Today's Plague Diary entry is the 31st--I've been doing the plague diaries for a month, now. For the first time in my life, I'm blogging regularly. And, as I've taken to saying, "All it took was a pandemic."
It also means that I've been in self-isolation for just about a month, now. It started abruptly, with little warning, and I wonder if it will end the same way. Which makes me wonder-- will the transition back to "normal" be as jarring? I don't wish to find out. However much longer this ordeal continues, I would like to minimize both the misery of it, as well as ease the transition back to the real world. And--in months and years to come, I'd like to look back on this time and not have the sense that I squandered this time. (Although, whatever. It's not like there's any sort of War Book to guide us through this time. We're writing the procedures as we go.)
Something I learned from my boss last year--something that he would ask our colleagues and reports. He called it "Start-stop-less-more." As in, "How can we be better managers? What should we start doing? What should we stop doing? What should we do more of? What should we do less of?" Also, "What are we doing that is working, that we should keep doing?"
I think those questions can apply, here, too.
What should I keep doing?
Cooking, and meal planning
Reaching out to my family, friends, and colleagues
Keep tidying up and cleaning my home
Making donations
What should I start doing?
Cooking healthier meals
Planning for "re-integration" into the real world and normal life
What Should I Stop Doing?
Playing games on my phone
Expecting too much of myself
Grazing
What Should I Do Less Of?
Drinking (see funny stuff below)
Stress shopping on Amazon
Checking the news
What Should I Do More Of?
Exercising
Sitting out on my balcony and soaking up sunshine
Painting and other creative endeavors
So, 31 days down, and god only knows how many to go. I hope you are all enduring, and finding enough toilet paper and yeast and eggs and jigsaw puzzles and whatever else you need to get through things. I hope that you're not too lonely, and that you have people who love you, and who check in on you. I hope you're keeping well, and have the luxury to ponder what to do less and more of in the days and weeks to come. We're not done yet. But we will get there.
Daily Indiana COVID-19 Counts:
Total Cases: 7,928 (up from yesterday's 7,435)
343 people have died.
(13 people have passed away since yesterday. The day before that, 30 people had passed away. The day before that, 30; the day before that, 55; the day before that, 42; the day before that, 30. I wonder, and hope...are we past the peak of deaths?)
Daily Gratitude:
Food delivery services, and delivery drivers. As an Easter treat, I ordered myself a very decadent meal to be delivered to me (and yes, I tipped very well; these folks are literally putting their lives on the line. It's the least I can do.)
Daily Funnies:
Disclaimer: I'm not making light of substance abuse issues. But I've definitely noticed, among recreational drinkers, an uptick in alcohol consumption in these times, and that's something to be mindful of.
So, 31 days down, and god only knows how many to go. I hope you are all enduring, and finding enough toilet paper and yeast and eggs and jigsaw puzzles and whatever else you need to get through things. I hope that you're not too lonely, and that you have people who love you, and who check in on you. I hope you're keeping well, and have the luxury to ponder what to do less and more of in the days and weeks to come. We're not done yet. But we will get there.
Daily Indiana COVID-19 Counts:
Total Cases: 7,928 (up from yesterday's 7,435)
343 people have died.
(13 people have passed away since yesterday. The day before that, 30 people had passed away. The day before that, 30; the day before that, 55; the day before that, 42; the day before that, 30. I wonder, and hope...are we past the peak of deaths?)
Daily Gratitude:
Food delivery services, and delivery drivers. As an Easter treat, I ordered myself a very decadent meal to be delivered to me (and yes, I tipped very well; these folks are literally putting their lives on the line. It's the least I can do.)
Daily Funnies:
Disclaimer: I'm not making light of substance abuse issues. But I've definitely noticed, among recreational drinkers, an uptick in alcohol consumption in these times, and that's something to be mindful of.
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