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What the *****?

How are you feeling? Stressed? Depressed? Numb? Elated? Indifferent?

What a rollercoaster we have all been on and continue to experience. It’s been a worldwide experience, this coronavirus and now covid-19 disease. It’s knocked the whole world sideways. Whilst some benefit, though from a bad situation, others suffer in silence. There seems to be so many sides to the same coin, all of us living very different lives in our ‘pockets’ called home.

Some of us are elated to be able to go back to work in the UK (if necessary), whether that’s the office or the construction site, whilst others are fearful to come out of their house again after so many weeks at home. Some of us have continued to work hard at home, privileged enough to be on full pay whilst organising a home office space, albeit in the kitchen, bedroom or even bathroom! Others have been on furlough, with no work at all and able to get on with all those ‘to do’ lists or not but still worried about how long furlough will last and will they still have jobs at the end of it all. Some of us have been made redundant or will be made redundant from our jobs, with no other prospects at the moment, so fearful about how the essential bills will get paid.

Others have continued to go to work throughout this whole season; our NHS heroes; care workers; transport drivers; maintenance & essential utilities; emergency services such as police; fire; ambulance, along with all essential shop owners providing for their communities. Some of us have been caring for those vulnerable or shielding and living away from them, yet doing their shopping and getting their medicine. Others have been worried sick about keeping their businesses afloat and their staff in employment, whilst collecting debts of taxes and rents owed. Some businesses have flourished, such as 3D; Perspex glass; gloves and mask companies, albeit some pivoting quickly enough to move into these new areas of revenue.

Where are you on this spectrum of varying lives? Have you been making the most of the unexpected ‘time out’? How have you managed with the constantly changing rules, regulations and emotions? Are any of these feelings or actions familiar? Numb; overwhelmed; over it; fed up; keeping the head under the blanket; over eating; bingeing on entertainment TV or online; arguing with the family; creating drama out of nothing; angry; grieving; in shock; angst; anxiety; enjoying any sunshine; drinking more alcohol; learning new things; doing more hobbies; upset; nervous or fearful. I’m sure this is not an exhaustive list…what can you add to it?

After lots of sighing and in those ‘sun’ moments, I guess the main thing is to recognise how we feel on any one day, don’t deny it and stay in it for a day or two or week!  Then, dust yourself off, have a bath, wash your hair, get some nice things in to eat (albeit on a low budget) and start afresh again. Seasons will come and go. This one is a long one and who knows who comes out of it literally alive. All we know is that as humans we need to do stuff, so amidst this chaos, somewhere, maybe we can see that this season will also change. Last year is not this year and this year, won’t be next year. This too will pass. We just don’t know when. So all we can do is take one day at time. How do I feel today? What will I do today? Who do I ring today to make them smile? How can I pivot my business and do I put all that energy into it again? What time do I have to be at work or can I ask to go in later to avoid the rush hour? How do I want to BE going forward? Take one step forward, then another. We cannot predict the future except it will not be the same and we may be poorer or richer. As long as we have our health and strength, anything IS possible. The bluebells and dandelions came out this spring, without any help from us. Life continues whether we take part in it or not, so we still get to decide how we will manage it all. Them there the facts…sigh.