End of Week 7
I have reached my #covid19 limit. 7-weeks. I’m beginning to crack. My chest is tight and I’m ready for some human contact. I’ve been living at home alone in my apartment in Prince George while my kid lives in Sechelt, my other home. I am happy that she is safe where she is and I am safe as well. There is no question that #physicaldistancing and #stayingathome have been incredibly taxing but I am very grateful to have a place to live, food to eat, and continued employment (for now). I am also grateful to have friends who check in with me on a regular basis and I am connected to my kid online via various media tools. For the few 6 weeks, I was occupied with completing work for the term. I appreciated the distraction. Now I’m on my non-teaching term. It’s great to change gears and take a moment to write, think, and reflect… but this is also a time when my anxiety and stress are unusually high. I have not had a “normal” sleep pattern since the pandemic was announced, but I’m not surprised. What I realized in Week 7 is that I had to #getoutside. Mental health and physical health became priority for me. I had to not do what I’ve done before (i.e. dieting), so I decided to do a #daily5kchallenge. I’ve mapped out a route and I’ve been walking 5k per day. If anything, it adds to my schedule as something to accomplish. I’m feeling good. I almost did not make it out today, but once I got started, I was ok. I look forward to next week and listening to the possible plans and projections from the provincial government and provincial health officer. I don’t expect life to be “normal” anytime soon, but I hope that it’s a bit more viable for me to drive to the Sunshine Coast to see my kid. I miss her. It’s been an exceptional year. I have not flown to the Lower Mainland as often this year and missed a couple of visits due to the strike at the university and the pandemic. I love the photo above… the sun shining through trees. I just captured this image from yesterday’s walk. It reminds me of hope. I am hopeful.