Tag: clean air

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6 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN A WINTER DAY

January 2022 seems especially dreary.   It’s the third winter we’ve been stuck at home because of COVID-19. That first year, we did pretty well.  It was kind of fun, battening down the hatches, sending for take out, and staying inside.   The next winter, we had a little more hope because the vaccine came out in January, and we thought this would definitely be the end of Covid-19. We even started going to restaurants and family get togethers.  Free at last!!    But now, we’re back where we started.     Masking up at the grocery store,  staying home, washing our hands, and going nowhere fast. One good thing.  The days are growing longer, and we’re seeing more sunny days. Here are 6 ways to brighten a winter day:

6 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN A WINTER DAY
6 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN A WINTER DAY. A winter bulb garden will make it feel like Spring.

1. Clean the air.  Indoor air is full of pollutants.  It’s especially bad this winter, when we’re staying indoors more often than usual.  Even when it’s cold outside, you should open some windows for five to ten minutes a day, just to bring in some fresh air. Next,  brew a pot of boiling water on your stove top, and stir in  teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  It might even clear your sinuses if you breathe in the fragrant  vapors for a few minutes. Keep the pot  simmering as long as you like.

2. Catch some sunshine.  Put on a winter  coat and lie on a lounge chair  on your deck or patio.  The rays are so bright that you can get a slight sunburn—even in winter.  If you don’t have your own outside space,  go to a park, pick a bright  spot, and lift your face toward the sun .

3. Plant a winter bulb garden. .  The stores are full of potted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils..  Take that Christmas poinsettia off your coffee table,  and  bring in some lovely spring flowers in shades of pink, purple, and yellow.

4. Download some classical music.  There are free apps on i phones and your computer.  Frankly, I wouldn’t care to sit for hours  in a concert hall and listen to long hair music.    But it’s soothing in the background while you’re doing household chores or reading a book.

5. Walk  outside.  Even when the temperature drops below freezing, you can bundle up and take a short  walk around the block or down the road. You’ll come back inside refreshed, and with a better attitude.

6.  Try a new recipe.  They are in the newspapers and all over the internet.  Make something with an unusual ingredient that you’ve never tried before.

These are just a few way to enjoy the winter of 2022. Meanwhile,  work  a  jigsaw puzzle, read a  best seller, and look forward to a winter when we don’t have to worry about Covid=19..

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5 GOOD THINGS YOU’LL REMEMBER

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stressful time.  Fear of contracting the virus, combined with social isolation,  is a universal problem.  But each age has had their own stress.  Parents with children out of school report the most.  However, it’s also difficult for the elderly who face long, lonely hours without seeing their loved ones. But when it’s all over,  there are 5 good things you’ll remember about the lockdown..

Coid has relieved air pollution in major cities.
5 good things you’ll remember after the pandemic include  reduced pollution, giving us cleaner air,
  1. Cleaner air.   It’s estimated the pandemic lockdown has taken about 80% of passenger cars off local roads. Resulting in  a 31% reduction in air pollution compared to the same time frame last year.  Before-after-photos show less-air-pollution during the pandemic. According to the NIH, “air pollution is considered as the major environmental risk factor in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight. “

2. Money Saved.  Many people have lost their jobs, so this isn’t a benefit enjoyed by everyone . But for seniors on a fixed income, and those  still employed,  they are  suddenly seeing their bank balance grow.  Let’s face it: when you’re not going anywhere or  buying new clothes, have stopped going to restaurants and taking vacations,  you’re saving a bundle of money.  And when this pandemic is over, people are going to spend that money like crazy.

3. Learning how to do your own hair.  Over the years, most everyone  has become dependent on others to cut and style their hair.  But when you’re afraid to go to a beauty salon,,  you have to take matters into your own hands.  I’ve learned to cut my own hair, and people tell me they like it better.   I’ll probably go back  to having it done, but it’s nice to know I can do it myself.

4. Discovering the joys of takeout and delivery..  Like everyone else, we enjoyed eating in restaurants before the pandemic.    We didn’t do takeout unless someone was sick.  But now, we’ve learned to appreciate take out and delivery—especially the smaller restaurants where we wouldn’t have considered going  before.  Seafood, burgers, ethnic food….we’ve tried them all.   We don’t have to dress up or drive after dark, or wait too long for service..  Yes, I still dream of returning to our old favorite restaurants.  But we’ll be doing a lot more take out than we did before the pandemic.

5. Fewer sick days, due to healthier habits.  My husband and I have gone seven months without a  bout of diarrhea or respiratory infection.   Because of masking, social isolation, and obsessive hand washing,  we’re  avoiding a lot of germs other than covid.-19.

I know that many are suffering from financial hardship right now.  I’m old enough to remember my own father too sick to work, and a husband losing a job during the recession.  But after the pandemic ends, we may have  5 good things to remember about  making it through the pandemic with faith in ourselves, and the loving support of others.