Fun in these times!

It took me some time to write. I had to declutter my mind of all the COVID concerns. It seems like every day, we breathe the same news. And it somehow sets a kind of fatigue that is awfully depressing.

It reminds me of a pyschiatrist who while having a session with a very uptight worker asked, “What is occupying your day?” to which the worker replied, with colorful epithets that her workmate just makes her life miserable. From the beginning of her day to her sleeping time, and sometimes carries over to her dreams. 

The counselor, holding her patient’s pulse nodded, “No wonder, your heart rate, just like last week is shooting up really fast.”

“See! That’s what I mean Doc! She really gets to me.”

The doctor eyed her patiently then gave her a coloring book and a box of cross stitch patters with all the treads and needles with it. The patient eyed her curiously. “What are these for?”

The doctor faced her with a very sincere emphatic face. “I know how you feel. And because of your workmate, you are working yourself up unnecessarily. Now I would like you to take some time off from your workmate, and focus more on yourself. See the goodness in you.  Look at the things you are capable of doing. The nice person that you are.” Then pointing to the items in her patient’s hand she continued, “sometimes, we need to be helped from our usual stressful way of thinking. 

Now I want you to dabble with the colors, it will occupy your mind. The same goes for the sewing. You will note that as you do this, you will forget about your workmate and be more happy with your project. Come back to me next week.

The following week, the doctor noticed that her patient was not there so she called the office and was told her patient was in a meeting. 

The next day was a weekend, and so the doctor called the home of her patient. And her patient immediately took the call. “I am so sorry doc. I was not able to meet our appointment. I was so busy at work and when I would get home I had to finish a page of my coloring book. I am almost done though. I want to show you how marvelous the colors I chose look. They are amazing. I am excited to start with the embroidery.” The doctor smiled to herself, noting no word was mentioned of her patient’s workmate.

The same goes for us. We just have to refocus. Take our minds off the stress of all these COVID factors that keep our blood pressures on the rise.

Instead we can look into building our immune system. Review our lifestyle again. Enjoy the fun of exercising, or looking into non-traditional regimens like steam inhalation, juicing, healthy tea infusions and the like.

Mandaue Chamber has come up with a revolutionary habit-builder among their programs for their  celebration of Mandaue Business Month. Check out their FB page and join in the many fun activities that can take your mind off the stressors, and build your immune system. Have fun everyone!