"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us"

Photo Courtesy: Erol Ahmed, Unsplash.com

You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end

- which you can never afford to lose -

with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

-JIM STOCKDALE

We all know Frodo Baggins – the all-important hobbit destined to carry the burden of The Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga, The Lord Of the Rings. At 33, the age of adulthood among hobbits, he receives a magic ring that has the power to control the entire world. The Ring also has the ability to corrupt its owner. His spirit and desire for adventure undervalues the insidiousness of the object. A fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarfs, and men is formed to destroy the ring by casting it into the volcanic fires of the Crack of Doom, where it was forged. They are opposed on their harrowing mission by the evil Sauron and his Black Riders. One of the things that make Lord of The Rings such an engaging read is that there is not one single hero. I mean, yeah, Frodo is the one who carries the burden of the Ring and he alone needs to carry it to the ends of the world to destroy it in order to save the world. But everyone who wants to save the world from evil forces has to rally around Frodo, to protect him. Keep him and the Ring safe to achieve this gargantuan task. Sounds like a simple task only if Frodo follows the advice and instructions of professionals. These include the mighty white wizard, Gandalf, the brave dwarves, the gifted and wise elves and valiant men. The evil forces both human and magical, pose unimaginable obstructions. But there are times when Frodo puts himself in harm’s way on his own accord. And that fellow citizens, neighbors, family and friends, is the reason I write to all of you.

Imagine yourself to be the unassuming hero like Frodo, who is a conduit for making it through against the odds posed by an invisible virus.

Listen to folks who are putting themselves at risk to protect humanity from catastrophe. They, like Thranduil, Logolas and Tauriel follow a high ethical code and self-sacrifice for the larger good.

Follow instructions to overcome the enemy. Like Gandalf, the white wizard who knows what is coming and has the means to help us get through.

Adopt effective changes in your routine to minimize the spread of infection. Like Gloin, Bofur, Nori who maybe small in size but high on intelligence and strategy.

Make smart choices to protect yourself and your loved ones to defeat the virus. Like Aragon who would go to any lengths to save all those he can.

And, finally, take care of your mental and emotional health. Be your own Samwise Gamgee, without whom Frodo would never have achieved the mammoth task of ridding the world from the evil clutches of Sauron.

Here are some suggestions from Alice G. Walton, Senior Contributor, Healthcare at Forbes.com:

Have a routine, as much as possible. “Studies in resiliency during traumatic events encourage keeping a routine to your day,” says Deborah Serani, PsyD, professor of psychology at Adelphi University. “This means eating meals at regular times, sleeping, waking and exercising at set times, and maintaining socially distant contact. Unstructured time can create boredom, spikes in anxiety or depression, which can lead to unhealthy patterns of coping.” Another reason is that keeping a routine reduces “decision fatigue”, the overwhelm and exhaustion that can come from too many options. So in the morning, rather than wondering whether to start work or help the kids with their online learning, its better to know what you are going to do-make a schedule that everyone can get on board with, and try to stick with it (as much as you can). Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t always work, and it’s sure not to work on some days.

Start an at-home exercise routine. Working out at home is essential to stay healthy and kill indoor time.

Get outside-in nature-if you can. Just remember to stay 6 feet away from other people. Multiple studies have found that time in green and blue space is associated with reduced anxiety and depression. Some studies have also revealed that people who spent more time in nature had greater activity of immune cells known as natural killer cells attributed to phytoncides released from trees.

De-clutter your home. “Studies say the predictability of cleaning not only offers a sense of control in the face of uncertainty, but also offers your mind and body and soul a respite from traumatic stress”, says Serani. Of course, you don’t want to become obsessive about cleaning. But using time to reorganize and toss or donate items is a very good idea.

Meditate or just breathe. Controlled breathing has been used for millennia to calm the mind. Research has shown that a tiny subset of neurons in the area of the brain known to control various types of breathing also houses a group of neurons that controlled the animals’ level of arousal. Knocking this area out made mice uncharacteristically calm-and the research team believes that slow breathing also taps into this area of the brain and has the same effect. Slow breathing is used “clinically to suppress excessive arousal and stress such as certain types of panic attacks”, says the research.

Maintain community and social connection. We are fundamentally social creatures. A landmark 80-year-long study from Harvard reported social connectivity as one of our most basic psychological needs. We can use technology to make that extra effort of keeping in touch with friends, family and neighbors while maintaining social distance.

Practice gratitude. It may not be the easiest thing to do but counting your blessings is linked to increased well being. Write down some of things that you are grateful for or if you have small kids, try talking about and listing aloud things that make you happy and thankful for.

Let yourself off the hook. Don’t beat yourself up when things are not going as planned in your home. If the kids watch too much Netflix or play too many hours of video games, it is not the end of the world. It’s really not such a big deal if you can’t stick to a schedule some days of can’t fit in your home workout everyday. It is much more valuable to everyone to cut yourself some slack. Remember, we are all in this together.

Ask for help. Drop me a message and we can fix a time to connect over a video call.