June 2021
"Only in the darkness can you see the stars." Martin Luther King Jr.
The last 15 months or more have been brutal. Do You feel like pandemic precautions (and controversy about them) will never end? Did you lose a loved one to COVID 19? Are you or a loved one dealing with the physical and financial aftermath of being sick with COVID 19? Are you exhausted by all the political rhetoric swirling around (the us vs. them mentality)? Were you affected financially by the pandemic? Are you confused or anxious about things you've read online?
Here are a few suggestions to help your mood. Try making a list of things you are thankful for. Maybe it is your spouse or your children or grandchildren or good friends. Maybe your health is good. Maybe you got your COVID vaccine after searching frantically for doses and now feel safer or were able to visit someone you couldn't before. Maybe someone did something nice for you no matter how small a gesture.
Do something nice for someone else whenever possible. Let a driver out of a driveway or side street when you see them waiting. Ask a neighbor or family member if you can pick up something for them when you go to the store. Let another shopper go ahead of you in the checkout line. Bring in your neighbor's empty garbage can for them. Acts of kindness help both the giver and the recipient. Think of ways you can help others as we come out of the pandemic.
Smile when you interact with others. Even with a mask on, others see your eyes smiling. Watch a funny movie or TV show. Smiling and laughter stimulate endorphins.
Get outside. The sun stimulates endorphins and vitamin D production. Sit outside. Go for a walk. Go to a park. Enjoy the fresh air. You don't need a mask outside.
Say a prayer. Go to church in person or online.
Remember all things come to an end. As more people are vaccinated, the COVID rate is decreasing. Warm weather is coming. Flowers are blooming. The light at the end of the tunnel is still in the distance but we can see it clearly now.
Diane Lett
