Mom’s secrets to thriving during pandemic

My 79-year old mom lives alone in Wuhan.

When the lockdown started there, it didn’t matter that my sister lives close by. Nobody was allowed to leave their apartments except to pick up groceries in their own gated communities. The gates to outside world were guarded and locked.

The social isolation, the monotony of dietary choices, the lack of activities was much more severe over there than what most of us in the western world are experiencing.

Throughout the pandemic when she scantly saw a soul for 70-some days, Mom stayed upbeat. Her voice was loud. Her spirit was joyful.

Here’s how she did it.

1. She kept up her daily routine as much as possible.
   For decades she’s been up around 4:30am every day. The first thing she does after attending to her morning hygiene is to mop the floor of her apartment. She does it the old fashioned way:with a bucket of water and a shredded cloth mop on a wooden stick.Nobody came in & out of her apartment. There was not much dust. Certainly whatever there was didn’t warrant the floor being mopped everyday.Yet she stubbornly and proudly carried on throughout the lockdown.She also cooked and ate her daily three meals right on schedule.
2. She kept her exercise regimen.
   Before the lockdown Mom walked around the lake outside her community every day. When my father was alive they took a walk twice a day.When the lockdown first started she stopped walking.Pretty soon she figured out that she could walk inside her little 800-square feet apartment.She walked the floor of the apartment, from the living room to the master-bedroom to the small bedroom, before returning to the living room.She would walk twice a day for 30 minutes each, swinging her arms as if she was outside by the lake.
3. She kept her brain sharp by learning songs.
   Mom’s been in a senior’s choir for the past 15 years. A few years ago she learned to read simplified music notes.Even though her choir wasn’t getting together, every day after breakfast she went through her binders of songs to learn something new.

All those little things add up.

It’s been a blessing to me and my sister that Mom handled the lockdown like a pro! I’m sure it was harder than it looked, something I’ll explore in the following months.

What have you done that kept you healthy and vibrant during the past 6 months? Share with me in the comment section below.

PS: You can still join my FREE 9-day de-stress challenge in the next three days. The door closes on Saturday 9/19 midnight. The challenge starts on Sunday 6am EST. Check here to enroll.