How are you doing?Even the most positive-minded of us will have moments. Moments of uncertainty; moments of fear and anxiety; moments of sheer fright. It can be demoralizing and debilitating mentally, physically, and emotionally. I’d be lying to you if I told you I’ve not experienced many of these moments – more than once – over the past week and a half. It seems like a year ago we were simply asking everyone to elbow bump and stay six feet away.
I’m going to ask again. How are you doing?
I’m not going to pretend that I’m a mental health expert. But what I am sure of is that a crisis like this can harm each one of us, if we aren’t careful. To that end, I want to offer some ideas on helping each one of you personally.
You’ve all heard that you must put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. Here are some ways to help you do that:
- Get fresh air. Here in my area, we’ve enjoyed 60 degree days. Get outside and take a walk (and Captain Jack expects you to take your dog. Don’t have a dog? Why?). Go for a run. Sit on the porch with your favorite beverage. Mow the lawn (I did today). Garden. Just get some fresh air, even if it’s cold and raining where you are.
- Exercise: If you’re stuck in your house or apartment, you can go stir crazy physically. Walk, run, hit golf balls into a net, ride a bicycle, hit a heavy or speed bag, do jumping jacks, ride a horse. Do something. Move for both your physical and mental health.
- Listen to music. Right now as I write this, I’m listening to a 33 LP of The Eagles Greatest Hits on my record player (today called a turntable, we always just said record player). Music is therapeutic. It’s easier than ever to find what you like.
- Enjoy your family. Work on a puzzle. Watch a movie. Or – get this – just talk. We watched Frozen last night. I’d never seen it (I know, I know). My granddaughters love it, so I considered it research.
- Re-discover old favorites. It might be cooking; sewing, puzzles, or gardening. These are all healthy and vital. Re-connect with a hobby that time hasn’t allowed you to focus on.
Final thing. Please practice physical distancing. One of my colleagues Richard Citrin wrote that we are really only physically distancing; we can and must still be social. Physical distancing will accelerate the recovery process. There’s no side of the political or social sides that disagree with this. Protect yourselves and your loved ones.
Finally, I want to invite all of you to a fun, virtual event. While many of you I know personally, there are many of you I don’t, and most of us are scattered all over the planet. Since this is a global crisis, you are all invited to my Virtual Happy Hour on Friday, March 27th at 5:30 PM Pacific Time (USA).
Here’s the deal: I’m partnering with my client High Spirits in Poulsbo, WA. Expert mixologist Evan will show me (and you) how to make a signature cocktail. Bring your own filled glass of spirits, wine, beer, cider, mocktail, soda pop, coffee, tea, or water. I don’t care; join us for a chance to mix and mingle from the safety of our own home. No designated drivers needed! And you will have a chance to win an autographed copy of my book.
It’s free, but you must register as its limited to 100 people on my Zoom. I’d love to meet some of you, answer questions, and simply have fun. I will be holding these every Friday until this crazy is over.
Let’s take care of each other during this time. Let’s all reach out to family and friends this week and ask one simple question…
How are you doing?
Be unleashed.
Quote of the Day:
“You exist only in what you do”
~ Federico Fellini (20th Century Italian Director)
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