One of the side effects of COVID for me was gaining weight as my lifestyle during the seclusion became very sedentary. Most days, I grabbed a cup of coffee and started to work in pajamas all day. Since I did not have any make-up and hair done, I attended all my meetings audio-only. By the time I finished working, I did not want to do anything but eat dinner, watch YouTube and go to bed.
But during the last holiday season, I finally had more chances to get together with my friends. And when I got tagged in many Facebook photos, I could not believe what I saw – an aging woman with bulging mid-sections with a face so round and full like a squirrel getting ready for winter.
So, since this year’s beginning, I have been on a mission to get into shape. I started walking for 10 minutes a day and eating a balanced meal daily – a fundamental approach to losing weight. One thing I added to the program was to weigh myself every day.
At first, I dreaded hopping on the scale every day to see the BMI clearing showing how overweight I was. But when I saw the weight going down a few ounces here and there, I was somewhat looking forward to the daily ritual. And I learned that when I ate fat and salt-loaded meals like creamy fettuccine, I gained one pound quickly the next day. To recover from the damage, I would eat healthy salad and protein for the next two to three days to return to the weight.
After the daily eating adjustments based on the weight measurement and the walking, I lost 15 pounds and became lighter than before COVID. I feel healthier and more energetic than before.
And it dawned on me. Has my mind also become out of shape like my body during COVID? If I had a scale for mind and spirit, my mind would be in the obsessed category. I had many stressful situations at work and with family last two years. When things did not go well, I took them personally and chastised myself for incompetency. My confidence level has been ultimately low in my career. All the negative feelings I imposed on myself must weigh tons on my poor heart.
My body weight is under control. Now I am on a mission to shape my mind loaded with stressful, negative memories of the past. Every day, I must hop on an emotional scale to check my state of mind. If I had an intake of negative feelings that day, I must pour more compassion and love into myself. Day by day, I gain more healthy, positive emotions and lose negative ones and will eventually recover a healthy, happy mind before COVID.
Learn to Live 