Feeling Weary? Try a Little Tenderness🎜(and exercise, of course!)

       "Temporary loss of strength and energy"; "Causing one to feel tired or bored"; "Having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted". These are a few of the ways in which Webster and others have defined weary , weariness , and wearisome , emotional vocabulary I have heard and used myself at a higher than normal rate over the past four months or so. Prior to a 'pandemic panacea' (i.e., highly effective therapeutics and/or vaccine), I offer you here just a few ways in which you can at least effectively mitigate (a more common verb form lately) the experience of weariness.

       Make/Create - Pinterest and Beyond: The internet, of course, is replete with ideas to provoke your imagination and creativity. There is something for everyone, ranging from recipes to art, to more involved projects for those with more time and space. But even in the confines of our (shelter in place) homes, backyard, or even apartment you have the resources to indulge your creative side. Maybe you can even come up with a new form of the sculpture "Wearisome Man" (depicting a man with a briefcase and umbrella, who appears to have had a long day)--would your rendition be wearing a mask, feature a pocket for hand sanitizer, or even carry a six foot 'distancing stick' instead of an umbrella?

       Get (more) Fit: In my most recent post here (see August 3rd), I attempted to provoke your interest, imagination, and commitment to take advantage of the certainty of physical and psychological benefits that accrue with regular, rigorous exercise. While not a cure, this is a guaranteed mitigation factor for weariness, in that it (in every person I have encountered throughout the past four decades) eventuates in enhanced physical, mental, and even emotional stamina.

       Try a Little Tenderness:  In the midst of ongoing uncertainties associated with COVID-19 (including how fall will be experienced by millions of students, parents, and teachers), one other certainty is that we all have ample opportunities each and every day to counteract the effects of weariness by reaching out to others who might actually be in worse shape. A time tested way to at least temporarily put your worries and woes into perspective is to take the focus off yourself and instead open your minds/hearts in considering the needs of others.

       "...while she gets weary (oh, so weary)….why don't you try a little tenderness...? Originally penned by Jimmy Campbell in 1932, in 1968 Three Dog Night paid tribute to Otis Redding's previous popular rendition from 1966. If you tune into any rendition (including Frank Sinatra's ballad version from 1945), images of weariness as well as those that may 'cure these ills' just might come to mind...🎜🎝