Coronavirusade
In general, I’m a happy person; however, just like everyone else in the world, I have my moments, and sometimes those moments last for days. It’s been about a week now, and I’m still trying to shake this little bout of the blues. The hard part is that in the rare instances where I feel down, I usually have no clue what’s causing these feelings—it’s hard to fix something when you don’t even know what’s broken.
Let me start by saying that I am blessed. I have a job, my health, wonderful family and friends, and so, so much to be grateful for. If you’ve ever met someone who has everything in the world, yet is still unhappy, this may befuddle you. I won’t lie . . . sometimes I think the same thing when I see someone who has it all but is still sad. They say that money can’t buy you happiness, and we all know that’s true, but when we have money, great people in our lives, and our health, shouldn’t we feel happy?
A friend of mine on Facebook shared a link to a free Yale class called, The Science of Well-Being. I signed up for it and started it yesterday. The professor teaching the class stated that while it’s important to know what will make you happy, knowing isn’t enough. There are things you have to do to be happy. I remember reading a book by Stephen Covey. In the book, he suggests a similar concept: that love isn’t a feeling, but an action. One of his clients complained to him that he no longer loved his wife. Stephen Covey told him to treat love as an action instead of a feeling. Here’s the excerpt:
“My wife and I just don’t have the same feelings for each other we used to have. I guess I just don’t love her anymore and she doesn’t love me. What can I do?”
“The feeling isn’t there anymore?” I asked.
“That’s right,” he reaffirmed. “And we have three children we’re really concerned about. What do you suggest?”
“Love her,” I replied.
“I told you, the feeling just isn’t there anymore.”
“Love her.”
“You don’t understand. The feeling of love just isn’t there.”
“Then love her. If the feeling isn’t there, that’s a good reason to love her.”
“But how do you love when you don’t love?”
“My friend, love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is a fruit of love, the verb. So love her. Serve her. Sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm her. Are you willing to do that?”
~Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People~
Do you see where I’m going with this? What I’ve gathered from the first lesson of this class I’m taking is that just like love, happiness requires action. You must do certain things to feel happy.
I would share more here about what I’ve learned in the class, but since I just started, I have little information to pass along. What I will share is a link to a documentary I watched several years ago: https://youtu.be/rQT2mcPAL-Q If you’re an Amazon Prime customer, I think this documentary is included in your membership and you can watch it for free; if not, it’s only about three bucks to rent, and a good choice if you’re looking for things to watch while practicing social distancing.
Below are a few natural ways to remedy an occasional case of the blues:
~ Exercise. It releases endorphins.
~Eat well. Here’s another link to an article that talks about how what we eat really matters: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-and-depression-2018022213309
~Spend some time outdoors, especially when it’s sunny. If you’re stuck inside, open those blinds and let the sunshine in.
~Try to spend time with positive people.
~Get enough sleep if you can (but not too much).
Of course, if you’re suffering, please reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional . . . depression is no joke and shouldn’t be treated lightly.
Right now, many of us are isolated, and for those who live alone, it may be worse. Even the most introverted of us need connection with others every so often, and with what’s going on in the world it seems the only safe way to spend time with people outside of the home is via technology. If there’s ever been a time where it’s better to be staring at your phone or computer instead of interacting face-to-face, it’s now.
I know that purposely isolating ourselves from our families and friends is hard, but the more we do it now, the faster we can get back to normal. In the meantime, if this whole thing is giving you a case of the blahs, eat some healthy food, get some exercise and fresh air, and talk to someone who cheers you up. If you have the time and the desire, consider signing up for the free course or watching the documentary.
Remember, when life hands you the coronavirus . . . don’t make coronavirusade (that would be bad); instead, make the best of it.
