To get through isolation with sanity intact, we are all going to have to develop some new coping skills, or blow the carb off of some old ones. One of the first things I need to do is wean myself off of my Twitter and cable news addiction. I had almost broken those habits last summer. When you feel absolutely rotten on chemo, listening to the news gives you an instant headache, and for me personally, I found reading much of anything nigh impossible. I don’t have that strong of a deterrent this year, but I can already tell current events are making my blood pressure rise. It’s time to practice some creative distraction.
I know a lot of people are soothing themselves by saying they will write their great novel, now that they are trapped at home with no excuses. Maybe some of them actually will. I can pretend I’ll do it too, but I’m not going to beat myself up when I don’t see it happening. I’m going to start much smaller than that. I’m going to teach myself to enjoy fiction again (what I lost during my illness). I’m going to improve my physical strength and stamina by working in the yard more often. I’m going to reduce stress by focusing on things that bring instant joy, like small animals, of which there are plenty right next to me for my viewing pleasure. I will get through this, and I’m going to cling tightly to my humanity while I do.
So if I can’t stay away from Twitter, at least I can focus more heavily on Cat Twitter. If I can’t stand to have the unearthly quiet when the TV is off, I can watch new series, or catch up on what has been waiting in my DVR, like the most recent season of Dr Who. And if I find myself too nervous to go to the grocery store for fresh food, I can drag my butt out to the garden, and do a better job than last year at keeping an ancient black Labrador out of my tomatoes.
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