this pandemic has really added another
layer of anxiety for everyone and
especially for folks like myself who
have compromised mobility and
respiratory muscles so yes it is a bit
terrifying and I've been in the house
for about two months which is not really
that atypical since in the window the
winter months
I generally wait it out because of the
thick old weather and climate especially
living here in the Northeast where one
day it'd be slick and rainy I see and
another day it's dry as a bone and sunny
so I'm used to waiting it out this layer
and level of heightened anxiety and
definitely it's a game changer as it is
for everyone but with the civility inter
sighs another layer and level of
dimension that we have to fold into our
our new normal because this is changing
things drastically
how it's impacting me on a daily basis
is things like delayed grocery delivery
and PCA services because it's also
affected my personal care attendant who
has become sick and has not been able to
hang out with me and help me out for
close to a month now so just ways like
that really put a damper on things and
delays things in in in you know
different ways for people with
disabilities
what I like people who are non-disabled
to know is just to try to think beyond
the box of self and the single lens this
is the collective lens and a lot of
people who live with marginalized
identities and have high risk factors
just be mindful of that that you are
asymptomatic and you're going around and
about your day but you could in fact be
a carrier and in fact someone who
doesn't have that choice so be mindful
of that and consider it and adhere to
all the CDC guidelines that would be
very helpful and stay home when you know
you know you're otherwise supposed to
and go out only when necessary so that
would be very helpful some of the ways
that I have been coping with staying
indoors even more is that sticking to a
routine getting up in the morning you
know completing my bathrobe business and
then making my bed and then I go over to
the window slide it open take a big gulp
of crisp fresh air and I find that that
helps my mood and my mental health and I
said it sets the tone for the day I also
work in a little gratitude prayer
because I feel like that's important and
what I'm really getting kind of you know
overly anxious or too nervous about
what's going on today I lean on to the
sage advice my dad always gave me don't
worry about things that you cannot
control and I find that that's very
helpful because it is out of our hands
and the things that we can control then
do that washing your hands making sure
that you're mindful of Cole's coming in
and out or limiting visitations and
things like that I am grateful that I do
have helping you by my my my mom and my
sister live nearby my daughter is not
that far away from me and also even in
my own household it's just me and my
partner so whenever they are you
come home from work or whatever and I
need something done you know that gets
taken care of so those are things and
considerations that keep me at an even
keel and you know my anxiety at bay
that's important
I'll just take a day by day because we
can get through this we can get through
this together
I can make it through it you can make it
through we can do it together and we
just have to think about that