The Comfort of Routine

This post is just a personal observation about what works for me during the pandemic of COVID-19. Margan and I moved to a beautiful retirement community in October 2019 here in Altadena. It is a vibrant community with many retired professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. Perhaps the biggest draw for us was the Life Enrichment program, with lectures, films, trips to museums that were part of our routine until March of 2020.

March 2020 marked the start of social distancing which has persisted to the present and will persist in my view for quite a while longer. We are watching how our community responds to this and assisting where we can. Given that we are both infectious disease physicians and epidemiologists, we have been honored to help the community deal with what now appears to be the pandemic of the century. 

I thought about how I have personally responded to this stressful time and what I do that helps reduce my angst. What does the 24-hour day look like? So, let’s start at the end of the day. I usually turn out the light and go to sleep at 2200 (that’s 11 P.M. for you who do not use a 24-hour clock). I have read much about how good sleep routines are important for both mental and physical health and I am a believer. The alarm clock is set for 0700 and to KUSC to wake us up to classical music. Classical music is almost always on in our apartment; it is wonderful and has long been part of my routine in life.

I may not spring out of bed at 0700 but when I do, morning ablutions are followed by several things that make me feel I have accomplished something early in the day. The dishwasher is unloaded (often to Mozart or Beethoven) and coffee is made. Margan no longer drinks coffee but I find it comforting to grind the beans, smell them, then brew a pot of coffee for myself. Next, I go to read my email. Again, there is a feeling of accomplishment there and often a nice surprise from a friend or acquaintance. 

We long ago eschewed paper newspapers (a topic that can be debated at length but not here) and sat down with hot black coffee and the newspapers via my phone. We subscribe to the Washington Post and the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times so there is a lot to catch up on as I sip a few mugs of coffee. Let’s not get into the current news and politics and such today. You already know how miserable they can be but I firmly believe that a democracy requires its people to be fully informed by good journalism. There is too much horrid journalism around these days from the conspiracy theorists and such.

We both exercise for 90 plus minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. Margan uses a video that is a guide and I pace about the apartment listening to podcasts -- more information to ponder. At the end of the more aerobic part, we do some weights to keep sarcopenia at bay. On the other days, we take a walk or otherwise add some activity to keep moving. And then comes eating. 

As I had noted in an earlier post, we have taken to timed eating, with the first meal around 1200 and the second meal between 1700 and 1800. The rationale was outlined in one of my earlier blog posts. Intermittent fasting and timed eating are metabolically beneficial. The science for this is available by going to PubMed Central at the National Library of Medicine (hey, this is what taxes are for) and worthwhile reviewing. Additionally, I have lost 13 pounds since January which is also a health benefit.

After eating, my job is to clean up. Then the afternoon opens up. Nowadays we often have meetings with groups we belong to on Zoom, the video platform that has, well, zoomed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the League of Women Voters, various committees at MonteCedro, and other groups that ask us to join. While not the same as in-person meetings, seeing unmasked faces with smiles and talk and laughs is great. In between my favorite thing is to catch up with Facebook and Twitter but these can be double-edged swords that become time sinks unless one is careful. 

And this leaves reading. As an introvert, reading is a great activity. I have completed dozens of books and many, many articles from The New Yorker and The Atlantic as well as lots of other publications. In my mind, I just view these as an extension of lifelong learning that does not require a brick-and-mortar college or university. When the second meal is done, we still watch the evening news on TV as well as the PBS Newshour. Then there is time for more reading until bedtime at 1100.

Boring, you say? No. Margan and I have talks about what we have read and heard that day which are always interesting. Having a smart person to bounce ideas off and to hear another side to what has happened is wonderful. So, this is far from boring; it is continuous expansion of the mind. The brain is a wonderful organ if it is used.

Which brings me to a final thought. Maybe we are in our current predicament with this pandemic in part because people who need personal contact, the extroverts of the world, cannot help themselves when solitude intrudes. The bars and restaurants and theaters are interesting places and I have certainly enjoyed them in my lifetime. Maybe being older helps too. Being an introvert certainly helps. I feel sorry for those who are bored. For me, there is great comfort in routine.