5 phases of wellness
Finding joy during a global pandemic is a multi-phased process. What initially felt like short-term circumstances in March evolved into a new way of life. “Zoom” became a verb, masks became a fashion accessory and the idea of wellness seemed hollow compared to the immediate need for toilet paper. My generally optimistic outlook was stretched thin as life shrank to the size of my laptop screen and days were marked in numbers of dog walks. Reflecting on 2020, it’s been cathartic to define the 5 Phases of my path to Wellness.
The Sourdough Starter Phase I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea, but families everywhere found themselves with a jar of bubbling, fermenting paste that aspired to morph into a crusty loaf of bread. My husband left this in our fridge as he departed for the week with cryptic instructions to “feed it.” Normally, the thought of feeding anything makes my Jewish mom-heart beat a little faster. But, I simply couldn’t find it in me to love the sour-smelling substance rotting in a corner of my fridge. So I didn’t, and that stage ended shortly after that.
The Baking Phase My guilty pleasure is finding gooey recipes and storing them in a folder “for later.” But now, I found myself actually adding ingredients to my shopping list. Perhaps it was the Springtime scarcity of baking supplies that motivated me to dust off my baking pans and test out some of my favorite “for later” recipes: Brown Butter Brownies, Italian Lemon Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate Chip Blondies. But after a few weeks of indulging, I purposefully moved on to the next stage.
The Ice Cream Phase As the weather warmed and work from home continued, I sweltered in my office, running a filter for the wildfire smoke. Craving cooling comfort, I shook the dust bunnies off my ice cream maker and did a deep dive into simple syrups, cream, and vanilla beans. A couple of lows (basil ice cream tasted exactly as it sounds--interesting) turned into delight as I discovered the joys of five-ingredient vanilla or sweet/tart pineapple buttermilk sorbet. Sadly, the synergy of stages 2 and 3 soon led to stage 4.
The Zoom Exercise Class Phase I knew it was time to shake off the sugar once my Athleisure attire started to fit differently. So I dabbled in online Cardio Dance, HIIT, and Plyometrics. I dragged my weight set and iPad outside and sweated in my backyard, rediscovering the joy of movement and feeling stronger. As the weather cooled and mornings became damp, I began to yearn for stage 5.
The Soup Phase Few things are more satisfying than seasonal soups as the days chill and darken. I dug out a Fall favorite, Carrot Ginger Soup, savored Potato and Pasta Soup, and rolled up my sleeves for homemade meatballs in Italian Wedding Soup. My husband accused me of hoarding as I tucked away a portion of each in the freezer to warm me up on lonely winter nights while he’s away.
With a vaccine on the horizon, there is hope that my next phase will involve reunions with family and loved ones. In the meantime, reflections on what helped me this year might create a blueprint for coping with inevitable future crises. As much as I wish I could have bypassed the sugar binges, each phase nurtured something necessary to my process. The bottom line is that for me, Wellness requires adapting to my circumstances and finding joy in every phase.