Tag: stress

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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.

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HAVING A COVID-19 MELTDOWN?

Here’s what a covid-19 meltdown feels like:  Hours after you’ve done something a bit risky, you start feeling apprehensive, and the worry begins to build .  Were you too close to someone at the grocery store?  Did that guy without a mask at the pharmacy breathe virus on you?     What about that small family dinner? You don’t go inside restaurants except for pickup, but did one of the workers have covid-19?  Now, you’re feeling lightheaded. Before you know it, your thoughts are spiraling out of control.   Are you having a covid-19 meltdown?

A covid-19 meltdown may last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.   During this time, you’re constantly checking the list of symptoms.  Can you still smell?  You go around sniffing coffee and lavender and a bar of soap.  Yes, you can still smell.  But now, your nose is dripping, and your eye looks bloodshot.   Is it your spring/fall allergies acting up?  Or,  the virus? .  You have an upset stomach.  Was it that Mexican food you ate last night, or covid-19.   You feel tired.  Was it that long hike you took yesterday, or something more serious?

My first covid-19 meltdown happened in late March.  This was when our city had less that one tenth of one percent covid-19 cases. The CDC was telling people not to wear masks.  It wouldn’t protect  you at all.  Apparently, they were really were just afraid they were going to run out of masks for essential workers.  When it turned out that people really should wear masks, we’d been running around for weeks without them.

Having a Covid-19 Meltdown? Try mindful breathing or a walk through the woods
Having a Covid-19 meltdown? A walk through the woods, or mindful breathing may help.

Around that time,  we hosted a small family gathering ,  including someone from another town.  That was when I first  began to feel anxious about contracting covid-19.  During the next four days, I symptom checked on and off every few hours.  At the end of that time period , I relaxed, and put aside my worries.

Now, our city has become a hot spot, with 11% positivity rates.  The fear is spreading. Over the past few months, I’ve had a couple more  meltdowns.   Since I suffer from both spring and fall allergies, any dizziness, fatigue, or dripping nose is alarming.   My worries escalate.  My husband is diabetic and close to 90. What would he do if I got sick?  Where would I go to isolate?  Mentally, I began to make plans.

Coping mechanisms that work best for me:

  1) A walk along the river or through the woods.
  2) Meditation and mindful breathing.

Here’s the thing– in the coming year, it’s probably not going to get any better.  No matter who is elected president, the virus will continue to spread.  I’ve resigned myself to the ever present danger.   We’ll either get the virus, or we won’t.  And until the plague has ended, I’ll probably have a few more covid-19 meltdowns.

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STRESS CALLS FOR COMFORT FOOD

Have you  noticed that recipes in the media have grown more complicated during this pandemic?  I guess they’re thinking that  people have more time to fiddle around with unusual ingredients and longer prep time.  But now,  you want nostalgic dishes that remind you of happier times.  Pandemic stress calls for comfort food , made without canned soup. 

High on the list of comfort foods in the USA are soups and casseroles.  What’s wrong with that?  Nothing, if you make them with natural ingredients   But here’s a list of additives you get in canned soups that really don’t give you that taste of home:  Sodium phosphate, whey, soy protein concentrate, yeast extract, potassium chloride, lactic acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate and beta carotene. That’s just a few of the ingredients listed on the label of one can of store-bought Cream of Chicken soup.  

Ham Potato Casserole is the Perfect Comfot food
The Pandemic Calls For Comfort Food. This easy Ham Potato Casserole is made with all natural ingredients.

 One of my favorite comfort foods  is Ham Potato Casserole.  Remember when they served it at your school cafeteria?  I can’t think of many restaurants that have  it on their menu.  Your mom may not have made it, but I’ll bet your granny did.  At one time, it was a way of using up the left overs from a baked ham. That was when frugal people didn’t waste a smidgen of meat left on a bone.   Not many of us bake a whole ham nowadays.  But you can buy packaged, diced ham, which greatly simplifies things.  

When you go on the net looking for Ham Potato Casserole recipes, you’ll find that many of them call for canned soup.  But it’s so much easier to make it the old fashioned way, starting with a simple white sauce.  You don’t really have to follow a recipe after that.  Just throw in some cubed, cooked potatoes, cheese, diced ham, and  green beans.  Mix it altogether in a casserole dish, and bake, covered for 30 minutes.  Your family will want seconds, I promise.  So make plenty.  

If you feel more comfortable following a recipe, here’s one that serves 4: 

Milk: 1  1/2 cups

Butter: 3 Tablespoons 

Flour:  3 tablespoons 

Onion finely chopped: 2 tablespoons

Idaho potatoes, boiled for half an hour, then peeled & cubed:    2

Fresh green beans, trimmed and cooked while boiling the potatoes:  1 cup

Packaged diced ham:   1 cup

Shredded Cheddar cheese:  1 cup 

Directions:

In saucepan, saute onion in butter. Stir in the flour, until blended. .  Gradually whisk in milk until mixture has thickened.  Turn off heat. Add cheese.  Arrange potatoes, ham, and green beans in a baking dish and cover with the white sauce/cheese mixture. .  Cover with foil. Heat in 350 oven for half an hour, or until bubbly..  

Notice, I don’t add seasoning  to the white sauce..  The cheese and ham are plenty salty and some people are allergic to pepper.  Provide salt and pepper shakers for those who want it. .  You can leave out the green beans, or serve another vegetable  as a side dish.  

Enjoy!

 

 

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RECOVERING FROM FRIDAY 13TH

Are you superstitious?  I used to be, until I finally stopped attending psychic fairs.  But last Friday,  I began to reconsider my feelings about the power of the supernatural.  After a really bad day, I’m still recovering from Friday the 13th.

It began at 5:30 a.m.  I ‘m awakened by severe leg cramps.  Tossing and turning, I try to make them stop. But when I jump out of bed, I feel dizzy.  Not sick, no fever, just that my head is spinning.

After calming  down, I  decide to go for a swim to clear my head. At 8:30 a.m. I pack up my gear and head for the local college pool.  It”s  cold, and I have to park a long way from the sports center.  Trudging  up the hill, I see that the lights are turned off, and the pool is closed.  Bummer.  Shrug, it’s just one of those things.

Return home and check my iphone.  Battery life down to 3%.  Plug the cable in; nothing happens.  This means I’ll have to drive to AT&T, which will probably mean a long wait. Then, I’ll have the hassle and expense of a new phone.

I go to check my rental property where I’m paying a painter by the hour.  But, he’s not there, the work isn’t finished, and I’ve already paid him 4 times as much as anyone else who’s done the work before.

Back home, I flip on the TV, and see that the President of the United States has been impeached.  No matter which political party you support, this is very bad for our country.  It’s going to be a gloomy Christmas holiday in Washington DC.
On Fri. 13, my computur was hit by a virus
A virus hit my computer on Friday the 13th.

Turn on my computer and find I’ve been hit by a virus.  Can’t access any of my apps like Google, or Word.   Do a system restore which takes over an hour.  Download and re install Chrome, but can’t activate Word.  Block my antivirus program, do another system restore.  Still no Word.  Can’t open any of my documents.  Call the web host for my blog, and talk to a service rep with an incomprehensible accent.  Looks like I’ll have to wait until next week, to call Geek Squad

Jump in the car and head to AT&T.  Service rep finds I have a broken cable. Whew, easy to fix.  He plugs it in, and while I wait for a recharge, he says I really need a new phone because my battery is old.  I take his word for it and reach for my credit card, but it turns out my husband has to be there because the contract is in his name. (More about this in next post)  I leave for Kroger Store, and can’t find my credit card.  Return to AT&T, root thru my purse, finally find the card.  In my confusion, I’ve stuck it in a hidden slot.

Now I’m driving home, and falling back on meditation techniques.  Breathe in, breathe out. Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Stay calm. Nothing catastrophic has happened. Breathe in, breathe out. My house didn’t burn down. I haven’t wrecked my car. I don’t have a serious illness (that I know of).  Back home,  I’m outwardly calm.  I fix dinner as usual, and listen to the news.

When stressed out, meditation helps
When feeling stressed, it helps to stop and breathe slowly, in and out.

Good news:  Sat  morning,  I open my computer after  doing another system restore, and I have all my apps back. I can use Word to write this blog.  I can go through Google.  My head is clear.  My iphone works fine with a new cable.  A new Nafta trade agreement was signed by Congress.  Hooray!

And yet,  I’m still in recovery mode. And now I can’t open AOL.  How was your Friday the 13th?

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AUGUST RECESS MEANS LESS STRESS

The infighting among Republicans and Democrats  the past few years has left us frazzled and worn out  We feel like the unhappy children of parents  in a toxic relationship.   All that fussing and fighting on an every day basis makes us insecure, worried, and depressed.  But at least the August Recess means less stress..

these two prominent politicians totally lack charisma
Are you tired of seeing the faces of these two men in the media?

For just awhile, we don’t have to see Adam Schiff’s eyes sparkling with delight at the thought of impeachment.  ( According to Wikipedia,  Schiff  has appeared on television 227 times in the past year)  Enough already! . On the other hand, Mitch McConnell’s  down turned mouth and general grumpiness isn’t  all that inspiring.  His sour puss makes you wonder if he’s suffering from indigestion.  He could pose for a Tums ad any day of the week.

Just for fun, let’s pretend we Americans  are the kids in a family where Donald Trump is the Dad, and Nancy Pelosi is the Mom.  It’s obvious that the two of them  hate each other, will never agree on any thing –and we are the helpless  spectators.

The feud between the Democrats and Republicans brings to mind  the Hatfeilds and the McCoys   Or perhaps  the Montagues and the Capulets. I ’m at the point where I no longer care who wins or loses this election.  I’m just tired of all the lies, bickering and name calling.  Every national tragedy is politicized.  This is  one of the most dysfunctional  legislatures  I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime.

Even though our nation has endured tough times lately,   we’ve felt a little more at ease this August.  The politicians finally left us alone and the media has gone  back to  normal.  The August Recess means less stress.  But come September, the “grown ups”?  will be back from vacation, and we kids will have to listen to the same old stuff.