Oh my!
I seriously do not know how we’ve landed here…
Slap bang in the middle of the plot of a dystopian novel.
The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is currently rampaging unabated through our precious planet and all we can do is look on, open-mouthed, incredulous at what has become of our no longer normal lives.
Last Thursday, my 8-year-old woke up with some mild flu symptoms… 😱
Considering the current climate, we opted to play it safe and self-isolate, just in case… 😷
Even though I did my best to outwardly rationalize that it was ”just a cold”, inwardly, I was panicking…
Falling headfirst right off that ”what-if cliff”!
I rubbed her down with vapour rub, obsessively checked her temperature every few hours and checked in with Dr Google with every slight symptom shift.
Two days and two sleepless nights later, my baby is happily on the mend and I, despite my emotional exhaustion, am feeling a little more optimistic about our self-imposed quarantine.
I don’t think we have had first-hand experience of the coronavirus.
But, then again, I can’t be sure as all of the current information regarding this new strain of flu is contradictory at best and confusing at worst.
It’s supposedly like the flu, but it can also be as mild as a cold.
It’s a cough…
It’s a fever…
It’s a sore throat and a stuffy nose.
You can even have it without displaying any symptoms whatsoever so…
At the end of it all, who knows?
Regardless, we have, at the very least, survived a significant scare.
Therefore, for the remaining time of our self-imposed isolation, we plan to…
1. Look on the bright side
A lot of social media posts have been focusing on the fact that all this coronavirus-induced social distancing is, in actual fact, a blessing in disguise for introverts.
And, as a lifelong introvert, I would have to concur…
No more having to be at a certain public place at a certain time…
No more school runs, busy commutes, outfit anxiety, emotional exhaustion from social gatherings and strained small talk. 👏
Finally, a legitimate reason to retreat from the outside world, to catch up on all those unread books and magazines, to get lost in a film or box set, to paint, to create, to recover the art of conversation, to get out in the garden, to just… exist!
For once, we introverts have the upper hand…
A dream come true, of sorts…
2. Learn to love the simple life
No! Not that sort of Simple Life
Let’s face it! Most of us are trapped on the hamster wheel of life.
Going around and around…
Getting nowhere until…
One day, we are ripped out of our comfort zone and faced to accept the uncomfortable truth…
The fact that we are now free of overpacked schedules – ooh, and gym guilt – is a definite bonus.
All that extra time not spent commuting, consuming, rushing and running can be generously devoted to more worthwhile endeavours, like forgotten hobbies and quality time with the kids and extended family members (if only over Skype!). 😀
Just staying home, living the simple life in the present and taking care of the cooking and cleaning is, in itself, incredibly therapeutic. 😊
3. Give gratitude for the good
The sky might seem like it’s falling in (at least if we were to run with everything our news outlets are quite literally screaming at us in relation to this latest pandemic! 😮).
But the very best antidote to all that negativity is, simply, to flip it on its head and focus on all the positivity we can glean from the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves instead!
Appreciate your family, your home, your health…
Appreciate this gift of time to step back from all the craziness, to reassess your life’s trajectory and the opportunity to tweak where necessary.
Know that, whatever happens, your God-given resilience is strong enough to help you withstand even the toughest of challenges.
Appreciate the immense kindness of the community as a whole and the selfless efforts of some who are entirely devoted to the less fortunate.
Know that positivity is a superior stress-busting, immune system boosting therapy…
But, most of all, know that, no matter what, we are winning, we will win and we will absolutely come out stronger at the other end!
Suddenly, the future doesn’t seem so bleak after all…
Until next time,
Stay super safe, my dear readers
💋 Mostly Mum
*All gifs are via GIPHY