Pandemic Winter Health Hacks

Love Is Medicine

Give your mind and body all you can right now

Today marks the end of this column: A month’s worth of daily hacks to support your well-being in a winter season like no other. As I wind down the series, I’d love to believe the pandemic’s finale is nigh. But alas, that happy ending is still a ways off.

And though I’m a fierce advocate of both hope and optimism, I’ve set my watch to science and patience for the time being, so there I’ll sit (in my upgraded mask) for as long as it takes to arrive at what’s next.

If this little series has helped as you, too, sit and wait — not to mention fret, sleep, eat, play, move, relax, and cope — I’d love to hear from you. And remember, btw, not to sit too much; your body’s not a fan. What your body does need more than ever right now is love, so try giving that to yourself and others as often as you can.

Be it in motion outside, in sensual solitude, in quiet reflection, or snuggled up with people or pets, there are health benefits aplenty to finding calm and feeling good. In a season of hard realities, the medicine of love is particularly powerful — it’s also proven, free, and approved for all ages. Let’s do what we can to spread it.

Illustration: Sophi Gullbrants