Ways to avoid our own pandemic 'Groundhog Day'

As Groundhog Day approaches, I know I’m not alone when my thoughts go to the 1993 movie with Bill Murray rather than wondering about a little rodent who may or may not be scared by his shadow.

If you aren’t familiar with the film Groundhog Day, this cult classic might be just the thing for your next movie night.

It’s about a cynical weatherman named Phil, who gets stuck in a time loop. He’s sent to a small Pennsylvanian town on Feb. 2, to cover the activities of its famous groundhog. When he wakes up the next morning, he’s still in the town and once again it’s Groundhog Day. It doesn’t stop there. The loop just keeps repeating and he’s forced to relive the same day over and over and over again.

I can relate to his situation, more today than I did 28 years ago when I first saw the movie. I think it’s because I can feel his pain.

In some ways it feels like we’ve been caught in our own version of a time loop. In March 2020, it never dawned on me we’d still be in this situation in February 2022.

Sometimes I think it would be different if we were looping through an amazing day, or time, in history, but that’s probably an unrealistic thought. Experiencing the same thing over and over leads to boredom, regardless of the circumstances. Some level of certainty is important for happiness but knowing what every day is going to look like is way too much “sameness” for humans. That’s the case whether the day you’re repeating is good, bad or neutral.

Because I’m so incredibly anxious for the pandemic restrictions to end, time seems to be passing even more slowly. It’s often the end of a race that’s the most challenging.

If you can’t change it, how can you relieve some of the boredom and frustration you may be experiencing? As with most things, it comes down to changing your perception and making different choices.

In the movie, Phil accepts he can’t change the world around him and decides instead to make the most of the reality he’s living in. If he’s stuck there, he might as well be happy and feel good.

So, what can you do to inject some relief into your looping pandemic reality?

• Invest in self-care—You may think I sound like a broken record but this is arguably the most important thing you can do to make your life better, regardless of whether you’re stuck in a time loop or not. Self-care simply means looking after yourself by consciously doing things that improve your physical, mental, or emotional health, such as getting enough sleep, setting beneficial boundaries, eating healthy foods, spending time with people you love or drinking lots of water. This is only a small list of ways to take care of yourself.

• Do the same things differently—You may choose to exercise every day but that doesn’t mean you have to walk or run the same route. You don’t even have to stick to the same type of exercise. Change things up. Apply this principle to the books you read, the food you prepare and the people you choose to connect with. Variety can definitely add spice to life.

• Reduce stress and worry—As Leo Buscaglia says: “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” If you find yourself feeling anxious, invest some time in deep breathing, meditation, or exercise. These are all good ways to reduce stress. Ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to relieve your worry. If the answer is no, try and move your focus to something you can control or something that makes you happy.

• Learn something new—What would you like to do better or know more about? It doesn’t matter what you choose or even if you ever master this new skill completely. It’s about the process and seeing progress. It will help remind you that you’re not standing still. Don’t worry if today seems a lot like yesterday. There’s a silver lining in that cloud of monotony. Rather than getting swept up with the newness of each day, you’re being given an opportunity to make deliberate decisions within a fairly consistent life. That makes it easier to try something different and notice the results.

By incorporating some of these suggestions into your life, you may even come out of this pandemic time loop a better version of yourself.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.