Surviving the great pandemic winter

The weather forecast sends chills down my spine.  The cold weather cometh.

Cold.
Dark.
Damp. 
And Covid.

Makes for a miserable combination.

There is only one way out--through!

What can one do?

"Shift your focus outward ... focus on something outside yourself."

Despite the fact that a selfish and narcissistic approach has worked out well for tRump, exceptions to the rule are not what we are talking about.  The more self-absorbed one is, the more it becomes possible to end up in a rut, with the negative feelings greatly amplified in that echo chamber.  “A lot of life’s problems are caused by too much self-focus and self-absorption, and we often focus too much on the negatives about ourselves.”

Do whatever it takes, in your own ways, to understand that you’re part of the larger world around you.  Maybe it is nature walks. Or, volunteering more hours at the food pantry. Or working with groups that want to get rid of tRumpism.  Whatever floats your boat, as they say, in getting you out of the self-absorbed state.

Finally, some practices are about cultivating a sense of inspiration — which can take the form of gratitude, curiosity, or awe.

Regularly feeling gratitude helps protect us from stress and depression.

I suspect that gratitude has been my vitamin, though I had no idea that it serves as a vitamin.  Gratitude is not the same as a momentary "thanks."  It is not the same as good manners, though you should have good manners.  We are not talking about the superficial thanks and the emoji when referring to gratitude.  

If I had thought about it more, before I read the article, I would have said pretty much the same thing as this: “When you feel grateful, your mind turns its attention to what is perhaps the greatest source of resilience for most humans: other humans.”

That's what I have blogged about in plenty.  Like the quote in this post:

You can thank your grandma for making delicious pie, but who do you thank for the circumstances of your life? 

Gratitude is the truest approach to life. We did not create or fashion ourselves. We did not birth ourselves. Life is about giving, receiving, and repaying. We are receptive beings, dependent on the help of others, on their gifts and their kindness.

So, the bottom line to surviving the great pandemic winter ahead?

When the world between your two ears is as bleak as the howling winter outside, shifting your attention outward can be powerfully beneficial for your mental health. And hey, even in the dead of winter, a 15-minute awe walk outdoors is probably something you can do.