Getting Through January
I'm sure there have been years when I've enjoyed January (January 2019 when E and I spent 3 weeks in Kenya springs to mind), but this year I'm just trying to get through it. It's the worst month of the year to be in Berlin weather-wise (it hailed today!) and it's not uncommon to go days or even weeks without seeing the sun. Plus, there's the comedown after the holidays and, ya know, the pandemic.
Up until last week, the majority of COVID cases in Germany were still delta, but our omicron wave is in full swing now and transmission is at an all-time high. E and I got our boosters last week and our lives are very low risk. This is in large part thanks to the privilege of working from home, but it's also by design.
Here's a really low stakes example of what I mean: my baby bump is still quite small, but it's grown enough in recent weeks that some of my leggings and pants don't fit comfortably anymore. I buy almost all of my clothing secondhand and I don't have a great sense of what sizes I wear because I rely on trying things on or at least holding them up to my body. Over the weekend, I thought about walking to a nearby thrift store and seeing if they have a maternity section, but I decided not to take the (admittedly low) risk of going to a physical store for something that I could easily purchase online. I enjoy buying clothes at thrift stores and I don't enjoy online shopping, but I'm happy to skip an activity I like to keep myself (and others) safer.
I mention all of this because, despite how bad the pandemic is right now and how gray and gross the weather is, I'm heartened by the fact that this is temporary. Hunkering down and letting things pass isn't fun, especially considering how often we've all had to do it since March 2020. But I feel very capable of hunkering down for a month or so and getting through January (and it's equally unappealing younger sibling, February). And I do really feel hopeful that the omicron wave will peak and pass in about that long.
This time last year, Germany was in a lockdown (which ended up lasting until June) and we had no idea when we would be eligible for our first vaccine doses. With over 70% of the German population now fully vaccinated, the situation is very different this year, and I'm grateful for that. For me, life feels much less uncertain. Even if omicron doesn't burn out as quickly as I'm hoping it will, I know that spring will come and activities will move outdoors and cases will likely decrease as a result.
I don't think I've ever looked forward to June this much, and not just because that's when the little lizard arrives. I'm so excited for Berlin's incredibly long days in late spring/early summer. I can't wait to sit on our balcony at 9pm and watch the sun set.
But first, I have to get through January.
My strategy is two-fold:
Exercise as often as possible because I know it's good for my mood. And also because I've heard that giving birth is kind of physically challenging, bit of an endurance sport - weird, right? citation needed. Joking aside, being active leading up to giving birth should help make labor and recovery more manageable.
Get outside despite the lousy weather. Last spring, my therapist and I decided that I needed to go outside every day for at least an hour each day. That was a much more pleasant prospect in April than it is in January, but setting myself concrete tasks that I can feel good about completing works really well for me. So I'm going to re-implement the hour a day outside rule.
What are you doing to get through January/February/this pandemic moment? (It's also okay to not have a strategy and just be taking it day-by-day!) Or maybe you love January and want to tell me about that? Regardless, I hope you're all staying safe and healthy.