Making light of the red light

Ilike to zig when others zag; not to do what the crowd is doing. So this week, among the despondency and fatalism of fresh restrictions imposed from on high, I went looking for positive ways to keep calm and carry on. Try mental time travel. The psychological literature often depicts this as negative, because people dwell on what could go wrong rather than enjoying the anticipation. In travel, anticipation is often half the fun.

Here’s how it works. Project yourself to a place you have been and enjoyed (or you’d like to go). Recall a happy-times trip you took when younger, and reimagine the journey now. Take your time about it; see yourself doing new things there.

It’s perfectly respectable. The New York Times is publishing pictorial spreads and videos to enable people to go to places without leaving home, and some destinations are doing the same. You get the experience without the hassles of packing and actually leaving the house. We used to call this fantasising, and before that it was daydreaming.

In the unlikely event that I ever won millions in Lotto, I would take several long cruises and be prepared to stay away from New Zealand until there was no MIQ system to worry about. So, work out where you’d go and refresh your mental plans each week. That’ll get you through the winter.

Secondly, take the advice of Speaker Trevor Mallard, and stock up on essentials in case you have to isolate.

An acquaintance told me that when she heard last Sunday that there was to be an announcement from the prime minister that morning, she leapt out of bed and headed to the supermarket to buy toilet paper. The shelves were bare at the first place she visited, but there was plenty at the second place. Suitably stocked, she then went to the bottle shop and bought gin. ‘‘I’ve got my essential supplies,’’ she told me this week.

Roman emperors used panem et circenses – bread and circuses – to keep the masses quiet. The ‘‘circuses’’ – sporting events, theatre and other cultural pursuits – are rapidly being crossed off the calendar and even bread (metaphorically) is looking dubious.

Empty spaces on supermarket shelves are now an everyday occurrence. No Panadol or ibuprofen at my local this week. Last week I wanted white wine vinegar. Sorry, out of stock, said the sign. There are heaps more examples.

Check in on your mental health. One in four New Zealanders will suffer some sort of mental health disorder in their lifetimes, according to the Health Promotion Agency. More and more of us are suffering from pandemic-induced conditions.

The HPA has some useful microtools to counter these in its Small Steps programme, including deep breathing, mindfulness and other exercises. The programme has had more than 200,000 downloads in seven months.

Make small changes to the way you do things. I have decided to wear a tie out somewhere each week, simply because I don’t normally do that. Ties add colour and excitement to the male wardrobe.

Revive stuff from the first lockdown: bake, sew, cook, repair, renovate, read and crochet. They may all help. Working from home is known to boost productivity, so comfort yourself with that.

Of course, we must get booster shots, wear masks, be kind, and hope for the best. She who issues the orders has our best interests at heart and, remember, is making her own sacrifices too.