{"id":4740,"date":"2020-04-16T07:05:01","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T14:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=4740"},"modified":"2020-11-12T14:19:14","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T22:19:14","slug":"on-the-bright-side-of-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2020\/writing\/on-the-bright-side-of-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Bright Side of the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"On<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s been hard to see any bright side of the Covid-19 pandemic. I suspect, like me, you\u2019ve had your world turned upside down.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope, if you live alone, you have the supports you need from friends and family. And if you have a family to care for, you have the strength to manage the demands. And for couples, living 24\/7 under the same roof means a lot of give and take. Some of you may have lost loved ones, a tragedy at any time, but now, unimaginably difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what your circumstances are, I hope you find some solace in the fact you\u2019re not alone. We’re all in this together.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert and I are managing, though I forgot to renew my driver’s license and had a major meltdown when I ruined some bread I was baking. It was silly, but not so silly, when you think of how much strain this pandemic has placed on all of us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"On<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But I try to stay positive. I\u2019m writing and gardening more. Rob\u2019s also working in the yard and he\u2019s finished carving a cedar paddle. I feel blessed to have my best friend with me during this scary time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Bright Side<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

*Families, forced to be indoors<\/strong>, are bonding in ways they hadn\u2019t imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*People are exercising their creative side<\/strong>, coming up with songs and ideas that make us laugh and make our days brighter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Many are reaching out<\/strong> to their old friends for the first time via Skype, Face Time, phone and email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*There\u2019s more home-made bread<\/strong>, as fears of low supplies have encouraged people to make their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Pets are re-discovering their owners.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Mothers and Fathers are learning more about their children<\/strong>, who\u2019ve been in day care or with grandparents while they worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Because we’re told to stay at home, we’re re-discovering the joy of freedom<\/strong>, which we\u2019d taken for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*We\u2019re learning what matters most<\/strong>: health, family, and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*And who the real heroes are<\/strong>. Not the celebrities but the health care workers, grocery clerks, and all those on the front lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*Our world is getting cleaner<\/strong>\u2014cities are less polluted; waterways are cleaner. We can see what\u2019s possible when we stop moving and consuming so much. We can have a healthier planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*We have time to appreciate Nature,<\/strong> in all its glory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"on
Pandas at Bejing Zoo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*Even the animals have calmed down<\/strong>. The pandas in the Bejing Zoo have mated for the first time in a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*And Saudi Arabia called a ceasefire with Yemen<\/strong>. Imagine if there were no more wars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Countries around the globe have united <\/strong>to fight this virus. Together, in peace, we\u2019ll overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress Management for Our Times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I used to give stress management workshops.<\/strong> Managing our stress and anxiety today is more challenging than ever. Because of the coronavirus, so much is out of our control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To manage stress, we need to control what we can<\/strong>. The more we control, the better we\u2019ll feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"On<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We can eat well, exercise in our homes, laugh, call friends and family, and tackle those to-do lists that we couldn\u2019t get to because we were too busy working, travelling, socializing, and commuting. And we can try something new, like draw with a pencil and paper, sing karaoke in our homes, dance to the radio, TV or music on our devices. Cook, bake, and read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have a loving partner, you can still get that sexual release–a great stress reducer–through self-satisfaction. Nurture yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So follow the health guidelines<\/strong>– lots of hand washing, staying at home and social distancing if you have to go out. Knowing this makes us feel better, assures us if we follow these rules, chances of staying healthy are so much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave a Comment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What about you? How are you managing? And on the bright side, do you have anything to add? Always happy to read your comments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay safe and healthy.<\/strong> Sending you a virtual hug.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s been hard to see any bright side of the Covid-19 pandemic. I suspect, like me, you\u2019ve had your world turned upside down. I hope, if you live alone, you… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[88,744,4],"tags":[609,1092,1101,78,1099,1098,1100,1021,812,5],"class_list":["post-4740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life","category-books","category-writing","tag-a-cry-from-the-deep","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid19","tag-diana-stevan","tag-epidemic","tag-pandemic","tag-stress-management","tag-sunflowers-under-fire","tag-the-rubber-fence","tag-writing-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Magnolia-blossoms.jpg?fit=2016%2C1512&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-1es","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4978,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2020\/writing\/musing-about-the-pandemic\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":0},"title":"Musing About the Pandemic","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"15 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm ending the year musing about the pandemic; it's at the forefront of my mind. Before the Covid19 pandemic, life was normal, with its ups and downs, and the freedom we took for granted. At the start of 2020, Robert and I went with friends to Ucluelet on the west\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Writing and Publishing","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ucluelet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ucluelet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ucluelet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5528,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2021\/life\/travelling-during-the-pandemic\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":1},"title":"Travelling During the Pandemic","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"6 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u043f\u043d\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I never thought we'd be travelling during the pandemic. But we did. We just got back from Toronto visiting our younger daughter, Robyn, and family. It was so wonderful seeing her, our son-in-law, and two granddaughters. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, 2019. We had a great time. Even swam\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"travelling during the pandemic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/IMG_0515-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/IMG_0515-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/IMG_0515-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/IMG_0515-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/IMG_0515-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4707,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2020\/writing\/the-milk-of-human-kindness\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":2},"title":"The Milk of Human Kindness","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"21 \u0411\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0437\u043d\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I just finished reading John Steinbeck\u2019s masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. An astounding story. Told from an omniscient point of view, the reader follows the Joad family from Oklahoma, where they lost their farm, to the promising orchards of California. It\u2019s the Great Depression, when thousands hit the road in\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"kindness","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/200px-JohnSteinbeck_TheGrapesOfWrath-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5479,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2021\/uncategorized\/the-world-revolves-around-family\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":3},"title":"The World Revolves Around Family","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"12 \u0427\u0435\u0440\u0432\u043d\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The World revolves around family, for where would we be without one? No matter the religion, the race, the culture, the sexual orientation, we've all struggled to manage the restrictions imposed because of the pandemic. Forced to work from home, or forced to be home, many have strengthened their family\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"world revolves around family","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diversity-5452364_960_720.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diversity-5452364_960_720.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diversity-5452364_960_720.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diversity-5452364_960_720.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4782,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2020\/writing\/black-white-and-brown\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":4},"title":"Black, White, and Brown","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"9 \u0427\u0435\u0440\u0432\u043d\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Black, White, and Brown - what difference does it make? It shouldn't, but it does, evidenced by all the injustice in our society and world history. Books on Racism are selling out right now. We need to understand more than ever, to make changes, to bring about justice for all.\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/racism.jpg?fit=509%2C339&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5200,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2021\/uncategorized\/staying-positive-in-grim-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":4740,"position":5},"title":"STAYING POSITIVE IN GRIM TIMES","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"25 \u0421\u0456\u0447\u043d\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I don\u2019t know about you, but it\u2019s hard staying positive in such grim times. This pandemic is taking longer to get through than most of us expected. \u00a0I\u2019m using what I know to keep my spirits up. I feel blessed in so many ways but am mindful that many don\u2019t\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"staying positive","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/walk.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/walk.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/walk.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}