Why we need to go outside more

Take precautions, but try not to panic.

Welcome to Not a Doctor, the only newsletter with sometimes-crippling social anxiety that is really working on it!!!

I’m Melody Schreiber, a journalist and the editor of What We Didn’t Expect: Personal Stories About Premature Birth (out in November). I’m not a doctor, or a scientist, or really an expert of any kind. I just like to ask questions and try to find the answers to them.

🌡 🌡 🌡

This week, I was humbled.

Lately, I’ve been getting to the point where I feel more confident operating within the pandemic. I’ve done a ton of research, talked to lots of experts, and I think I have a pretty good handle on risk and how to manage it. I’ve even been thinking about going on vacation!

Then, yesterday, I needed to get my laptop repaired. I made an appointment and headed over to the repair shop. But when I got there, I learned that the drop-off lockers weren’t outside as I’d expected — they were inside an unfamiliar building, and I had to use the elevator to get there.

I had a full-blown panic attack.

If you live in an apartment building, you’re probably laughing at me right now. The odds of me getting sick from riding in an elevator alone for a few seconds are pretty low. I was wearing a mask, I only saw one other person walking the halls, and I was out of the building in minutes.

But it wasn’t the risks per se. It was the fear of the unknown.

I hadn’t expected to go into the building at all, and so I had to change my game plan quickly. With the exception of my brother’s viewing, I hadn’t even been inside a new building in months. I felt like a wild animal.

What if I ran into someone? What if there were medical offices in this building? What if the repair person wasn’t taking adequate precautions? All of these new scenarios and questions flashed through my mind, temporarily paralyzing me.

It hit me, again, how hard this is going to be for those of us with anxiety. I already had to work hard to overcome social anxiety before the pandemic, and now I’ve clearly been set back quite a bit.

But I’m considering this a warning from the future. Moving forward, there are going to be times where I come into contact with risk — even more significant risk than a surprise elevator. I have to be confident that I know how to navigate those risks, take appropriate precautions, and not freak out.

Unusual circumstances will arise, and it helps to game out potential scenarios (“what will I do when I need to use the bathroom on this road trip?”). But inevitably, something will go awry. And that’s okay. We can’t control everything (she tells herself over and over again). We can only prepare as best we can, and we can remember that we are doing our best.

🌡 🌡 🌡

With all of that in mind, let’s talk about that vacation.

For many of us, the idea of getting into a plane doesn’t sound worth the stress (lol there might even be an ELEVATOR AT THE AIRPORT). Instead, many people are choosing destinations a little closer to home.

Yvonne Maldonado, a senior associate dean for pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine and chair of the committee on infectious diseases at the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommended taking day trips, going camping, or getting a house rental.

“Make sure the place is clean,” she said. Check with the owner of the rental on their cleaning policy, and bring some supplies for cleaning high-touch places like doorknobs, light switches and remotes. If you’re headed out on a day trip, look for more outdoor (rather than indoor) activities, like the Agricultural Farm Park here in the D.C. area.

But getting away for a week or even just the day can help reset some of the stress and anxiety we feel.

“There's a lot that can be done,” Maldonado said, and she recommended “being creative.”

When I reported on travel for The Washington Post, one of the parents I interviewed said she was planning more solo activities for the family that week — riding bikes, hiking, flying kites, tie-dyeing, going on picnics. And it went great! Even staying home and cooking meals, instead of going out to restaurants, turned out to be a better way to spend their vacation, she said. When you don’t have to wait an hour to get your food every night, you have more time to spend at the beach.

And spending time at the beach, on outdoor trails and in parks is one of the best ways to relax safely. As long as these attractions aren’t too crowded — you should still keep a six- to ten-foot distance, and wear a mask if you might run into people — they’re one of the lowest-risk places to be right now.

Make sure you’re familiar with mask mandates and distancing requirements wherever you go, and try to get tested before and after going to a new region. I’d avoid traveling from a high-risk region to a low-risk one, for fear of bringing the virus to me, and vice versa.

But as I learned this week, getting out of the house safely and regularly is an important part of staying healthy, from getting exercise and breathing fresh air to easing anxious minds.

“It's important to be careful, but it's also important for us to start trying to get some semblance of being out in the open in a safe way,” Maldonado said. “Because we have been sheltered for a long time.”

“It is important to get people out for their own mental health and socialization,” she told me.

Got it, doc.

The Agricultural Farm Park in Maryland has plenty of space and outdoor attractions!

🌡 🌡 🌡

I hope this is helpful for you, and not too embarrassing for me. As always, please leave a comment or reply to this email if there’s something I’ve overlooked or something you’d like clarification on.

If you liked this post, don’t forget to hit the little heart at the top. And if you know someone who might appreciate this newsletter, please forward it to them!