I wanted to share the inspiring email that my older brother Laurence shared with his company on Friday. Laurence is my best friend and is so practical and grounded. I found his advice so sweet, simple, sage, safe, and sincere. My fervent hope is that just one of you finds one piece of advice to connect with. If more than one of you is helped in any small way, I will be more than elated.
I wish you a salubrious Sunday in the midst of the storm.
We will persevere – we can, we will – together – with unity and equanimity.
Regards,
Andy
P.S. Here is my brother’s email in its entirety.
Subject: Reflections
Good morning.
I know that this week was a tough week between working remotely and hearing so many different stories about what is going on in the world with the Coronavirus. I would like to ask that everyone take the weekend to relax, recharge, and catch up from a busy work-week. We will get through this, but our minds need some time to be distracted from the situation, and find a way to find some peace and calm.
A few tips from my experience:
*Anxiety & Stress Reduction – please do not stress over rumors that various people share – frequently they are not true, and the only thing that these do is create more stress in our lives. If you hear anything, ask if this a fact or just a rumor. Please focus on the things that are still important for you like family, friends, and pets, if any.
*Sleep – get plenty of sleep – our bodies need a full night’s rest and the weekend is the perfect time to catch up. Go to bed early if you can and let your body replenish itself. We need the extra energy in these times.
*Exercise and Diet – although it is tempting to treat ourselves when you are working from home, please try to eat as healthy as possible and take some time to do some exercise, even if it is just walking outside for a bit of fresh air. Try to keep fruits and vegetables around since we need as many vitamins in our body as possible.
*Meditation – it is good to take deep breathes, and perhaps look for some good meditation podcasts, videos, or apps to find ways to find inner peace even if you just take a few minutes a day for this.
*News – try not to watch too much news. The world will go on whether you watch the news or not, but from an expert news-watcher, I can tell you watching the tv news with 100% Coronavirus coverage is very unsettling. I recommend catching up on movies, old tv shows, and other non-news shows. Personally, I have been watching Love Boat, Columbo, and Mary Tyler Moore, among other old shows. If you want to reach farther back, Netflix has Leave it to Beaver, which is still a great show.
*Hobbies – if you have any hobbies that you can focus on, try to spend some time on these. If you don’t have hobbies, perhaps grab a good book and be transported to another world of an author’s creation.
Good luck this weekend and I hope that everyone can recharge themselves so they will be fresh for Monday.
Regards
Laurence
