Building Blocks, Dominoes, or Legos: It's (mostly) up to you

       Among other props I frequently rely on in my office are three blocks within grabbing distance, to bring into your view, whether we are face-to-face (not lately) or zooming along in conversation about your life challenges. They are colored blue, red, and yellow (just a coincidence, not symbolic of anything, as these were three blocks I found as leftovers from some set around the house that escaped an earlier cleanout), and labeled "Sleep/wake", "Appetite/eating", and "Energy/exercise". When in good order and arranged strategically (whether stacked on top of one another or side by side, can you visualize?) they become a decent foundation for other life functions of a more discretionary nature, for other things you may choose to pursue; lacking any one of these you lack a firm foundation. When stood on their ends they can also be viewed as dominoes. That is, the kind that you carefully arrange in a complex formation in anticipation of pushing the final one as your cohort gets ready to video your brilliant creation, in an attempt to break some record (one way to pass the time during a lockdown, no wonder there's a shortage). The point here is that if any one of the three basic building blocks is not stable, it can easily fall into the other two and destabilize them as well.                                                                                                                                                     

Beyond the din, rebegin: While not the first time I've written here about the three critical building blocks, given three circumstances that have come our way that represent dominoes of a different brand (namely, the 'second surge', the post-election unease, and the time change a week ago), I thought it timely to return your attention to those we have more control over, those you may have attended to earlier in the pandemic but perhaps lost sight, discipline, or appreciation. For convenience, I'll address them in alphabetical order:

Appetite/eat: You've undoubtedly heard of the 'freshman fifteen' (the alleged average weight the a college freshman puts on while away from home and not under their parents' watchful eyes). Well, now we have begun to hear of the COVID ____, the weight many have put on during the past six months, due to overeating, overindulging, and corresponding lower activity level. NOT inevitable, not a 'fait accompli'-- reports have varied widely, from  a Weight Watcher study indicating that 36% of Americans have gained weight (consider their target audience), while another study indicated that 13% have lost weight, and yet another study in May indicating an average weight gain of 12.5 pounds already a few months into the pandemic. So, about a wide a variance as the election polls a few months before November 3rd. At least early in the lockdown I heard of people becoming creative chefs with what they had on hand with some good home cookin', sans eateries aplenty. This trend seemed to have waned but still readily available, only footsteps away from where you are probably reading this. Return to base.

Sleep/wake: Probably the biggest COVD culprit, people started complaining to me regarding the inconsistencies of this circadian rhythm and its consequences (e.g., fatigue, lack of focus), way before the time change back from DST, and the annoying election commercials resonated in their heads while trying to achieve slumber. More likely we've done this to ourselves, either by too much stimulation of the 'visual cortex' before going off into never never land (not just teens here, it's adults on iPads too!), or perhaps sleeping in way beyond normal and unrealistically expecting to be sleepy that evening after gaining a sleep surplus...duh! Or, of course, there's the 'power nappers' who have taken the value of a quick 15-20 minute mid day snooze (aka 'combat nap') way beyond its original purpose, eventuating in...insomnia (duh! again). As we psychologists tell people who are preparing to retire or otherwise experiencing a major life change unexpectedly (such as being laid off due to COVID), it is critical to their well-being to at least approximate their prior circadian rhythms. Return to base.

Energy/exercise: While you have likely become annoyed about how often I have written here about the value of  (rigorous) exercise, what I'll simply reiterate today with the utmost conviction is how readily available and critically important this building block continues to be, regardless of our pandemic circumstances (see "Playgrounds of the Pandemic", "COVID Combine"). One which impacts powerfully on the other two. Build a base!

Let's go Legoing: As many of you know, Legos originated from the old saying "necessity, the mother of all inventions", an apparently simple toy born in the spartan shop of a carpenter in Denmark, which is now the top toy brand throughout the world and one of the strongest brands of any category (including car manufacturers) in Europe. It is also associated with a marketing plan which evolved from a simple set of blocks to highly specialized sets that are not interchangeable, requiring the buyer to purchase yet another 'Star Wars', Harry Potter', etc. for their child this Christmas. Or, as a trade magazine traces Legos incredible success story: "Legos managed to give children (and parents) something they didn't know they even wanted, until they experienced it". So, from something that started as a necessity (a 'building block') to something millions now desire. Return to base indeed!