How's your samopoczucie?

A really useful word, one lacking in English. "How are you feeling?" is the nearest to "Jak tam Twoje samopoczucie?" but it misses out on the precision. Literally, samopoczucie means 'self-perception'; the root of poczucie is czuć, to feel, to sense, to be aware - the Polish scouts' motto 'Czuwaj!' means 'be on the alert' - as in sniffing the air for signs of danger. Czuć means to feel, but it also means to smell - not as in 'to reek' but as in the transitive verb, meaning to sense the smell of something. Czuję, że coś jest nie tak - "I feel/I sense that something's not right."

Samopoczucie then is about gathering feedback from your self - from your body and mind. What ails you? What troubles you? Samopoczucie is mental and physical, and the answer to the question "jak samopoczucie?" can range all the way from Jak młody bóg! to Tragedia, panie!

We all know that the answer to "How are you?" in English is always "I'm fine, how are you?" while in Polish "Jak się masz?" is an open invitation to listen to half an hour of woes about pains here and there, missed doctor's appointments, pills being taken and full descriptions of the symptoms.

At this time of pandemic, our bodily self-awareness is sharpened for those first tell-tale symptoms - a fever, a cough, and disappearance of senses of smell and taste. It is all too easy to fall victim to hypochondria, and overimagine symptoms that aren't really there. It is also easy to brush off or ignore symptoms that are, pretending they're not. As ever, balance is key. If you feel a tickling cough - hold your breath, count to ten. If you can do that without coughing - you're OK for the moment. Be grateful for that. Be grateful that you've survived the first seven months of what could be a pandemic that lasts a couple of years. Gratitude sharpens awareness of risky situations.

Coughs and sneezes often presage colds and flus. I cough. I sniffle... "Where's that from? ...If I can catch a cold virus I could just as easily catch Covid-19..." Well, don't forget that we have mucous membranes in our noses and throats and bronchi, we have to clear mucosa from time to time, a one-off blowing of the nose or clearing of the throat isn't synonymous with catching a viral infection of the respiratory organs.

The more we learn about the after-effects of Covid-19, so-called 'long Covid', the more important it is to avoid getting it. The mental effects - dementia-like forgetfulness, grasping for words as well as gasping for breath - worry me. 

I find that exercise is great preventative medicine. Should I feel just slightly dodgy - I knock out 30 press-ups, focusing on their quality (hold that plank position, chest to the floor then up until arms lock at the elbow). Sit-ups and planks work too. Keeping a record of my walking, exercising and diet is important to me. I've maintained a daily spreadsheet since 1 January 2014; and filling in a decent day's results is a boost to samopoczucie.

Daily walking, fresh air and catching that sunshine whenever possible. Lots of fruit and veg (today: apples, banana, grapes, tomatoes, leek, lentils and chickpeas, plus fresh orange juice). Alcohol in moderation, when writing - today, one bottle of  Noc Kupały Polish Foreign Extra Stout, 6.4% from local brewery Perun. And lots of sleep. Eight and half hours last night, nine and half the night before. And I am so grateful I had a sauna installed in Jeziorki when we were building the house 20 years ago; nothing beats two x 15-minute sessions at 95C on a dismal autumn evening or freezing cold winter's night.

Today is World Mental Health Day. It is heartening how public awareness of mental health issues has been raised; depression is now understood to be very real and not something that can be dealt with by shouting "pull yourself together!" at the sufferer. I will share this graphic, and ask you also to bear its message in mind, and pass it on if you can.

Mental health is as important as physical health; a holistic approach to mind in body is needed. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is about changing maladaptive thinking, and in milder cases of depression it has been proven to be more effective than medication. Raising your thinking to the meta-level helps vastly, as does, I believe, a spiritual, rather than materialist outlook to life. I'll refine that thought - having the right balance between a spiritual and a materialist outlook.

Believing that life - the Universe - has a purpose - keeps one going. It keeps me going. I have a reason to reach an advanced age. I will not be swept away by some vulgar virus! To quote Marx (Groucho, the quotable one), "I intend to live forever - or die trying."

This time two years ago:

Pavement for Karczunkowska? What's next?
[two years on, nothing - pedestrians still risking their lives]

This time four years ago
On relevance and irrelevance

This time six years ago:
Poland gets anglicised as Britain gets polonised

This time seven years ago:
Ale, architecture and city politics

This time eight years ago:
The pros and cons of roadside acoustic screens

This time nine years ago:
Moaning about trains again

This time ten years ago:
Warsaw street names - Dolna, Polna, Rolna, Wolna, Smolna. Lost?

This time 11 years ago:
Ditches, landscapes, autumn

This time 13 years ago:
Golden autumn in Łazienki park