鶹ýɫƬ

Editor's Note

It’s the little things

What wellness means in a pandemic
Comfort Dorn
Jan. 15, 2021

Even before we lived under the cloud of COVID-19, I sometimes had trouble sleeping at night. Occasionally, my thoughts would race anxiously about money or my job or my family. The sheets would twist, the pillow was lumpy, and I just could not settle down.

Editors-note-445x297.jpg

I don't remember when or where, but at some point I read or was told that one way to address this nighttime anxiety and tension was to relax my tongue. It sounds pretty basic, almost silly, but when I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth and settled it so it wasn't touching anything, the rest of me relaxed too. And more often than not, I soon drifted off.

As I read through the essays for the 2021 wellness issue of ASBMB Today, I thought about my tongue.

We asked our contributing writers and our readers to tell us something about how they have been keeping well during this year. In addition to the threat of COVID-19, we've been faced with a wild presidential election (and its aftermath) as well as the biggest racial justice movement the world has seen in more than half a century.  Even those people with great self-care habits were thrown for a bit of a loop.

What struck me about the activities described in these wellness essays is how basic they are. Take a walk. Read some books. Eat nourishing food. Reach out to friends and family to create celebrations and share experiences. Ask for help. These are all things that we can and should have been doing all along.

So what is it about a pandemic that brings us back to such fundamentals? First, many of us have had more unstructured time over the past 10 months. We have not been going to work or school. We have not been traveling or socializing in person. We have been left largely to our own devices — both electronic and mental.

But, more importantly, many of us have realized that we really do need to take care of ourselves. Wellness doesn't just happen. Our collective trauma has given us permission to ask ourselves what we need and then to do whatever it is — to give ourselves the simple care that will keep us going.

As we say goodbye to the excrement fest of 2020, I hope we can hang on to these good, simple habits of wellness. I hope we continue to care for ourselves.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition weekly.

Learn more
Comfort Dorn

Comfort Dorn is the managing editor of ASBMB Today.

Related articles

Wellness and trauma
Comfort Dorn
Take a breath
Comfort Dorn
Women and young academics suffered most during pandemic
Lesley Michalegko, Eric Welch, Mary K. Feeney & Timothy P. Johnson
How to choose a booster shot
Tina Hesman Saey, Science News

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Opinions

Opinions highlights or most popular articles

Benefits of attending a large scientific conference
ASBMB Annual Meeting

Benefits of attending a large scientific conference

Feb. 13, 2025

Researchers have a lot of choices when it comes to conferences and symposia. A large conference like the ASBMB Annual Meeting offers myriad opportunities, such as poster sessions, top research talks, social events, workshops, vendor booths and more.

When Batman meets Poison Ivy
Science Communication

When Batman meets Poison Ivy

Feb. 13, 2025

Jessica Desamero had learned to love science communication by the time she was challenged to explain the role of DNA secondary structure in halting cancer cell growth to an 8th-grade level audience.

The monopoly defined: Who holds the power of science communication?
Essay

The monopoly defined: Who holds the power of science communication?

Feb. 12, 2025

“At the official competition, out of 12 presenters, only two were from R2 institutions, and the other 10 were from R1 institutions. And just two had distinguishable non-American accents.”

How I made the most of my time as an undergrad
Essay

How I made the most of my time as an undergrad

Jan. 30, 2025

An assistant professor of biology looks back at the many ways he prepared (or didn’t) for his future when he was in college.

I find beauty in telling stories about giants
Science Communication

I find beauty in telling stories about giants

Jan. 29, 2025

Andrea Lius wished she could find a focus for her scientific research — until she realized that what she really liked was talking to other scientists about the focus of their work.

Leveraging social media to share science
Science Communication

Leveraging social media to share science

Jan. 23, 2025

Scientist and educator Elisabeth Marnik explains how to combat misinformation, such as the popular myth that drinking bleach will prevent infections.