Tag: coping

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s tip is to look back at the pandemic; what are the strangest memories you have?

I wrote this tip because I ran across some old pictures from the last two years. Here are a few things that struck me as strange.

I found myself doing yoga on the front lawn because the gym was closed.

I had really taken it for granted that I could go to the gym every week. Maybe not every day, but I’d get there and be able to take a class or use weights. While I could do yoga alone, and I had some videos out in the yard, I was surprised that a) I didn’t have other options, and b) it worked out pretty well. I enjoyed being out there in the spring and am looking forward to it periodically this year.

I’ve traveled a lot for years, and I’ve seen plenty of people in masks in airports and on planes, albeit a minority. I still can’t believe that we got so many people to wear masks, we had regulations, and I coached in one with kids playing sports in one.

I’ve enjoyed some online gatherings, but I can’t believe that I was a part of multiple online classes for cooking or cocktail making. If you had asked me my interest level in 2019 for this, I would have said zero. The last two years I’ve looked forward to a few.

I’ve lived in America for most of my life. This is the land of plenty, and often, excess. I’ve lived in places with hurricanes and blizzards, and seen shops quite empty at times because the demand far exceeds the supply, at least for some items.

I was surprised to see so many empty shelves, especially a lack of toilet paper, early in the pandemic. A very strange time for me.

In line with that, I remember coming out of volleyball practice one night and going to the store to get things for the next day, only to find it closed. All stores were closed around 8 or 9pm. Quite an experience for me.

Perhaps one really strange thing for me was a lot of time with horses. Not just around them, as that’s normal, but on them. I never look to ride very often, but I will if my wife asks. We plan some trips, but around the house I’m usually busy or traveling myself.

In 2020, I ended up taking more rides with my wife around our property and the local area because there wasn’t much else to do. No distractions, nothing open, no work trips, so I spent a lot of time on horseback.

Well, not a lot, but a lot for me.

Overall the pandemic was not that hard for me. In some ways, it was enjoyable as life slowed down, more time with family, I had all my kids some again for a period of time, and I used all my vacation.

Maybe that was the best part. Usually work gets in the way of too many personal trips, but in I managed to get out, camp and travel a bit, using up all my vacation with family.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s tip is to support a local business with a positive review or friendly message.

I like supporting local people, and try to do it regularly. Recently we were on vacation in the Colorado mountains, in a place we go often. There are a few restaurants that we visit often, like the Dam Brewery or Dos Locos.

This time, as we were driving around, I saw a new place, the Eclectic Bar and Grill. I pulled in, thinking to just try a new place.

It was fantastic, and quiet on a late afternoon. We ended up talking with the manager and praising the menu and food, which was great. I also took time to drop a review on Google. Hopefully they get popular enough to stay in business.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s tip is to smile at people today and try to brighten their day.

This is something I try to practice regularly, and it’s something I did this past weekend. I coached at a tournament, which means I was around lots of other people. I miss that in the tech world, but I am getting the experience with coaching.

Since we are now without masks, I can smile at people as I walk past, see them, interact. I smiled at referees, other players, other coaches, even parents. Usually saying hi if they meet my eye, but often getting a smile back in returns.

Smiling is infectious. Do it often.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s tip is to focus on being kind rather than right.

I’ve had this tip a few times, and I usually think about interactions with other people. Today, I’m thinking about myself.

I set some goals for myself at various points, and I want to revisit some of those things today, with the idea of being kind to myself rather than a straightforward SMART goals evaluation.

I set a January goal of working out every day.  Before I even started, I had to delay slightly with an injury. Here was my January progress:

I track my workouts on MapMyRun.com, and as you can see, I missed 3 days after starting back working out on Jan 4. If I check February, I managed to work out the first, but missed the second and third.

I didn’t get to the goal, but I understand why. Jan 9 and 23 I coached all day down in the Springs, leaving the house by 6am and not returning home until 6 or 7 at night. A long day, standing all day, and I gave myself permission to not push. The 24th I actually felt sick, a bit of a cold, and I mostly rested in bed that day.

It was a goal, not a requirement, so I can live with that.

I’ve also been dieting and trying to clean up my life this year after some slightly high health numbers. I set a goal of not drinking for a month, and I did a good job there. I had a beer on Jan 1, returning from Las Vegas. I didn’t have another until Feb 1, when I was celebrating with my wife. I had a couple while on holiday that week, but since then I’ve been avoiding alcohol again. Same with my diet. I’ve been fairly strict for a little over a month, but I am accepting a few meals here and there where I deviate a bit from the plan.

In both cases, it’s OK. I’m being kind, rather than berating myself for small breaks.

I’ve had a few days off as well, skipping some chores or taking it easy on the weekends, something I rarely do, but I’m being kind and accepting of life as it comes and I make decisions.