I was surprised that the first thing I did was pull up the Decameron, which I haven’t really opened since I graduated college 5 years ago. The Decameron is a Thousand-Arabian nights book written during the Black Death in Florence. In that same vein, poetry and literature have helped me. Thinking about them while I see all the trees and flowers bloom during Spring has brought some sense of peace and perspective day to day. Reaching out to friends has also really helped. This pandemic is global, so I think everyone everywhere is feeling nervous, anxious, and stressed. Contacting an old friend on facebook or instagram to tell them that my family and I are still doing OK and that I hope they’re OK as well has brought a lot of comfort. I try to limit myself to one social call a day, preferably during a walk so I can get some exercise and sunshine. That being said, having a therapist through the university health plan has been really useful. I encourage folks to reach out to the health center and talk with a counselor to see if you can get some short term help or long term help. Therapy isn’t the only way or outlet for folks, but I have found it comforting and I encourage people to try or even consider it.
