Tips to stay sane

Are you going stir crazy? Anthropologists have a description for what happens to people living near the Arctic circle when they are closeted in for months at a time. It’s called Arctic Madness. Today, in what is the diametrically opposite climate, what do we call the feeling of being trapped created by the social distancing requirements of COVID-19? I have no idea.

As a public service, I’ve compiled some things that you might consider doing during this stressful period to forestall any similar type of “isolation crazy.”

1. Write letters to those people who have driven you crazy throughout your life. This could take quite a few hours. I’m thinking of a guy I used to work with who would “correct” my writing by insisting that I put a comma before and after every “and.” That drove me nuts. Or there was the gal who spent half her day putting on makeup. Why didn’t the boss notice this? By the end of the day said female had reapplied her makeup at least four times. Bullets could bounce off her face. And then there was the teeth-grindingly annoying family member who picked at the food which I had carefully prepared while referencing the exceptional cooking abilities of another. Ptomaine wishes.

You don’t mail these. Crazy and stupid are not the same thing. Write them and then, maybe, burn them … preferably outside under safe burning conditions.

2. Pick an odd cleaning job, e.g. clean all the switch plates in the house. If they are like mine, they probably need it and it will keep your mind occupied. Just make sure not to get any liquid inside. Or you might want to consider dusting all of the light bulbs in your house. When was the last time you did that? You will most certainly brighten the nights. Hint: only do this when the light bulb is off and cool. Don’t ask why I know this.

3. Mix up some window paint using plain yogurt and food coloring and paint your windows. Not only will it release your pent-up creativity, it will give you something to do later when you have to wash them. I’d limit this activity to one or two windows at most unless you love washing windows especially in this heat. Yogurt and 90-degree heat can equal a rather unique perfume.

4. Make a list of all the things that need to be done around the house. Better still, make a chart with references to what tools will be needed and what situations have to be avoided – for example, don’t try to paint the ceiling in the bedroom while someone is asleep in that room. On that list should also be the names of who is best to do what has to be done. Don’t hold back. If it means hiring someone, write that down: Name, phone number, etc. I’ll bet that you will feel great. Of course, nothing will get done, but at least you have a plan.

5. Take care of yourself. This means, and I want you to think about this carefully, doing what you enjoy doing, putting yourself first so that you can be at your best when needed to help others. Find time to just be, to let all the accumulated worries and must-dos melt away for however long you can manage … ater you make you list as described in item 4, that is. (See 6 and 7, to follow.)

6. Read. Whatever takes your fancy. If you find that you don’t like what you are reading, stop. No pass or fail.

7. Binge-watch only those shows, documentaries, etc. that make you feel good. You do not need entertainment that leaves you with “messages.” You have the news media for that. Enjoy, with the emphasis on “joy,” the programs, etc. that make you smile, belly laugh, that bring cleansing tears to the surface, that leave you feeling better than you did. I heartily can recommend an old flick with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin called “The In-Laws.” The first time I saw it, I laughed so hard, that I had to wear a cervical collar for a week. Of course, I do love slapstick humor, so you may have to navigate to your own rib-ticklers.

8. Make a new friend, or two or three. Yes, social distancing does seem to make this more daunting, but it is entirely possible. This can take some creativity. My Facebook friends have been organizing a cadre of likeminded people, many unknown to each other, to share packages of wine and sundries – an interesting strategy to make new friends. Maybe I could organize a similar type group to share iced tea, lemonade and low calorie snacks. Choose your tactics carefully. Poor choices like making random calls and asking the person who answers to be your friend can lead to a special relationship with the local constabulary. Remember: to have a friend, you must be one.

 And, if overtures to friendship are rebuffed … it’s their loss, not yours.

9. Hone a more intimate relationship with the creator, however you see the creator. After all, COVID-19 is natural part of the world that has been created and put into motion … kind of like radioactivity and poisonous plants. In God’s creation, we are all connected, and all affect the lives of each other. The inhabitants of our world have the tools to balance the good and the not-good should they choose. To quote part of a Navajo prayer, a hymn to the universe, part of the Nine Day Chant: “In beauty it is finished.” Choose beauty.

To save the world, save yourself and as you do, save others. The world will come into its own as sure as we have day and night. Be there as it happens. Stay safe and sane.