Thus far, it has been a tumultuous year to say the absolute least. Between a pandemic that was and continues to be difficult to control and an international wave of protests to assert the worthiness of Black lives, it’s been difficult (to say the least) to maintain sanity, closure or normalcy. In between the two major world events, we’ve gotten almost daily news of personal deaths, minimal ICU beds to serve those who had a chance at life and the dismissal of valid claims of inequity by Black people in the United States. Through it all, I may have lost my mind, but I decided to get it back via a few, simple and mostly no-cost activities. Read on below!
I Walked, I Ran--I did Anything that Involved Real Life Physical Movement
When you’re told that one of the only safe things to do is stay indoors and leave for the absolute most important of necessities, the logical person will do just that. Information around the transmission of the corona virus changed so frequently, I decided to do the things I could absolutely control--stay inside until I needed sustenance. Initially I was in my Brooklyn apartment for up to four or five days at a time, safeguarding myself from this undecided sickness who preyed on whomever. I had to be cajoled into taking a stroll down Eastern Parkway for something other than bare necessities--my mental health. Feeling the sun on my skin, being in open air and having a straight shot to the Brooklyn Museum with myriad awesome views along the way helped tremendously. This walk became a few runs and exercise became a “go to” for maintaining my sanity. Who woulda thunk it?
Facetimed Lighthearted Friends
You know your platonic soulmates, the folks you don’t have to speak with daily but it’s always love and joy when you get together? They’re the ones that make you laugh but the connection is so deep that you can absolutely plunge into the most intimate details of your life. Call them. The best time to do so is on your walks! You’re already outside and you’re not disrupting folks in your home who may need the quiet. I forgot how infrequently I called people until I did so. I realized I hadn’t seen faces in a while and text messages just weren’t enough to create connection. I had actually lost human connection. Friends who had moved out of state or generally lived far were paid a bit more attention to during this time. And thankfully, living in Brooklyn, you could be as loud or quiet as you want, people generally will live and let live. We caught up, we laughed and though we discussed the state of the world, we didn’t let it dominate the conversation. We held space for each other.
Ignored the News
This may or may not be good advice. The news was exhausting. Between the denials that the coronavirus existed and frequent updates on death tolls, there were days where I had to abstain for information. I always returned because, duh, civic engagement and education, but I had to choose to avoid the conversations, the articles, the news clips of professionals and their predictions. I controlled the things I could.
Paid Attention to the News
Not long after quarantine, protests broke out over the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and many more unfortunately. Keeping up to date with the concerns of the people gave me hope and removed some of my pessimism around systematic oppression. I paid attention, I saw the demographics, I created a newfound level of faith in young people and surprisingly, the government and their desire to listen to the people. Being witness to change, despite the awful circumstances that brought us here, made me a little more sane and a lot more proud.
Scheduled Relaxation
Saturday and Sunday are usually the traditional days for errand running and relaxing. Being a creative entrepreneur, all days tend to be dedicated to the dream--realizing it, manifesting it, editing it and then manifesting it again. Burn out is quick and oftentimes, I didn’t even realize how miserable I was becoming because the concept of a “break” didn’t come to mind. I chose Thursdays to sit down and binge Living Single, sit on the steps of the Brooklyn Museum or simply grab a bench on Eastern Parkway and chill.
I Explored + Drank A Lot...of Coffee
I was raised in Brooklyn, but that, at no point, has made me the ultimate expert on new shops, restaurants or different areas. Driving around Bed Stuy to patronize indy, Black owned coffee shops was one of my favorite things to do. I refused to eat out at the beginning of this quarantine, but as rules lightened up, so did I. Intentionally shopping Black has always been my ministry, but there’s something especially special about a simple drive with your loved one, listening to your favorite podcast and arriving to get something as simple and refreshing as an iced coffee. Taking a few hours (because of course, there’s the strolling and the additional exploring that takes up some more time) to do something small, put my soul at rest. It was an opportunity to truly disregard the assumptions around convenience and time.
