On the Lighter Side: when it all becomes too overwhelming
I think we have all felt the anxiety that comes with watching the pandemic spread across the globe at a rapid rate and with no respite. Many of us choose not to watch the daily death toll rise, or indeed, we choose to switch off social media or news reports. So how do we mitigate the negativity around this and cheer ourselves up?
Human nature often turns to sport, friends, humour, and so on, in an effort to avoid the darkness of a situation. And this by no means demeans anything or anyone, but simply provides a light escape for a moment or three to enjoy a few “lighter side” moments of temporary relief. Anecdotes playing on words (ask me, as a former journalist, I can tell you) or tongue-in-cheek narratives sometimes lighten our spirits and bring a smile to the proverbial dial, a short distraction that creates new conversation. This morning I experienced just this. Have you ever encountered that dreaded moment when your phone suddenly does not open WhatsApp, indeed, it indicates that it “cannot install WhatsApp”… you know that feeling of impending doom when your stomach turns and you break into a sweat…
Well, according to the “Lockdown lingo” I received, today I indeed experienced an “emotional coronacoaster” as my mood fluctuated from happiness to finding myself weepy and anxious! The diagnosis was clear: the phone had coronaphona and I had coronaphona phobia! Whew, ok, after managing to sort it all out, I felt I needed a Ribena quarantini although it was not nearly “locktail” hour (the “Boeing had not yet gone over”) and indeed only “wine o’clock”! To calm my shattered nerves I immediately organized a Zoom videoconference with a friend who sweetly asked me whether I had a “lockdown lounge” because the messy house was visible in the background and she was in full view of Chilli, Vlekkie and Sammy’s enrichment activities and doggie toys strewn everywhere. Arghghghgh!
Well, the day had started on a much more positive note. Hubbie and I had done the Joe Wicks live exercise video stream on YouTube which has made us fitter and stronger as the Body Coach sets us through our paces with burpees, starjumps, mountain climbing, press ups, whooooohoooo! There is nothing like working out to leave one feeling happy, motivated, and ready to face the day with gusto and enthusiasm. Oh… and it helps prevent “Covid-19” – you know those nasty 10lbs in weight that are so easy to gain from comfort eating, otherwise known as “fattening the curve.” Click here to view “On the Lighter Side” and if you have any light lingo to add, feel free to share them via the comments box below. Let’s face it, we could all do with a bit of the lighter side of life these days.
Cheers!
Charlene
Charlene Lamb is a strategic communications professional and has enjoyed an illustrious career in the corporate world before steering her public relations consultancy in South Africa and the United Kingdom. She also enjoyed an exciting time as a journalist in the United States, interviewing many famous personalities. She is married and has three energetic fur babies: her Jack Russells, Chilli, Vlekkie and Sammy and is passionate about primates and the welfare of animals.
