Tucson is a prime place to be during coronavirus pandemic

Are you ready for a new mantra? It’s simple. It’s true. And it’s been working wonders ever since I put it into play a few weeks back.

It goes: “Even when the world has gone mad, you don’t have to follow.”

With all the coronavirus craziness that’s going on, it’s a firm reminder that we don’t have to be sucked into the abyss of fear and panic.

A sensational way to stay out of panic mode is to stop looking at all the things that are wrong, like shortages of toilet paper and organic ginger juice, and focus on things that are right.

Like the fact that we’re living in Tucson right about now. Tucson is a prime place to be during the COVID-19 pandemic for several reasons.

One of the most obvious is the numbers. Arizona is still on the low end of the scale when it comes to statewide cases of the virus. With stay-at-home orders and other precautions in place, hopefully things will remain that way.

Another is the constant sunshine. I actually moved here in 2006 for that very fact. I was wallowing in a rainy coastal town in Oregon, so I took out the map, researched annual rainfall, then booked my U-Haul heading for Tucson.

The constant sunshine uplifts our spirits.

Light is also what soothes, heals and enlightens us (pun intended). Another new habit I’ve picked up during this madness is to go outside and “drink in” the sunshine. Take a huge, deep breath of sun and let it filter all the way down to the bottom of your toes. Let the sun’s healing light swirl through you. Once you get into the groove, you may enjoy it even more than binge-watching “Masterpiece Theatre.”

If the sun trick doesn’t fill you with bliss, it’s definitely time to gaze at the mountains. Our city is almost completely embraced by mountains, so you don’t have to go far to get a glimpse of them. They stay steady and strong throughout anything — reminding us we can, too.

With the mountains, the sunshine and the mantra, we’re doing pretty well here in Tucson. All that’s left is to keep the faith we’ll once again have our toilet paper and ginger juice.