Perhaps, like me you were somewhat surprised to wake up and see 1 cm of snow in Madrid on Tuesday, a mere two days after sunbathing in shorts. To be honest, with world events being what they are, I was fully expecting to see a herd of dinosaurs stampede past my window at breakfast.

Finding it hard to concentrate on menial tasks or reading came up as a collective issue in our Area 4/5 virtual coffee this week. We´re not the only ones feeling this way. In a now viral tweet, BBC journalist Emily Maitlis admitted she was struggling to concentrate on books, too. As we try to adapt to the “new normal” way of working, interacting, increased anxiety levels and information overload, our minds are playing catch up and trying to process situations that are constantly changing. We have become adept at shifting focus quickly and now find it harder to sustain our attention on one single thing.

Experts advise us to accept the new thoughts and feelings we´re experiencing. During times of uncertainty, it´s important to take charge of the things we can control ourselves. Now is the time to indulge in restorative activities to suppress feelings such as uncertainty or loneliness which put pressure on our immune system. Our new “normal” day could include a two-minute mindfulness exercise* to focus on our own wellbeing and to establish a routine which includes healthy habits like quality sleep, exercise, self-care and some fun to look forward to at the end of the day…spoiling treat of Easter eggs or a phone call with a favourite friend.  I didn´t find any reliable scientific research on the emotional advantages of sharing one´s chocolate eggs……

Once we´ve addressed our physical and emotional wellbeing we can consider what daily activities, new or old, will whisk us away into a place where time is immaterial and flies by productively. This is where we enter into a state of flow. Experienced marathon runners enter this frame of mind where each step inevitably follows the previous one, without regard for tiredness, time or anxiety. As do those writers who hole up in the attic for hours on end, bashing out manuscripts that pour out seamlessly onto the screen from the author´s imagination. At least that´s what happens in a normal world…less so, when irritating kids are constantly interrupting you asking for yet another snack or help with their schoolwork.

Engaging in activities that produce flow, are often very rewarding, such as fashioning copious homemade masks or researching Corona charity projects, as our own unique skills are often aligned with the purpose and we experience a sense of control over the positive outcome of our achievement. Painting, knitting, board games, journaling, dancing, cooking, reading, learning a new skill are all examples of activities that can trigger a state of flow at home.  These will productively shorten your day and cocoon your mind away from the daily battle being fought on our doorsteps or that other one in your living room.

Other INC members round Madrid have spent some special moments connecting with others “face to face”, making traditional Easter Torrijas and even homemade tortillas.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter, at home, in touch with all your Easter bunnies whoever and wherever they are.

* https://www.mindful.org/a-two-minute-mindfulness-practice-to-unhijack-your-attention/

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It´s heartening to know that dark chocolate boosts the immune system with its zinc content. I reckon that I´m one chocolate bar away from turning into an AA battery at this rate.

While we´re hibernating at home in limited space the need to pamper our mind, body and soul is more acute than ever. Cooking at home allows you to retract within your cocoon away from the stress of your household, your anxious mind and world events outside your window.

You can really get into the flow of your recipe and let your imagination drift to a fun, safe place. Choose colourful and vibrant food rich in antioxidants that you can arrange artistically on the plate. When you´re feeling like company you can cook with other family members or follow an online cookery class if you´re by yourself. Food brings us together and is wonderful for boosting morale. Napoleon famously said that an army marches on its stomach. His own military was instructed to transport loads of heavy wine. They also had to forage for food which I rather suspect was a euphemism for looting. Send me photos of any of the culinary creations that have fed your body and soul during these times.

Last Tuesday I had a wonderful time singing Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds with over 500 other Sofa Singers from Argentina to Australia. This was very much food for my soul because music accesses more parts of the brain than almost any other activity. As humans, we have evolved to be a species that actually wants to be in communication with people and right now we are seeing that music is the perfect vehicle for connecting and pop-up choirs are forming on balconies all over the world. The next session is at 8.30 pm on Tuesday 31^st March. Registration opens at 7.30 pm on Monday 30^th and sells out almost immediately. https://www.thesofasingers.com/

My brain is usually on overdrive (fixated on my next chocolate remedy) at the best of times but this week I discovered how to quieten it for 15 minutes with online yoga sensation, Adriene, who offers this wonderful free meditation to provide relief from stress. Perfect for beginners, I was truly floating following her Meditation for Anxiety on an imaginary flying carpet and woke up right in front of the chocolate cupboard. This is a must for meditation cynics in these disconcerting times. https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

This week Area 2/3 enjoyed their first virtual coffee. First prize goes to our President, Eleanor for showing off the most alluring background. Soon we will all be wearing hats as we all start to show our true (hair) colours. Humans are expert at adapting to our environments and INC is no exception.

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Chocolate is still plentiful so morale is bearing up nicely. Apparently, we are now only allowed to shop in our area which may put perturbing pressure on my Lindt addiction as Aldi doesn´t stock it. Rationing one´s supermarket groceries so that they last two weeks has generated much creativity in our kitchen as I am sure it has in yours.  One single portion of minced meat can now feed my whole family when mixed with black beans and frozen spinach, wrapped up snuggly in flour tortillas and submerged under tinned tomatoes with sautéed carrot and onion. Adding a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of chipotle flakes makes for some deliciously nutritious burritos.

Frustration and loneliness trigger stress responses in our body which put pressure on our immune system. So, over the coming weeks I shall be providing some tips on how best to boost our body´s defenses. One simple way is to eat plenty of foods rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies which can be all found in tins. Other sources include chia seeds, hemp and flax seeds. I love inflating chia seeds in water or milk flavoured with banana or orange blossom water (agua de azahar) which is so common in Spanish puddings and readily available in all supermarkets. Should you be wanting to treat yourself to an immune bolstering Saturday night you´ll have the perfect excuse to order some Omega 3-rich salmon, oysters and caviar online. If anyone at home baulks at the 25,000USD per kilo price tag of Alma´s White Beluga you can merely reply “But honey, I´m just trying to keep us all healthy” ………..or alternatively plump for salty fish roe.  

Adversity often gives rise to positivity and here is one such free initiative which I am sure will continue well after the Corona virus is over. The Sofa Singers brings hundreds of people from around the world to “spark joy and human connection”. Every week you can tune in to sing a well-known song followed by a virtual collective tea break. Now, as some of you will know, in Spain there´s a saying that says “si cantas mal va a llover” (If you sing badly it´ll start raining), which is an allusion to frogs who croak before rainfall. Fortunately, as a Sofa Singer, no one will hear your individual “melody” so you can warble away anxiety and monsoon-free. The next session is at 8.30 pm (Spanish time) on Tuesday 24^th March. Registration opens 8.30 pm on Monday 23^rd March. Details at the end of the article on how to download zoom. They are hoping to livestream on YouTube too.

https://www.thesofasingers.net/

In the meantime, here is Area 5 member, Cris Barbi´s cheery suggestion for breakfast. Send me your ideas to uplift the spirit and let´s remember to contact those in our Areas who are in confinement by themselves at this time.

Editor’s Note:

The video conference platform zoom downloads automatically by clicking here:

https://zoom.us/support/download

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Recent world events have given me plenty of food for thought so I shall be sharing a few musings from my own perspective on life this week.

People react to Government announcements in a myriad different ways. The day before the schools were closed saw thousands of Madrid residents clearing the shelves of toilet paper. This caused much amusement in my daughter´s school as I was at the school gates early requesting the key to the school library to thereby divest the shelves of books for my children. Whilst most people were concerned about food and toiletry shortages, my primary objective was to combat boredom and family cabin fever by ensuring everyone had plenty of books. As opposed to glueing ourselves to a virtual tour of the Uffizi or the Prado, our selection of reading material will transport us to the nether regions of our imaginations where there is endless fun to be had on tap.

Don´t get me wrong….I will still be keeping up with my British TV drama series of an evening but we’ll also be listening to varied podcasts where we can visualise the adventures for ourselves rather than have a screen to do all that for us. I recommend these dramas from BBB Radio 4 where you can listen for free to dramatised broadcasts ranging from James Bond to political thrillers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xxp0g/episodes/player

I am officially defective when it comes to manual dexterity but fortunately I persuaded my 7 year old daughter to exercise some artistic talent of her own and make her very own diary to document events. Thus granting Mummy some peace and quiet for a two hours.

Thank goodness British package holiday airlines have been turned back mid-air and the Spanish health system on the costas can focus on looking after the sick as opposed to my drunken compatriots roving the streets in search of cheap beer.

Whilst we hunker down en famille, let us remember to keep in contact with those who live alone…especially our single or widowed friends and other INC members who maybe feeling the lonely effects of self-isolation more acutely than ourselves.

Let me know how you´re getting on. Till next time……

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