2020 was good riddance for most people. Key lessons learned from last year were: Do not take things for granted; be grateful for what we’ve got, particularly our health; and celebrate our resilience.
With the arrival in Canada of at least three COVID vaccines this year, there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, we’ve got to be prepared that most of 2021 will be a continuation of 2020 – we will still be in self-isolation for at least the first quarter of this year. In fact, based on the latest number of new cases, the next 60 days are probably going to be terrible before COVID cases in Ontario and Quebec – the nation’s two most populous provinces – reach their zenith. Based on the vaccine priorities categorized by the Public Health Authority of Canada, most boomers should have been vaccinated by the end of the second quarter or early summer. And the Prime Minister reconfirmed today that by September, every Canadian who wants a vaccination will have received one.
But until our neighbours down south and other countries around the world get the COVID-19 crisis under control, we in Canada will not be totally safe. So I predict that I will not be travelling probably until the end of the first quarter of 2022 when the pandemic is hopefully over, once and for all. So my three New Year resolutions are simple: (1) Stay healthy and safe; (2) Continue with self-improvement; and (3) Explore new enjoyment in life under continuing challenging circumstances.
Staying Healthy and Safe
Until we all get two jabs in our arms, we are one another’s vaccine and we need to continue with our personal sacrifices – no social gatherings; try to stay at home and only go out for essential tasks; wear a face mask for an indefinite period of time even after we’ve been vaccinated; keep six-foot physical distance from one another; and wash our hands frequently.
For us boomers, it is particularly important to build in some physical exercise into our daily regimen. While walking outside could be tough in the winter months, try to enrol in some yoga or exercise course online or via Zoom. Gyms in condo buildings are allowed to open with capacity restrictions so jogging or running on the treadmill will help relieve stress and anxiety as well as boost our immune system.
Continue With Self Improvement
By now we should be quite used to self-isolation albeit fatigued. For retired boomers, reading more books, watching more documentaries or learning new skills could all be hobbies that we’ve picked up last year during our lockdowns. So the continuous pursuit of these pastimes during the darkest of pandemic days we are experiencing now would just make sense.
A year from now when the pandemic is finally over, we want to look back and remember that at least something good has come out of this horrible confinement. For me, I’ve enrolled with the University of Alberta on a free 12-week online course, “Indigenous Canada,” which offers a broad perspective on the history and culture of our indigenous people. As an immigrant who did not have any background on this subject, I find the course enlightening and inspiring. Five more weeks to go and I will be completing the entire course.
For those of us who kept complaining in the past that we did not have time to read, we now have the luxury of time to consume as many books as we want. As an avid reader myself, I have recently started with three new books simultaneously on my Kindle e-reader – Obama’s new memoir, “The Promised Land,” budding novelist Ashley Audrain’s psychological thriller about motherhood, “The Push,” and Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s “Keep Sharp: Build A Better Brain At Any Age.”
According to Dr. Gupta, a practising neurosurgeon for 20 years as well as beingCNN’s chief medical correspondent, the act of learning new things, the act of experiencing something new, or even doing something that’s typical for you, but in a different way, can all generate new brain cells. He said these new learnings and new activities, something that gets you out of your new comfort zone will help you build new things within your brain, new destinations within your brain, new paths throughout your brain. Learning a new language, for example, can not only sharpen your mental acumen, but can be very useful when you start travelling after the virus has been defeated. There are many online apps which offer a variety of foreign languages, but I have been a loyal fan of Duolingo for many years now. Even though I have been upgrading and practising my Spanish on this app, I can easily switch to French or Italian should I have more time.
If languages are not your forte, try learn how to play chess. According to CNN, millions of new fans have flocked to chess.com for games, lessons and puzzles, after watching the Netflix TV drama “The Queen’s Gambit”. In a chaotic year when the outside world can seem threatening, the stability and intimacy of a chess game can provide a welcome escape. A record 62 million households watched “The Queen’s Gambit” in its launch month of October 2020. In the first three weeks after its debut, sales of chess sets went up by 87 percent in the US and sales of books about chess leaped 603 percent, according to marketing research company NPD Group.
Explore New Enjoyment In Life
In his interview with NPR, Dr. Sanjay Gupta also pointed out that a healthy brain is not only measured by the basic critical functions of being able to get you through your day or the activities of daily living, but it’s really about your happiness and how much joy you have. If you’re really treating the brain right, the brain should be creating the most positive living experience you can have from the things that get you through the day.
During the pandemic when we’re in self isolation and not being able to see our friends and loved ones in person, it’s easy to sink into an abyss of sadness and depression. Instead, try to look at the world like the late Gloria Vanderbilt who famously said, “To be in love with a person is ideal, but you can be in love with a flower, a tree, an idea. Just waking up in the morning.”
With this attitude in mind, try to find out during these challenging times, what can add joy to your daily life? For some, it could be showing empathy to a friend or checking in on a relative. For others, it could be baking or cooking. Others could find solace in talking to strangers on Quarantine Chat. For me as a cinephile, it’s watching inspiring movies on Netflix or other streaming platforms; discovering and enjoying new music such as Buddy Guy’s rich collection of blues albums throughout his long career or downloading Barry Gibb’s brand-new album that drops today, “Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, Vol. 1;” walking outdoors safely with a friend; and hosting or participating in numerous Zoom cocktails and virtual soirées to be in touch with friends from around the world.
During adverse times, expressing our gratitude and counting our blessings will shift our attention from what’s negative to what’s positive in our lives. Happy, healthy new year to you all and stay safe!