Covid Fatigue? My Top Ten Tips!

How is everyone feeling out there right now? It’s been a long eight months or so hasn’t it, dealing with the pandemic. I don’t know what it’s like in your part of the world, but here in Canada, cases are on the rise again and some areas have been thrown back into earlier stages of restrictions. The long dark days of winter are coming, and I think everyone is pretty much in full out Covid fatigue. I know I am.

And it’s not about wearing masks because I’m happy to wear one, it’s the least I can do to help keep myself and others safe. I think we’ve gotten into a groove of mask wearing and social distancing – at least where I live. Sure, there are some people who like to buck the norm for whatever reason, but in my outings, they are honestly few and far between. While the physical toll of this pandemic is real, especially for those who get sick, and those who are working on the front lines, it’s the mental toll that scares me.

I worry about those small business owners who are just hanging on, especially the restaurants, who are now in most cases, facing further restrictions. I’ve been a small retail business owner and it’s a hard gig on a good day, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. The financial stress they are facing right now is enormous. So, if that’s you, my heart is with you, it truly is.

My heart goes out to everyone right now. I think we’re all suffering in some way or another. I haven’t seen my three brothers and their families since last Christmas, and I miss them terribly. My niece had her second child and I’ve yet to be able to hold him and snuggle him and tell him that I love him. Some of us are better at coping or maybe some of us are just better at hiding it. But I know we’re all suffering in our own unique ways, and then add on the regular challenges of life, and well it’s a shit storm brewing over.

So what do we do? How can we manage this second wave and beat back the pandemic fatigue? I have a few tips. As someone who lives alone, and therefore spends an inordinate amount of time conversing with herself, I’ve had to be very creative to find ways to keep my spirits up. I know term “self-care” sounds kind of hooey, but it is a real thing, and it’s important to practice, especially as we all try to navigate these choppy waters.

Here are my tips.

1. First off, go make yourself a gigantic bowl of popcorn. Popcorn, especially if it’s air popped, is a very healthy snack. Now add a shit tonne of butter. Just do it. You know you want to, and we’re in a pandemic, so cut yourself some slack and just add the butter.

   

2. Take a break from the computer or phone as you eat said bowl of buttery popcorn, otherwise your keyboard or screen will be a gross, greasy mess. I’ll wait. (I actually practiced this tip as I was writing this post. Took me almost fifty minutes to eat my bowl, and that was with non-stop chewing. Like I said, make your bowl gigantic).

3. Light some candles. There is just something so soothing about candles and it’s one of the reasons I don’t actually mind when the days get shorter and darkness comes a little early. I still light candles in the summer but it just doesn’t have that same snuggly, cozy, vibe. Candles will get me though this pandemic. That little flame is alive and glowing, it speaks to me as it flickers away, and those nights when maybe I’m feeling a little down, they help me feel less lonely.

4. Hot baths with lots of bubbles, a cup of Epsom salts and of course candles. This one is a no brainer in the self-care department. I’m not a big “beauty” girl, meaning I am NOT the person to ask for any sort of make-up, skin cream or hair care advice. A friend once asked me about my skin care routine, and I looked at her like she was nuts. Doesn’t everyone just use water and whatever lotion happens to be on sale? However, I do take my bubble baths seriously. A good soak in the tub is the most soothing, soul cleansing, experience, especially if the water is so hot it turns your ass bright pink. Let those Epsom salts soak deep into your skin, close your eyes, and clear your mind. Just be careful of passing wind when you’re so soaking and so relaxed. Depending on what’s trying to escape, the vibration in the water against the porcelain of the tub can scare the Bejesus out of you, causing such a flailing fluster, you inadvertently knock your candles off the bath ledge and into the water. Not saying I’ve experienced this myself but just putting it out there as a sort of public service announcement.

5. Dance. Self explanatory. Do it often. Do it wherever and whenever you can. I was out for a walk the other night and since it was dark, I didn’t think anyone could really see me as they were driving by. They could. And I got a huge honk and a holler out the car window as I was giving it to the beat pounding from my old school headphones. I did not care. I live by the beat. Dancing and music in general is just the best way to change your mood, and that includes songs when you just want to chill. Slow dancing alone in your living room is a thing, and no one can ever tell me it isn’t. Anyways, dance my friends, dance.

6. Eat clean. By this I just mean, make as much of your food from scratch as you can. I know it can be hard. As a society we’ve put convenience ahead of good health and I think there’s going to be a reckoning happen. I turned fifty this year, and while that’s still young, I’m beginning to feel those little aches and pains in my joints a little more than I used to and a little more than I would like. Add good old menopause to the mix, and sometimes it feels like my body is a raging volcano of gas and heat that could blow at any minute! This is by no means medical advice or based on any sort of scientific studies, but what has helped me manage some of these issues is getting back to the basics of cooking and baking and knocking out as many of the chemical preservatives as I can. I haven’t bought bread in months. I’ve started to make my own pasta and all my sauces. Whatever and whenever I can, I make my meals from real foods. As I type, I have a sourdough starter on the kitchen counter and a recipe for homemade yogurt taped to the refrigerator. I can’t say for sure if this is what’s made the difference for me, but I also can’t say for sure that it isn’t. Now I completely understand this isn’t realistic for some people, but I wanted to offer it up as a tip anyways. Keeping myself mentally engaged in my physical well-being is also a great way to deal with Covid fatigue. Oh, and take probiotics – the good ones (not the ones from the Dollar Store, I won’t mention any names), they do God’s work. A healthy gut makes a happy human.

7. Foster a friendship. It doesn’t have to be a real person, there’s no law against imaginary friends, and let’s be honest, in the age of Covid, imaginary friends are a safe bet. Unless you’re talking about my imaginary friend Clarice. That one is just trouble. She’s always sneaking out of the house at all hours. I never know where she goes or what she’s up to, but I can only imagine it’s no good. If anyone is going to bring home a virus, it’s her.

8. Rekindle your love of a hobby. I find that I’ve been playing my guitars a lot lately. I’ve been playing since I was five years old but I’m really just a hack and mess around. I stopped playing a few years ago. My life was a bit of a mess, and I was dealing with some personal issues surrounding the sickness and death of my Dad, and I was never able to get in the space to pick up and play. That’s changed during the pandemic. I’ve re-discovered my love of just picking up one of those beauties and just playing, nothing in particular, but just whatever chord progressions pop into my head in the moment. The music just takes me away to a different place and it seems to take my stress right away with it. So, if you have an instrument and you haven’t played for awhile, or you have an old hobby that you really used to love, spend some time with it. You’ll be glad you did.

9. Go on the Internet and find a video of a baby or a young child laughing. Watch it, then watch it again. Watch it one more time. It’s just the best and it’s a simple reminder that even in dark times, there can still laughter.

10. Cut yourself some slack. I haven’t finished writing my next novel yet, and I’ve barely made any progress on the Creativity Course I’m creating. I got up at 6 am to exercise once. That’s it, just once. I haven’t cleaned the windows or the oven (it’s self-cleaning, I just need to press a button) and the box from my last Amazon purchase is still sitting on the kitchen table. Does all of this bother me? Yeah, it does. I like to be productive and get shit done, and as I wrote about last week, I have high expectations about what I should be able to accomplish in a day. I thought long and hard about that this week, I really did, and here are my conclusions. It’s okay. All of it is okay. The stuff I need to get done, will get done when it gets done. The world will not fall apart because my peanut butter knife is sitting on the side of the sink. All I can ask of myself right now, and anytime really, is to just do the best that I can. Sometimes, I’m just tired. I’m tired of the news and the chaos. I’m tired of the drama that life sometimes throws. I’m tired of Covid. It doesn’t mean that I’m always going to feel that way, but right then, I need to cut myself some slack. I need to stop bullying myself into doing more than my body and mind can take. I just need to chill. Relax. Eat some popcorn.

And there you have my Top Ten Tips. These are what work for me, or at least help me to cope with the Covid life. These are not rules, merely suggestions. Unfortunately, I think we’re going to be living this life for a good long while still. The point is, do what YOU need to do to get by. Take care of yourself. Try to laugh. Try to find some peace in all this madness. And above all, stay safe and ride this wave to the finish line.