We are less aware of the lingering health problems that COVID-19 continues to inflict on many survivors. We hear about them, but they are not in the official register. Hopefully, somebody in the country’s health system is collecting data on so-called “long COVID” sufferers.
Beyond avoiding places and occasions where the virus lurks, we find ourselves trying out various regimens that help us deal with boredom, psychosomatic pains, and creeping depression. The point is to find a way of living under these dismal circumstances without being overwhelmed by nagging existential questions.
From Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and author , I have learned the whole purpose behind slowing down. It is, first of all, to allow us, literally, to catch our breath, to feel the life-giving gift of every single breath, and, in thus slowing down, to help us perceive and appreciate the seen but unnoticed things that surround us.