My eye started twitching a little over a week ago.

It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. In times of stress, it’s not unusual for one or the other of my eyes to flutter. It’s annoying, but I understand why it’s happening. I know what the stressor is and I know when things settle, it will go away.

This time is a bit different. I have no idea why  this annoying spasm is happening. There’s no one particular thing that has put me over the edge. 

And yet my eye is twitching.

I listened with disappointment on Friday when the Premier of Ontario moved many regions of Ontario – including the ones I live and work in – back into the “red zone.” People haven’t been careful and there is too much spread of the coronavirus in the community. Even knowing it was coming, it was depressing to hear politicians and medial professionals pleading with us to stay home if we could.

Work is a little harried as the race to “end of year” brings additional workload, and a new boss begins soon, with all the unknowns that brings

Christmas is a little more than a month away, and we are facing the very real possibility – well, probability – of the entire season without parties, friends and even family. Have yourself a Merry Little Zoom Christmas indeed.

The weather is starting to pen us in as well. Today, rain and wind meant little opportunity to get out of the house. Work days now start and end in the dark.

So as I sat on the window seat watching the wind whip around the last of the leaves, it suddenly occurred to me. Could it possibly be that my background stress level is so high – and that I’ve gotten so used to it – that a minor new stress that I don’t even register as being a big deal has put me over the edge?

My usual stress-reducing go-to – my yoga class – has been shut down for moths, and I don’t seem to be very good at doing it alone. Long walks kept me going in the summer instead. I keep talking about meditating, but it too, has been elusive.

So my eye twitches.

It’s clearly time to get a little more serious about a regular destressing routine. What are you doing to keep your eye from twitching?