A Line from your President…
I hope you have all adjusted well to our new temporary reality. Monique and I even had to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary under house arrest. It is hard to believe that it has been less than a month since the COVID-19 alarm was sounded in San Diego County.
Since there is not much to talk about fishing wise, I would like to talk a little bit about staying safe and healthy. Though the current lock down may be driving some of us nuts, there are ways to help us preserve our health and sanity.
These are some of the recommendations for minding your mental health from Dr. Christopher Hand, a noted lecturer in psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University.
1. Build a routine: Building a 'new normal' or a routine is key. Although it might be tempting to have endless pajama days, getting up, washing, having breakfast, building a timeframe and schedule for the day is really, really crucial. 2. Avoid an information overload: Having a level of "detachment" from updates can be helpful. It is maybe a good idea to set yourself a schedule for when you are going to actually engage with updates, or when you're going to watch the news - almost going back to the traditional style of watching the 6 o'clock news rather than engaging with the 24-hour news cycle. It's about balance between your day-to-day routine and protecting yourself. 3. Don't skip exercise: Sticking with your exercise routine is "very, very important for mental health". For the jurisdictions that are allowed to go jogging, or for a walk safely, Dr. Hand recommends doing so. Alternatively, "if people have a garden, make use of it or find ways to incorporate exercise around the house". 4. Keep up contact: Whether it be through using WhatsApp, Skype or FaceTime, keeping in contact is hugely important. Keeping in contact with your social network, particularly those closest to you and indeed anyone who you're concerned about who might be vulnerable is key. 5. Keeping a healthy diet: In times of high stress, an increased degree of 'comfort eating' should be avoided, Dr. Hand suggests. "Although it can be difficult due to availability to fresh food and vegetables, it's really important that people try to eat healthily". Avoid the tendency to try and comfort-eat, and binge on bad foods. The key is to "try not lose sight of what is normal, so try and eat normally".
I hope you found these recommendations useful and you all continue to keep yourselves safe and healthy Once again the meeting for this month is canceled. We will continue to monitor any changes and will decide on a month by month basis when it will be safe to start meeting again. Monique and I are looking forward to seeing you all again, hopefully in the near future. Until then take care of yourselves.
Tony Smock President
“So Many Fish…...So Little Time”
