To Shave, or not to shave, that is the question.
As I have talked before on this blog, I used to play a lot of sport. One of the key skills you learn is to be in the moment. That last shot doesn't matter, what is happening after the game doesn't matter. The player who can be present, being one with the moment, the one that is not overcome by the moment has the best chance to succeed.
Well, we are back at it again. Lockdown version 2.0. Mark Twain may or may not have said: "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes." Regardless, it feels apt for what we are going through. It can feel a little like groundhog day as one-day blends into another. It's why its August already.
In the past, our enemy has usually been clearly defined, they usually wear a different uniform than ours. This enemy is many times smaller than a human hair.
However, we have learnt a lot from our last lockdown. I heard a term Non-pharmaceutical Intervention (NPI) recently, it basically means all the things we can do that don't involve drugs. Wearing a mask, keeping distance, tracing your steps, all these things give us a better chance to get back to some sort of normalcy.
NPI is what we can do as a nation, but we also have to address our own personal health and wellbeing, be it physical, mental, spiritual, financial are so important in this strange strange times that we are living through.
Physical - Make sure you move, walk, run, lift, sprint, cycle, yoga, it doesn't matter what it is. Our bodies love to move. It helps with so many elements of our life, not just that it helps us look better, but more importantly, it makes us feel better. Which ties in nicely with:
Mental - It is ok to feel anxious, or uneasy, given the uncertainty we are living through. Acknowledge your feelings, talk to someone you trust, share your concerns. Do something nice for you, dance, watch that show, read a book, listen to that podcast, work in the garden, whatever it is that you enjoy, give yourself those moments.
Spiritual - for me this is about connection and community. Keep in touch with those that are isolated or in need. Modern technology has provided us with many mediums to keep connected. I have been catching up with university friends I haven't seen in over a decade. Hopefully, I haven't aged as badly as they have.
Financial - with the uncertain future some extra cash is nice to have. If you are tempted to buy something, sleep on it. Give it a day, if you still "need" that new fancy thing then go crazy.
Move around, discuss how you feel, keep connected to those you care about, and don't waste your money.
Be Awesome, look after yourself, shave well,
Luke
