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The reality of Coronavirus

Coronavirus is likely to have had an impact on your life in the last few days. Chances are you're overwhelmed with the news on Covid-19. I certainly do not wish to add to this, so am aiming to do things a little different, keep you in the loop but also to help us all understand the new world order and how to navigate it.

Keep an eye out for my forthcoming blog posts as I try and help us all get our heads around managing different aspects and adjusting to 'the inevitable changes' coming our way.

Individual life's lessons are usually hard. People try and avoid them at all costs.

Worldwide crisis, whether financial, climate or what we're now encountering with Covid-19 is so much harder and asks far deeper questions of us all.

I do not believe that everyone is on board that this is a very real crisis that will affect everyone on the planet in so many ways. For those of you not taking action, or believing the pandemic to be "over hyped" I hope you will change your mind very very soon. We all know the situation is extremely challenging, it asks us to change our habits, our way of life.

We are all - especially in the West - so used to the convenience of everyday life that it seems unfathomable to do things differently. I'm not playing down the ripple effect that a lock-down in a country like the UK would have on so many levels.

The question I'm asking here is: 'Do you see yourself as a part of a larger population or just simply as you and the closest people to you.

We've seen panic buying, the likes of when a war is about to start. Even the supermarkets are urging shoppers to minimise what they put in their shopping trolley. The reality is that there's enough food and 'toilet paper' for everyone to go round. This kind of irrational behaviour relates to a sense of being able to control something when panic strikes. And that's understandable.

My message today is about collectively coming together and to not just think about ourselves and our nearest and dearest, but about the wider community - especially older people and those with existing health conditions.

Personally, I'm all for social distancing. If we collectively practice conscious self-awareness, we will be able to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. And there's a lot we can do to help them without compromising social distancing. We can buy food and medicine, cook food and leave it at their doorstep. I hope there'll be some kind of systems set up by local councils so neighbours can check and make sure they are OK.

There's so much to come that will be challenging for many. Loneliness, (especially older people who will be isolated from grandchildren and their chosen social support systems), anxiety, depression, mental health challenges, grieving (those who are about to loose loved ones) - to boredom and unfamiliar territories for those who will work from home and not have their daily routine or the social banter from work colleagues.

Here's where the internet is MAGIC. There are so many possibilities and if communities come together to help, the sky is the limit. We can all communicate via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram - there's Skype, Zoom, Face time and on and on and on. We just have to be creative about all of this and I have no doubt there're already many great ideas out there how people are dealing with this unprecedented crisis.

Let's not forget the good old landline (I've got one) and mobile. Reach out to people. Reach out to helplines. Try not to 'isolate' yourself, despite the self-isolation. We are all part of a larger US. All of us need to manage our mental and emotional states now more than ever. I have great faith in humanity.

On a personal note: I struggled myself at the beginning of the week when the situation hit home. But then I realised that if I turn fear into empowerment, if I embrace what's happening and if I listen to the scientist and all the advice - I can still take matters into my own hand and be a valuable, empathetic and thoughtful global citizen.

Please practice social distancing as much as possible.

To help you with some ideas what you can do if self-isolating, I've compiled the following list:

1. Spring clean your home
2. Do those repairs at home that always need doing
3. Read all yet unread books and magazines
4. Create a nice office space for yourself, however small
5. Make a post Coronavirus vision board
6. Do some sketching or drawing or use colouring books
7. Get a membership to online platforms like Skillshare and Yodomo
8. Watch Nexflix and make Popcorn
9. Call friends, family and helplines (they are there for you)
10.Snail mail: actually write letters to people
11.Dance to loud music
12.Stretch or do yoga
13.Tend to your plants. Spring is coming
14.Work ON your business/side hustle for when this is over
15.Dream up plans for the future
16.Look at improving your nutrition - maybe enjoy cooling if you don't usually
17.Take Vitamins
18.Create new habits
19.Indulge in a home spa - pretend you are on holiday
20.Get to know yourself - practice some self-development
21.Zoom with people/workmates 
22.Watch comedy, laugh out loud
23.Keep a daily gratitude journal
24. Give living eulogies, tell people you love them
25.This is where jigsaws come into their own, great past time
26. Stay safe

I'm sure there are so many more things we can be doing while self-isolating, but I hope that these will give you some ideas to start with.