for a bit is good for both my mental and physical health.
Yesterday, as I was coming up to my usual turn around spot, I noticed something in the distance by the bench. I couldn’t make out what it was so I decided to walk closer. I figured it was dog poop since I had been seeing a lot of that lately. People don’t know how to pick up after their dogs. But, as I got closer, I noticed it was a pinecone. There wasn’t just one pinecone, there were ten of them in a row. I smiled. It was a little light amongst the darkness that shined bright. A reminder to smile at the unexpected moments that bring me joy.
That being said, it’s also super important to be informed and stay aware of what’s happening. It’s scary and can be overwhelming at times. I have found that for me, I have less anxiety when I limit how much information I take in at one time. So, I will look at the news, look at social media, read some articles, then I disconnect from it. I do this several times a day so I stayed updated on what’s happening while also not obsessing about it too much. I will provide some links below to some articles I’ve been reading and some videos I’ve been watching.
Another thing that’s helped my anxiety a lot during this time besides going on walks is Calm. I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve been meditating several times a day for the last week or so and that’s really calmed a lot of the physical anxiety I have felt. One thing I use in meditation or when I want to quiet my mind for a while is an Herbal Animal Eye Pillow. Someone recommended them to me because I have thyroid eye disease but anyone can use them. They look like stuffed animals but they’re filled with a lot of natural herbs that are really calming and soothing. They’re like a weighted blanket for your eyes. I have peter panda, which has lavender, orange, and Echinacea in it. I’ve used it every single day since it arrived in the mail. It’s been a saving grace for my eyes and my anxiety. At the moment, many of them are sold out. But there are some still available that I’ll link down below. Like I said, anyone can use them and I love mine so much.
Stay safe. Stay calm. Watch some animal videos. Read some books or short stories. Stay updated. Drink water. Take care of yourself. Breathe.
Herbal Animals
alexander graham bull with lavender, and lemon balm.
buddy bullfrog with lavender, orange, and linden flower.
camelia earhart with lavender, chamomile, and rose.
harry elephante with lavender, spearmint, and peppermint.
hoggy carmichael with chamomile, lavender, and orange.
isadora dolphin with chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm.
lena horne unicorn with lavender, lemon balm, and rose.
sydney greensheep with lavender and peppermint.
sylvester stallion with passion flower, orange, and peppermint.
News
10,000 Cases now in the US, BuzzFeed News – Twitter
Severe Outcomes Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) — United States, February 12–March 16, 2020 – CDC
Younger Adults Make Up Big Portion of Coronavirus Hospitalizations in U.S. – The New York Times
Do Not Travel Globally – U.S. Department of State
Articles & Stories
The Coronavirus Is Here to Stay, So What Happens Next? – New York Times
My Coronavirus Test: 5 Days, a Dozen Calls, Hours of Confusion – New York Times
‘I was pretty sure I was going to die’: coronavirus patient urges others to take it seriously – Fox 31 Denver
The Unending Anxiety of Coronavirus Content – New York Times
That ‘Miracle Cure’ You Saw on Facebook? It Won’t Stop the Coronavirus – The New York Times
No Age Group Is Immune to Coronavirus – The Cut
YouTube Videos
People Tell Us How Their Governments Around the World Are Responding to Coronavirus – Vice News
Air Travel During the Global Coronavirus Pandemic – The New Yorker
What can WE do? – iJustine
Self-Care
The first minute and twenty seconds of this video. – YouTube
10 Ways to Ease Your Coronavirus Anxiety – New York Times
Bright Minded with Miley Cyrus – Instagram
Pablo Neruda Poems – Poetry Foundation
Ashley C. Ford Radio, video one – YouTube
Dressing Up Is Making Me Feel Better – The Cut
5 riveting memoirs to read right now – i-D
Celeste Ng, Ann Patchett, Min Jin Lee and Others on the Books That Bring Them Comfort – The New York Times
Ten Free Ebooks from Haymarket Books
Lazy River by Zadie Smith – The New Yorker (Free Story)
My very responsible 65+ parents are social distancing and threw themselves their own St. Patrick’s Day parade – Twitter
China sent medical masks to Italy, & wrote on the boxes a quote of a Roman poem – Twitter
I’m not crying, you are. – Instagram
Look at All These Baby Goats – The Cut
Penguins in the Amazon?! – Twitter
the Shedd Aquarium is closed to humans, so they decided to just let the penguins walk around because sure why not – Twitter
“Oregon Zoo took the baby elephant around the zoo to visit the other animals.” – Twitter
Bodega Cats – Twitter
Kelly Severseike 