It has now been three solid weeks since I’ve been in my office. I miss:
- Leaving the house every day to go somewhere before dawn
- Walking Boston’s North End, wharves, markets and common
- Having face-to-face interaction with colleagues
But I’m fighting the good fight. Here are some things getting me through the doldrums.
Mood Music (in memory of Adam Schlesinger, dead of COVID-19):
- Keeping my health program going, maintaining weight loss and taking daily walks around the neighborhood and wooded hills behind our house.
- Drinking lots of coffee to stay alert (the house is well stocked with my beloved Death Wish blend).
- Reading print and audio books. In a possibly ill-advised move, I spent a free Audible credit on John Barry’s The Great Influenza. I’m trying to learn ways forward by studying our history.
- Taking naps, which has become an important tool for breaking up the days, which can get intense between work and the claustrophobic feelings that come with distancing.
- Keeping in touch with friends via video hangouts, including last weekend’s session with these nutjobs:
- Being with my family. Though we frequently drive each other crazy, I’m grateful to be together with Erin and the kids and am amazed at how the boys have been able to keep up with their classwork by video.
- Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and BritBox have been a godsend. We’re watching a lot of Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, Call the Midwife and Midsommer Murders.
- Sleeping more. Though I continue to be an early riser, I’m taking advantage of the lack of commute to sleep an extra hour each night.
What are you doing to stave off the crazies?