A quick escape to the forest provides a breath of fresh air and a mental reprieve during the pandemic.
An hour's drive.
Don't tell anyone, but we took a quick drive to the forest to get out of the house. Fortunately, Iris Arts is based in an area with easy access to the solitude of mountains and forests. We filled up the car at an empty gas station, sanitized our hands, drove about an hour, and stopped at this spot. We were the only ones here. A slight breeze and the distant murmur of a river were the only things that disturbed the cool, damp stillness. The bobbing sword ferns mesmerized, the muted sounds of running water lulled, and for a while, our pent-up anxieties faded away. I guess that's what we were seeking.
The surging pandemic.
Covid-19 is spreading faster than expected. As we write this, over 99,000 Americans are known to be infected, with big cities (New York, Boston, New Orleans, Miami) seeing a dramatic increase in the number of cases. Nearly 2,000 people in the United States have died as a result of the disease. The number of cases and the death toll is expected to get much worse over the next few weeks before slowing. New pockets of infection are likely to break out as the visue continues to spread.
A glimmer of optimism.
There is a glimmer of hope that things may improve soon—at least for some locations. It is possible that the advent of warmer weather might slow the disease,as it does with other viral infections. And some recent evidence suggests that measures taken by Washington state—the first epicenter of covid-19 in the United States—are having a positive effect. By closing schools and places of work, enforcing isolation of people with the infection, tracking and quarantining contacts, and mandating social distancing of everyone else, Washington state seems to be experiencing a decrease in the rate of rise of new cases.
That would be very welcome news for Washington. If the trend continues, it could provide needed motivation to other States to persevere with similar guidelines. Clearly, everyone's life is made very challenging by the extreme measures, but following them may prevent the collapse of local health care systems. Lives would be saved of course, and more of us will get through the next 12-18 months—when a vaccine is expected to be widely available.
Natural places—an anxiety reliever?
Meanwhile, we wait, stay mostly indoors, wash our hands frequently and practice social distancing. We do get outdoors for walks and exercise and recommend—If you can safely do so—getting to natural places as well. Doing so might relieve some of the anxiety that comes with difficult times. It works for us.
But if you can't get outdoors safely, try looking at a few photos or videos of natural places—it may help.
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