Chasing Rabbits

Since the quarantine began, my wife and I adopted a new routine.  It involves chasing rabbits.  Actually, it’s just one rabbit.

We ran into the little guy the first time we took our morning walk, which (together with climbing the stairs in our condo and lifting weights) is the way we adjusted to not having access to the gym.

He was nestled in the grass and looked right at us as we passed.  Now, on our daily walks, we look out for him.  Most days, he’s there…waiting.  When he isn’t, we’re disappointed.

This is our “new normal” and we’re loving it.

Making the adjustment

I don’t want to trivialize the massive adjustment the pandemic has caused most Americans.  We’re very fortunate.  I work from home.  My wife is an artist.  She moved her studio into a spare room in our condo.  Others don’t have these options.

What has been meaningful is how well we are living without so many things we deemed “essential” a couple of months ago.

Because we’re in the demographic most likely to suffer complications — and even death — if we are infected with Covid-19, we have adopted a very conservative approach.  We exercise outdoors because we can safely distance from others.  We don’t venture out for any other reason, except to go the grocery store.  We have limited those outings by finding an excellent vegetarian delivery service.  When we have no other choice, one of us will go when the store is sparsely populated, wearing a mask.

I’ve declined all invitations to travel.  I don’t intend to change my routine until there is either a very effective treatment or, preferably, a vaccine.  I realize this could be one or even two years.  We’re in it for the long haul.

Surprises

I never contemplated life without access to a gym, restaurants or tennis courts.  My wife loved her studio and couldn’t imagine giving it up.

What’s surprised us was how easily we made the adjustment, and how much we enjoy our new, downsized life.

My wife reads and paints more.

I’ve started taking online courses.  I’ve always wanted to sharpen my digital marketing skills so I could exercise more informed supervision over the team of sixty engineers and other digital experts who work with us. I opted for a 40 hour course given by Google on the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing.  It’s a certified course that requires passing a final exam.  I spent an hour a day for 40 days and obtained my certification.

I found the experience incredibly rewarding.  The knowledge I gained changed my perspective about how to best assist our clients with their marketing efforts.  I never would have done this before the quarantine.

I’m looking into more courses in diverse areas, like happiness.

Last year, we concluded that television played a negative role in our life by creating an endless loop of stressful news.  We stopped watching it.  The pandemic has validated our judgment.

We now eat our main meal in our formal dining room and really enjoy leisurely visiting with each other.

We focus more on our diet.  We’ve both lost weight and feel great.

Our exercise regime equals what we were doing in the gym, and may exceed it because we are so consistent.

Of course, we’re motivated by chasing the rabbit.

The quarantine hasn’t been that bad for us.  I hope you’ve had a similar experience.

Resource of the Week:

I recommend this article which has helpful suggestions for how to manage the psychological effects of a quarantine.