Rumble at Home: Checking in with Rumble Supershake Founder Paul Underhill

Life during a pandemic is scary for most of us, but Rumble creator Paul Underhill is especially at risk because he's immunosuppressed. We ask how he's coping with isolation and still managing to #feedthegood. 

How life’s changed during the pandemic:

Actually, not much has changed. Since having a double lung transplant, I take immunosuppressive drugs that make me susceptible to infection, so I’ve always had to be careful. Now it’s as if most people have to live like I do.

That said, I'm reading more medical news and research, and my time spent with family and friends has decreased to essentially zero this last 8 weeks, with the exception of a couple of hikes. 

I’ve also taken advantage of an online meditation ‘retreat’ that offers a 40 minute morning session 3 days a week, which helps me manage my stress during these uncertain times.

Daily To-do’s:

• Hydrate with organic green tea
• Meditate for twice per day for 20-40 minutes
• Qigong for 20 minutes
• Healthy breakfast (usually organic quinoa, with organic home roasted almonds, homegrown kale, hemp hearts, olive oil and dulce sprinkled on top)
• Morning Rumble
• Get outside for at least 30 minutes
• Get some running/riding/kiteboarding in, or walking on a rest day
• Afternoon Rumble
• Read news from a variety of sources, but always including Globe and Mail and NY Times as well as several online sources
• Find something that makes me laugh!

Hardest thing about this time:
Seeing the amount of suffering taking place, and in particular what’s going on in the USA. A close second is the loss of close social contact with friends and family (I’m a big hugger, and it’s been a full two months!).

Best thing about this time:
Seeing people coming together in a variety of ways to help, from those using 3D printers to make PPE, to the simplicity of getting groceries for the more vulnerable. It's humanity at it's best.

Currently... 

... reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

...watching: After Life on Netflix

…listening to: Departure by Freya

...feeling thankful for: The ability to breathe deeply and get outside, and these days I’m particularly grateful that we live in BC, which has the lowest COVID-19 occurrence of any jurisdiction in Europe or North America with a population of 5 million or more.

“Live life as though everything is rigged in your favour”, which is actually a paraphrase taken from the first line of one of my favourite Rumi Poems: “It’s rigged — everything, in your favor. So there is nothing to worry about…”