This crisis has us all on edge and trying to understand what is happening. However, we now are realizing that this is a marathon, not a sprint.  This is not something that would be over with a few weeks of lockdown and then business as usual.  This could be months for some areas and even when we start resuming normal life, there will be a new normal.  In realizing this, I’m also realizing that I need to not obsess over every new statistic or article.

At first it seemed imperative to watch the number of new cases and deaths and see if we were flattening the curve.  I hung on to the words of the governors and of Dr. Fauci.  I wanted to get all the information I could to understand what was happening and where we were going.  Now we are in our second month of sheltering in place and it seems more important to keep up our mental and physical health than to listen to briefings and read about possible cures.  Not to make light of the new patients or those who die daily, but otherwise there isn’t anything so new on a daily basis.  If I miss some news today, I’m sure it will be repeated tomorrow. Even our video chats with friends have moved from discussing everything about Coronavirus to lighter subjects.

You can’t live at a heightened level of stress for too long.  You have to find a way to stay calm and find some happiness in distractions.  As I said this is a marathon now, not a sprint, so we need to pace ourselves.  Find something fun, calming, or entertaining to focus on while still staying informed on the news periodically.  Support your loved ones as well and remind each other to find some positive ways to pass the time.  I write this as a way of talking to myself and maybe some of you will agree with my perspective.