Ray’s Daily
April 13, 2020
“Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. Faith looks up.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
As we all do what we can during these trying times it is not the easiest thing to do. Nancy and my wedding anniversary as well as the Easter celebration was this past weekend, and it was the first time we ever spent the time alone.
I find that living in isolation is not easy. Focusing on one day at a time and that we continue to be virus free helps. My day is also occupied with things I thought I would never do again. Yesterday I:
- Collected trash
- Ordered our upcoming meals
- Communicated with family and friends
- Sorted and stored laundry’
- Helped my wife with medicines and more.
And you know what, when I was done I was too tired to worry. Bottom line we are doing OK, we hope you are too. Don’t let this all get you down. Here are some tipes to help you minimize worry.
How to Take Care of Your Mental Health
New problems may arise as the pandemic progresses
by Michelle Crouch, AARP
As it upends normal life, COVID-19 is causing people to feel anxious, angry, frightened, frustrated and sad. All these feelings are normal during this pandemic, mental health experts say.
But as the crisis stretches on, the prolonged isolation, financial uncertainty and fears about the coronavirus will almost inevitably trigger a spike in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and substance abuse.
Notably, nearly half of Americans said the COVID-19 pandemic is already harming their mental health, in a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And almost 1 in 5 said it has had a “major impact” on their mental health.
To boost your overall outlook, psychologists recommend getting plenty of sleep, eating balanced meals, going outside if you can and staying physically active. Self-compassion is also important; acknowledging your feelings can help you cope in a healthy way.
AARP asked psychologists for tips on how to handle specific mental health challenges during this stressful time.
If anxiety about the virus is dominating your thoughts, your first step is to reduce your exposure to news and social media. Psychologists agree that a constant cycle of negative headlines is linked to anxiety and stress. “News puts your brain on alert, even if you don’t realize it,” says Jameca Woody Falconer, a licensed psychologist and faculty member at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. “I have patients who watch the news around the clock, flipping from channel to channel, and it just amps up their cortisol levels.”
Consider limiting yourself to 30 minutes a day or just checking the news once in the morning and once in the evening.
Falconer also recommends connecting regularly with friends and family members by video chat or phone. “When you’re alone with your thoughts, your anxiety can spiral,” she says.
If your anxiety is interrupting your ability to function or to perform ordinary activities like paying bills or showering, that’s a sign it’s time to consider professional help.
Most therapists across the country are offering virtual sessions, and Medicare and many private insurers have expanded their coverage to include teletherapy. Ask your primary care provider for a referral, or use the national Crisis Text Line. Texting HOME to 741741 connects you to trained volunteer crisis counselors who reply quickly and are available 24/7.
~~~
Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”
Arthur Somers Roche
~~~
These are the laws of the natural universe:
Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.
Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. AMEN .
Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal. (NOT TRUE: If you get a busy signal, then how can you ascertain if it is the right or wrong number?) .
Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law: If you change lines, the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now.
Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.
Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.
Law of Bio mechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Theater Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Murphy’s Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich of landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.
Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about.
Brown’s Law: If the shoe fits, it’s ugly.
~~~
Middle age is when work is a lot less fun and fun a lot more work.
~~~
An airliner was having engine trouble, and the pilot instructed the cabin crew to have the passengers take their seats and get prepared for an emergency landing.
A few minutes later, the pilot asked the flight attendants if everyone was buckled in and ready.
“All set back here, Captain,” came the reply. “Except the lawyers are still going around passing out business cards.”
~~~
The difference between involvement and commitment is a ham and eggs breakfast.
The hen was involved, the pig was committed.
~~~
Here is a little sign mom might want to print out and hang up on the bathroom door.
Attention Children: The Bathroom Door is Closed.
Please do not stand here and talk, whine, or ask questions. Wait until I get out.
Yes, it is locked. I want it that way. It is not broken, I am not trapped. I know I have left it unlocked, and even open at times, since you were born, because I was afraid some horrible tragedy might occur while I was in here, but it’s been 10 years and I want some PRIVACY.
Do not ask me how long I will be. I will come out when I am done.
Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.
Do not go running back to the phone yelling, “She’s in the BATHROOM!”
Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.
Do not stick your little fingers under the door and wiggle them. This was funny when you were two, but not now.
Do not slide pennies, Legos, or notes under the door. Even when you were two this got a little tiresome.
If you have followed me down the hall talking, and are still talking as you face this closed door, please turn around, walk away, and wait for me in another room. I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.
And yes, I still love you.
(signed)
Mom
~~~
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
~~~
A Texan farmer went to Australia for a vacation. There, he met an Aussie farmer. The Aussie showed off his big wheat field and the Texan said, “Oh! We have wheat fields that are at least twice as large.”
After walking around the ranch a little, the Aussie pointed out his herd of cattle. The Texan immediately said, “We have longhorns that are at least twice as large as your cows.”
When the Texan saw a herd of kangaroos hopping through the field, he asked, “And what are those?”
The Aussie, fed up with the Texan’s bragging replies with an incredulous look, “What, don’t you have any grasshoppers in Texas?”
~~~
“Worry is not about the possible troubles of the future; for if they come, you are but anticipating and adding to their weight; and if they do not come, your worry is useless; and in either case, it is weak and in vain, and a distrust of God’s providence.”
Hugh Blair
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
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