Hey Guys!
So here goes post number two. Today I wanted to write about something that is on everyone’s mind at the moment – lockdown and COVID-19.
I am one of the lucky ones. Throughout this whole situation, I have been going into work and as such haven’t felt the stresses and strains of lockdown as much as others. But that doesn’t mean that I have had it easy! I am definitely suffering from the “lockdown blues”.
Under normal circumstances I am insanely busy! Between rehearsals for a musical theatre company, coaching trampolining, PhD applications and meeting up with friends, I am basically busy all day every day! Just before lockdown, I changed jobs from working in an NHS clinical laboratory to working in an NHS research laboratory. This meant that I went from working crazy shifts and all hours of the day on top of all my other activities to a 9-5 job and nothing else.
I have really struggled with the inactivity and lack of social interaction even though I still go to work as normal so I really feel for those of you who are working from home or are furloughed. I don’t know how you are doing it but keep going! This won’t be forever!
The government is working on a plan to ease the lockdown in a way that is safe for all of us but it doesn’t look like life will get back to “normal” any time soon. So I thought I would share a couple of tips on things that I have been doing to get through these difficult times.
SING! So first up is singing. I have been singing and playing piano for as long as I can remember. Music is a fantastic way to express whatever it is you are feeling. If you can play an instrument then do. If you have always wanted to learn an instrument, now is a great time to start. However, the one thing that everyone can do with absolutely no musical knowledge whatsoever is sing. Everyone has a voice and everyone knows how to use it therefore everyone can sing! I don’t expect people to come out of lockdown suddenly being able to sing opera but what you can do is karaoke. Get on youtube and find a karaoke version of your favourite song and have a go! I love doing this – I can pick loads of my favourite songs and just have fun with them. I was singing last night when I got home from work and before I knew it, two hours had gone by and I felt so much better!
TALK! Next up is talking. I am lucky enough to have some truly amazing friends but I normally see them every week and I have really missed them! So I have been trying to talk to them all as much as I can. Not necessarily every day but I try to check in on them as much as I can so that they know I am still there for them if they need me. But sometimes messaging them isn’t enough. I find phone calls or video chats so much more helpful if I’m having a bad day as its much closer to normal interaction than texting or instant messaging.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW! So I have already covered music but what about other skills that you have always wanted to learn? Maybe you want to try painting, drawing, knitting or baking? It could be anything but I find that keeping my mind busy makes everything much easier to deal with.
READ! So if like me you are getting bored of binge watching Netflix – try picking up a book. Or maybe an audiobook is more your style. Whichever you prefer, immersing yourself in a fictional world is a great way to help ease the “lockdown blues”.
The things I have mentioned above are things that I have been doing to help get through these difficult times. I don’t expect them to work for everyone but maybe they will help someone. The most important thing I can say is that if you are struggling at any time, reach out. Reach out to anyone – it can be a friend or a relative or even me if you like. Just remember that you are not alone in this and people will be there to help you if you need it. If you need to reach out to me, you can head over to the contact page, send me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
I hope this helps make lockdown a little easier for you!
Thanks for reading!
Bex
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