Cope, It’s Good For You

by Gail Lowe

This is my favourite Covidism:   A person will come out of lockdown as a hunk, a chunk, a drunk or a monk.

The first time I heard it, I laughed.  The second time, I put my drink down long enough to step on the scale.  Hmm, better rethink my coping strategies.

How are you coping right now?  Have you had a chance to catch your breath, find some alone time to write or read or watch the final episodes of Lucifer on Netflix?  Or maybe you’re on the other end of the pendulum, having spent far too much time alone since Covid restrictions were invented.  

Coping strategies are as varied as the individuals trying to cope.  There isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix, not even for the same individual.  Lately, my tried-and-true ways of feeling better seem to have lost their magic.  So I invented some new ones.

I currently have 75 books checked out of the library.  This combination of fiction and non-fiction expands my world when everything seems so constricted.  Looking through them, deciding what I want to read in the moment, gives me an awesome sense of wealth and possibility.  While reading, I immediately place a hold on all books recommended by the author.  I am reading a wider variety of subjects than I ever have before.

Cookbooks are included in this plethora of reading material.  Today, we had Migas, Spanish-style eggs with garlicky crumbs and chorizo for brunch.  For dinner, we made Fasolada, a Greek white bean soup that includes a topping of Kalamata olives, feta cheese and parsley.  Yum!  I highly recommend The Milk Street Cookbook 2017-2021, if you want to experience the world one recipe at a time.

I started brushing my teeth with my non-dominant hand.  Benjamin Hardy, one of my new favourite authors, recommends this for waking up your brain.  Suddenly brushing my teeth is a challenge again.  I’m so busy concentrating on brushing my teeth that every other thought disappears.

My new workout consists of dancing.  The music has to be loud, and it has to be rocking so it can shake up all of the stuck energy, not just inside of me but also in my house.  I dance around the house singing and throwing love into every corner.  When I’m done, I feel great.  As my pulse recovers, I listen to the restored quiet of the house.  I can feel how much the vibration has lifted.  The silence sparkles.

For now, my bottle of Captain Morgan’s has been pushed to the back of the cupboard and my scale waits in the closet.  I won’t be needing them for a while.  I’m stepping out of Covid with a whole new list of coping strategies.

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