Quieting a Busy Mind

In the last gasp of 2021, Betty White died and Omicron arrived in Hong Kong. Here's how I'm coping.

It was never a question of if the Omicron variant was going to arrive in Hong Kong, but rather when. In the last thirty minutes of a truly terrible year, news broke that Betty White had died and then the kicker...after several months of no local cases, there were confirmed Omicron cases in the community.

I know I’m not alone in feeling a tremendous amount of anxiety and frustration about this fifth wave. But then again, this is the fifth time we’ve done this and I’ve learned a thing or to about how to get through.

The Daily Constitutional

“My dog walks have been a lifeline when the world is shut. It's exercise, gets me out of the house, and is often the only time I have to myself."

One thing that really works for me is walking and as we have a dog, taking a walk is something that happens at least twice daily. It's no secret that dogs are the real winners in this pandemic and the same is true for our Rufus. All his people are home and fighting over who gets to take him out. My dog walks have been a lifeline when the world is shut. It's exercise, gets me out of the house, and is all too often the only time I have to myself.

The pup and I have logged a lot of miles together over the last two years, and while sometimes the walk alone is enough to quiet my busy mind, I usually need some help. So while Rufus is busy sniffing away at every tree, fire hydrant, and sign post, I’m redirecting my thoughts with a podcast. Here are a few of my pandemic favorites:

The History Chicks

Back in the days of yore when I used to travel, I was that person who insisted on doing the walking tours in the travel guide to learn as much as possible about the history of a place. So as you can imagine, a podcast about history is right up my street! Better yet, The History Chicks, hosted by Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider, focuses exclusively on women's history. I've found a lot of inspiration and solace in learning about the lives or some truly extraordinary women. Some of my favorite subjects are Eleanor of Aquitaine, Zephyr Wright, and Empress Cixi.

Everything Is Fine

I've been a fan of Kim France's writing for a long time, from her days at the now defunct Sassy and Lucky magazines (sniff!) to her fabulous blog Girls of a Certain Age. The epitome of the cool older sister I never had, her wit and candor is second to none. So when she launched Everything is Fine, a podcast for women over 40, I just had to listen. In each episode Kim and co-host Jenn Romolini (and formerly Tally Abecassis) tackle what it means to be a middle aged woman these days. Authentic, honest, and above all funny, these ladies have some great guests and talk about it all, from serious issues to what the heck to wear! I especially liked the Jenny Lumet, Jean Godfrey-June, and Grace Bonney episodes.

Parental As Anything

Pandemic parenting has been...well...it's been a whole lot of stuff. While my boys are very resilient these aren't easy times for anyone, and like anyone, my guys have definitely had their ups and downs. I listen to a few parenting podcasts, but Maggie Dent's Parental as Anything out of Australia is by far my favorite. Mother to four grown sons, as well as a former high school teacher and counselor, Maggie Dent is a wise woman. Her podcast offers practical, realistic advice doled out with plenty of good humor. Listening to Maggie simultaneously calms me down and builds me up as her innate kindness and deep understanding of what parents and kids are going through shines through in each episode. They're all great, but those on how to help your kids during lockdown and on raising boys were especially helpful to me.

Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe out there and here's to better days ahead!