AFVOA Newsletter May 2020

Section 3 - Memoirs Newsletter No. 1 / 2020 P a g e 76 | 101 By now, many of you may be wondering why this old guy (aged 81) talking endlessly about himself and his daily chores. I do have a reason for my action. My current situation is the root cause for my concern for seniors and their spouses. There may not be many veterans who live by themselves like me (just one member in the household). But there are many aged veterans whose households consist of just two members. I am not afraid of coronavirus. I do not mean that I should not take any care of myself. I am more afraid of depression. Depression sets in when you languish for want of company and friends. Depression sets in when you are lonely and keep brooding. Depression sets in when anxious thoughts about imaginary events haunt your mind relentlessly. I will be dishonest if I claim that I have not passed through such critical moments in the last ten months after my wife's death. But I do honestly claim that I have managed to overcome all those psychological adversities with a fair amount of success. When normal days are crazy for you, lockdown and super lockdown make the days crazier. This is my sincere advice which has worked for me. Keep yourself occupied when you are wake. Physical work is not necessary, but good if your health permits. Engage yourself with enough activities such as reading and writing. Play some card games, solve Sudoku, play chess with computer as your partner/opponent. Do not watch soap operas on the TV and avoid movies with too many violent scenes. Good comedies are fun to watch. Bouts of laughter lower your stress. If you are not interested in religion or philosophy, why don't you learn a new language using the Internet? Do not forget exercise. Yoga is good for de-stressing. Finally, enjoy whatever you do. Then the activity is no more boring. Good luck to all of you. Staying safe is important, but not enough. Stay happy and stress-free.