Breathing deeply, bird watching and running in the fog to deal with Elections and Covid-19 in Guyana

Image from Meshach Pierre

"I like the rain.. the other morning in the fog, man.. I enjoyed running in the fog" one man shared. He has not needed therapy or mental health medications the last few months.

My sleep has been affected. Short term memory is also a problem, with impotence and other physical ailments. I think I am doing well despite Elections 2020 and Covid-19. I explained though that the Elections and Covid-19 are like the sun, always there, even if you stand in a shade you can still feel heat. 

Meshach Pierre and Rae Wiltshire agreed to do a zoom conversation on mental health. We had written a blog when all this started in March.

Other people joined us to talk.  We talked longer than we intended. We talked about the how the elections has put a strain on personal relationships - family. Of having to avoid people or having conversations with people who are deeply committed to their political parties.
"My depression comes when I realise that people are only politcal, they not interested in organising to fix other things which the politicians will not do'

We talked about how the limited movement with Covid has created more tensions. 'No getting away to the interior or somewhere different' .. 'my home was the place to relax, other places were for work, and for exercise .. now doing all in the same space is difficult'

Some of us realise the triggers which send us into the spiral, others can't be sure. Not feeling energy, not wanting to talk to anyone, mind racing with different things. "When it rains for long periods, I need to see and feel the sun" one person said. Weather changes, especially up in the winter countries impact on mental health and wellness.

We talked about not feeling bad, about the bad times which will happen. And not being impatient with ourselves during the down time, and being self aware as we get through

Breathing deeply
"Sometimes I think I am so busy, I forget to breathe.. so now I am learning to stop and breathe deeply.. I look at those videos you share'...one person shared.

I have started to do more deep breathing as well. Especially when after reading some comments on social media or some face to face encounters in real life which could trigger a spiral.

Deep breathing, mindfully is good to centre and ground yourself.  Breathe in , hold for a count of 5 or how long you want without getting dizzy, and exhale slowly.. and do as long and as often as you want to.

Running, yoga, movement

We talked about exercise, running, yoga.. about moving, even when we don't feel the energy. We talked about not-overdoing it .  I know I want to move more. That some days I go on the floor, to get moving and then get up without doing anything. Other times I have found that , once I get started, it is easy to move from one pose to another.

'Sometimes you gotta fake yourself.. say arite, get up.. go do the exercises, then you will come back to bed.. but once you do it and get moving, no need to get back on the bed'

'I need the yoga class.. I like being in the social space to exercise.. and so we have to know what we like.. with gyms, classes closed, how to find community to exercise, or to follow the youtube videos and classes.

"I took a drive to meet a friend, and then we went for a walk.. that was random, nice'
'My mother and I go for a walk in the afternoon.. she also getting into the exercise thing'.. so exercise and movement can be going for a walk.


Bird watching, cooking new recipes, wood carving
"There are about 50 species of birds coming through my back yard" the bird man said. We talked about birds , about the importance of green spaces and finding them. "I like sitting at the back in the late afernoon, doing nothing while the sun setting.. I like the red headed woodpecker'. 

We talked about birds, other animals... the crabdog and looking for them in these times. About communicating with pets now.

Gardening is good for many people, though not for me .  I had an idea though that I would pay more attention to the birds.

We talked about being creative, and doing new things now. 'I got into wood carving' , 'I learn to cook roti.. from youtube'.. , cooking new recipes, sometimes not with fancy things .

Creating without community is not the same - so thinking of ways to create in virtual community. 'I joined a virtual writing class, it has been wonderful.. I have been busy'

Avoiding people, reaching out to people
"Days , weeks would go by, I don't want to talk to anybody.. then at the end of the phase, I send a message, might meet up even for a short time, and feel good after"
We talked about being able to identify people who are helpfu.. with 'good energy', and about avoiding people whose energy and behaviour make us feel bad.

We talked about social media, and how browsing the timeline on Facebook could create stress. We talked about whether Instagram was better than Facebook,, one person was no longer on Facebook, but liked Instagram for the common interests and less of the commenting and putting down. "I practice Internet hygiene" one person said

We talked about how in the time of social isolation, social media could provide connection while at the same time , generate more mental health problems...

I have been unfollowing and unfriending on facebook, hiding posts from people. And also forming nurturing connections, even temporary ones, with others.

So we talked.. and we felt good about talking "I am glad to get these things off my chest.. "


Resources

• Yoga with Adrienne is a good  channel to guide a yoga practice
• Carlotta Boodie-Walcott does a 730am Monday to Friday Breathing Rx on Facebook 
• The Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre hosts online yoga classes
• Merlin Bird ID is a good app to identify birds in your backyard
• A letter writer in Stabroek News shared about mental health apps