Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Fall 2020 - 18

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Wellness Wisdom

Keeping a Positive Attitude While
Staying (COVID-19) Negative
By Joan E. London, Esquire

O

n March 19, 2020, all nonessential businesses were closed,
and Berks County remained on
a stay-at-home order until June 5. As we
tried to protect our clients' interests and
keep our practices intact and on-track as
we worked from our homes, these became
a part of the backdrop of our lives:
*	"Quarantine Recipes" for cookies,
comfort foods, and cocktails on every
channel that wasn't the news - and
sometimes during the news.
*	The new dress code: Sweatpants or
pajamas. All that mattered was what
could be seen in Zoom meetings.
Shower optional.

wonderful park and trail system of the
Borough of Wyomissing, which provides
a safe place to walk and run. I'm glad I
availed myself of it: It was a big relief in
May when I went to my first in-person
township meeting since the lockdown,
that I still fit into my business suit. My
exact words to Walt, as I grabbed a mask
and headed out the door, were: "I feel like
a dignified lawyer again."
Members of our Wellness Committee
tell their stories of how they, with
members of their households, stayed
physically and mentally fit in the age of
social distancing.

*	Becoming simultaneously a tech
troubleshooter, chef, and school
principal - without the degree in
computer science, home economics, or
education.
*	Gyms closed. Takeout food plentiful.
Not the best combination for staying
on track with a fitness routine...
The pandemic has created a uniquely
stressful situation, compounding our
already hectic lives. In addition to our role
as lawyers, many of us are parents, spouses/
partners, employees, and/or employers,
all with their own sets of responsibilities.
Often, exercise time, whether its going
to the gym, or to spin or Zumba class, is
that precious "me" time that we have for
self-care. With gyms closed, and classes
cancelled, it may not have been easy to
find that time. I am fortunate enough
to live within close proximity to the
18 | Berks Barrister

Jennifer and Dan Nevins
"Running is not cancelled."
Despite the cancellation of all
organized sports and the closure of gyms,
the Nevins family prioritized daily outdoor
exercise during the lockdown. Dan and
I began a running streak that remains
unbroken, with each of us running at
least 3 miles every day since mid-March.
We logged our miles early each morning
before logging on our computers to

begin our remote
workday. Every
other day, one or
both of us ran
another few miles
with our son,
Sam, in the early
evening before
dinner (he became
a teenager this
summer and as
is typical of that
stage in life, he is
not an early riser!).
On one of my favorite quarantine runs, all
three of us ran 8 miles on the trails around
Blue Marsh Lake on a beautiful, warm
April day as the sun began to descend in
the sky.
The lockdown also allowed us the
opportunity to cook and eat dinner
together at home as a family most every
night. My son's quarterly "special" class
during remote learning happened to be
Family and Consumer Science (aka Home
Economics) and his regular cooking
assignments brought us together in the
kitchen. Fewer activities meant more time
to garden, so we added two raised-bed
patio gardens to our existing garden to
harvest healthy herbs and vegetables that
we incorporated in our home-cooked
meals.
Not only did these activities stave off
the "Quarantine 15," they provided stress
relief during a time of uncertainty and
upheaval, and the gift of unexpected, but
welcome, family time.
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