Simple Pleasures
Enjoying the View in a Time of Chaos
I hated the outdoors until the pandemic. When I was a kid, my mom would send my sister and me outside to play in the hot summer sun. We had a big backyard with a trampoline and hills to roll down, but I wasn’t interested in any of that. In protest, I’d sit on the doorstep with a book or my Game Boy and wait for her to let me back in the house. But after the pandemic forced the world into lockdown, I’ve found a new appreciation and love for the outdoors.
Every Saturday, I stop by the Cultural Market across from King’s Place Mall for an empanada or pop into the Boyce Farmer’s Market for a beef bánh mì. After grabbing my food, I’d make my way to the walking trail along the waterfront and had towards the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge.
There are moments in my walk where I feel completely at peace. I’ll tilt my head towards the sun and stare at the sky. When I open my eyes, I feel like I’m seeing the world for the first time. With soft music playing in my ears and the sun on my skin, I feel alive for the first time in a long time.
These small moments of escapism are essential during a global pandemic. Simple tasks like going for a walk and grabbing some food bring a sense of normalcy back into life. Though, I’m not the only one who managed to find some light in the darkest of times. I spoke with a few friends about what helped them get through the pandemic, and here are their stories.
Puppy love
Noelle Hasselbring decided to rescue a mixed breed pomchi from a breeding facility in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, last year. The moment that she swept Gracie into her arms in January 2020, she began to cry.
“This is my baby,” she said. “She’s family now.”
Along with Gracie, Hasselbring also has a Samoyed named Biscuit and a parrot named Maui. Thanks to the pandemic, Hasselbring said she, her parents and younger sister–Holly–can give more attention to the animals, which helps with her mental health.
Hasselbring said she has seasonal depression. She forces herself to crawl out of bed in the winter because she doesn’t feel like doing anything because she’s trapped up in her house, unlike in the summertime. But Gracie provided everyday tasks, like training, that helped Hasselbring focus.
One of her favourite activities is taking Gracie on walks on the trail behind her house, which leads to the backwoods and has a good view of St. Mary’s Bay.
“I’ve been able to focus on something other than the stress of the news and having anxieties.”
Cooking connections
Black bean burgers and fajitas helped bring joy into Shanay Comeau’s pandemic life. They said the meals, along with the occasional scone or cookie, helped break their bad habit of ordering takeout. Punk, the ’70s “hippie” music, or NOFX echoes through her Halifax apartment as they cook, keeping them upbeat.
Comeau shares their food with their roommate and boyfriend, Ben Getchell. They said cooking helped bring them closer together.
“When your world becomes small, make sure you hold on to things that are always gonna be there,” they said. “You’re probably going to eat every day, so why not turn that into something that’s pleasureful or nice and that you can share with the other person’s who’s with you.”
Comeau took what was usually a task and turned it into a fun activity. Now, they take the scheduled time to prepare and meal and use cooking as a mindful practice where they feel present and in the moment.
“Having the simple pleasures brought me back to [the] reality of taking care of myself.”
Turning tasks into self-care
Soaking in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and a book is one way Tyler MaGee practices self-care. Though those activities are relaxing, what he looks forwards to the most since the pandemic began are his runs around Odell Park, Killarney Lake and Fredericton’s waterfront. He said being away from screens allows him to focus on himself.
“It’s me, myself and what I want to do, and it gets me away from the hustle and bustle of the tasks that are assigned to us daily,” MaGee said.
He said exercising used to be something he’d write down in his calendar as another task he had to complete. But now, in the middle of a pandemic, it’s something he looks forward to. He said he looks forward to going out for a run or doing yoga breaks his routine of online learning.
Whenever he feels stressed or overwhelmed, MaGee likes to go on a run, bike ride or do yoga. It’s the only activity where he can be selfish and has no commitments outside of the activity at hand. Exercising helps him get out of his head and keeps him centred.
Allowing time to self-reflect and reconnect are also why MaGee enjoys running and reading. He learned that he didn’t take care of himself as well as he thought he did in pre-pandemic life because he’d always overload his schedule. Now that he has time to relax, he appreciates having time to connect with himself.
“The silver lining for me, at least, with the pandemic is that it’s allowed me to take a step back and focus on reconnecting with myself to the extent that I can.”
