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Helping you get through the lockdown

barbara bates • Mar 30, 2020
Every website you've ever used, every company you have anything to do with, every list you're on - of course they are all talking about the Covid-19 pandemic that we're all struggling with right now in March 2020. And here's my contribution - we all want to do whatever we can to get through. 

I'm hopeful that in the end we may, taking a global view, do more than just get through. Maybe we'll have learned afresh how important it is to nurture our relationships, while we still can. Maybe we'll be keeping the planet cleaner and spare our descendants worse problems to come.  Certainly, in the end, it will have been the biggest threat that the human family has faced for decades. 

But right now, how to get through? 

The principles of well-being and resilience are the same; Connect, Learn, Give, Notice, Exercise, and so they will apply to this situation too. 
  • Relationships are crucial. When we can't hug our loved ones, or even see them, we can still keep in touch with the amazing technology we have these days. We might even go all retro and write a proper letter, reviving the art! 
  • As for Learn - what I would say here is that, okay, you might think, I've got three months at home, I can learn Chinese at last; but you might be better served by raising your awareness of what's true and what's not. Already there are lots of fake posts on social media which are downright harmful, and it's good to get the real facts, and deliberately ignore the rest. Here are some of the good guys - the BBC, the UK government website, the responsible journalism page called The Conversation, and even Facebook is redeeming itself by providing an accurate information hub. 
  • In the UK we have a glorious abundance of giving. Over 700,000 people have volunteered to help the NHS in different ways and that is so heart-warning. Then there are lots of small local groups that have organised and risen to the challenge. Giving is such a win-win; of course the recipient benefits, but so do you. Giving is good for you!
  • Suddenly we are noticing what we can't do just now, and I'm sure we'll appreciate it so much more when we can. What a street party we're going to have when this is all over! Noticing is a mindful thing to do, and it keeps us in the present, which is actually all we really have. It's also something we can choose to do, one of the things we can control in these frightening times. It's related to gratitude, for the good things we have, and again this is positively good for us. 
  • Finally, exercise! We know it's good for us but we don't always do it. At this time of isolation we really will benefit if we do it. It helps to underpin our physical health, which in turn helps us sleep, supports our immune system and generally keeps us in the best shape for the battle we are fighting!
I hope you are all right, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, and I want to add my hugely grateful thanks to everyone working in essential services, especially the NHS, who keep civilisation going all the time. It's just that now we really notice them!
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