C19 Closure

I was telling a friend that I was feeling lazy to do anything, even the things I enjoy like going for walks in the city or practicing French and Spanish. She responded that it is not laziness but something else. This led me to the term C-19 Closure, which I explained as the state of not being able to plan for the future, or giving up on a few moments of joy because you know that you have to go back to a restricted life.

It is impossible for us to be happy every moment of our waking life and hence we are encouraged to take time throughout the day or as often as possible to “smell the roses”, and to give thanks for the good in our lives.

Lately, I have been failing at this, because of C-19 Closure. I am finding it difficult to fool my Brain into smelling roses because it knows that as soon as I smell that rose, C-19 closure will happen and to prevent the deep slide into the dark abbess of C-19 closure, my Brain does whatever it can to keep me safe.

The other day, when I found myself alone in my shared apartment, I had a thought, my Brain immediately piped in and said “you can run around the house naked all you want and enjoy your freedom, but why bother, you still have to go outside with a mask on and the Canadian border is closed, so traveling to Montreal is a no go."'

Then I thought maybe I should go into Manhattan, it piped in again and said “okay, you want to go into the city,  do you feel safe wandering into your go-to spot for a bathroom break?”

Then I yelled forget it, I will go and stand outside and get some fresh air. It then said, “You want to go outside for two minutes for fresh air, really? please, by the time you put on your coat, and mask, and refill your hand sanitizer and alcohol the Sun would have set.”

 Me, to the Brain, whatever, I am taking a nap.

Luckily for the rest of my body, well including the Brain, my perseverance and curiosity lead me to dive deeper into the workings of the brain, and the psychology around accomplishing goals. What I unearthed was much research, talks, and quotes that led me in the direction of seeking out ways to be free in the presence of restrictions.

I learned that to stay sane and motivated during this time of uncertainty, I should focus on what I can do now.  I learned that I should develop a few tricks to center myself which can be done by using my breath to either energize myself when I am feeling lethargy or calm myself when I am feeling anxious.  I learned that I should take a timeout and practice mindfulness by just focusing on what I am doing and let it be just that; just stay in the moment.

Today I came upon this post on Instagram by Colombian Actor/ Psychologist/Coach George Slebi.-@psicoslebi and It said it all; my game plan.

"Lo Pradadojico de Este Encierra Pandemico es que podemos ejercer nuestra propia libertad" G. Slebi

Translation by Google translate:

"The Paradox of this Pandemic enclosure is that we can exercise our freedom" G. Slebi.

 

 

 

The colors in my life

I love Colombia Actress Caroline Gomez’s (star of the must watch La Venganza de Analia/ Her Mother’s Killer on Netflix) response to me after I responded to her post asking “what color is your life today”.

“esooo! La alegría la encontraremos representada con el color amarillo ya que se vincula con la luz del sol y el estado positivo que experimentamos con la llegada de la primavera.” Verde: es el color de la naturaleza y la esperanza. En un tono oscuro aporta confianza y prosperidad”.

Translation courtesy of Google translates:

"This! We will find joy represented by the color yellow as it is linked to the sunlight and the positive state we experience with the arrival of spring. "Green: it is the color of nature and hope. In a dark tone, it brings confidence and prosperity”.

 

 

She had me thinking of the meaning of all the colors and how they present in my life. Here is what I came up with:

 

Pink- Unconditional Love, Harmony, Femininity

Red -Power, Stability, Passion, Fire

Orange- Emotion Expression, Creativity, Success

Yellow- Lightness, Joy, Optimism, the Sun

 Green- Prosperity, Growth, Masculinity, Nature

Blue- Communication, Honesty, Trust, the Sky

Purple- Inner Peace, Intuition, Wisdom

Black- Bold

Brown- Grounding

White-Innocent

Silver - Classy

Gold- Wealth

 

So I am asking you, how do color show up in your life? Does your mood affect the color of clothing or jewelry you chose to wear?

 

 

 

The benches outside the park

 

I posted on Instagram today that I was grateful for the benches outside the park near my apartment. Unlike Italy, Spain and France, we in New York City, were allowed outside for Sun, Fresh Air, and exercise during the heights of the COVID-19 quarantine. I am currently sharing an apartment that does not get much natural light. I am also sleeping and working in a bedroom that does not get any natural light or fresh air. Every day since I started working from home, I have had to go outside before work, during lunch and after work to expose my brain and body to Natural light, especially the Sun and to get fresh air. Even when I woke up tired from sleeping only three hours per night, or was feeling drained because of swollen lymph nodes and ear pain due to Rhinitis, I made sure I went outside. It turns out I was doing the correct thing for my brain and for my health. It turns out our Brain regulates our body, to keep up healthy by knowing what time of the day or what season it is.  Whenever I am in the apartment all day, I always feel sluggish and I’m always in a low mood but as soon as I step outside, especially on sunny days, my mood is lifted immediately.

I am grateful for the benches because without them I would not have anywhere to sit and regulate my body. I would not have a place for my outside reading.  Living in a city can be fun but their drawbacks are many but thanks to Codvid-19, I am very aware of what is the most the important thing for me, what is as beneficial for me as water, I am aware of what compromises I will not or should not make especially when choosing a home or when planning my day.

A pulled muscle or two-Ouch

 

I pulled my groin last weekend and during the nights of Wednesday and Friday last week, I experienced some muscle spasm or re-pull. OMG, I haven’t experience that level of pain in my life. Thanks to my determination (which is evident in my astrology chart) and my new method of how to focus (from the video I was watching early about improving the Brain's plasticity), I was able to get off my bed and hop-walk to the fridge for my icepack. I spent the rest of those nights and the subsequent nights sleeping, sitting up.

After reading several articles online about groin pulls and how to alleviate the pain, I felt kind of lazy and guilty because this did not happen during a workout or I was playing sports, as the articles mention but when I was getting off my roommate's island stool. After a minute or so of guilt, I then remembered that I am to start physical therapy soon for a weak Pelvis and Lower Back. The guilt disappears, and I told myself that I am not lazy and that I am only a human being with a weak Muscular Structure.

I am proof that non-sport-related muscle strain does happen, ice and heat are its friends, and don’t forget to elevate. You will have to get creative with elevating the groin.