CoroNAW Virus

Hi folks! We are a good bit into a global lockdown at the minute, and like most of you I’ve bleached my hair, thought about making a podcast and cleaned out my whole wardrobe (depop is meopeoleo for any cool cats and kittens who like my fashion).

Most importantly, however, I have found a new lease of life for my freelance work. Not having to go to my “real life” job for the time being has given me a wee taste of what my life would be like if I was fully wham bam slam freelance... and it’s fuckin MINT.

For anyone out there at the minute who is struggling to be by yourself and keep busy this first blog is for you. As a massive nerdy introvert I have whittled down being alone to a fine science, I will however cover more of how to actually enjoy being alone in next weeks blog. What I want to focus on right now is how I am managing to keep focussed and productive despite having the sleeping pattern of a complete fool and pretty severe OCD.

It was essential for me to get a routine on the go as soon as I heard word about this lockdown, for every person with OCD or any other mental health issues/ neuro-divergency it is our routines that keep us on the straight and narrow and allow us to function in every day life. So what happens when the world seems to be ending and everyone’s jobs, lives and routines are shattered? We switch off. We panic. It’s enough to make anyone lose their composure. Oddly enough though, the fact that everyone IS struggling has brought me a sense of oneness and calm.

Let me explain, from my personal experience my OCD has always made me feel a little bit distant from the world and other human beings, this is due to a combination of stigma, ignorance, not enough resources and generally the fact that the world doesn‘t make it easy for people with disabilities to exist. This COVID-19 pandemic has made the public overtly and abruptly conscious of those around them (apart from the eejits who bulk bought everything on the shelves).

Walking around and seeing people standing two metres apart from one another, wearing gloves, constantly washing their hands with hand sanitiser, not bumping into anyone on the street, all of these things that have made me feel like an outsider my whole life are now part and parcel of everyone’s routines... So of course I am still worried about my friends and family contracting the virus and the worldwide losses experienced are devastating, but for me right now my little bubble of life has made me feel normal for once.

Now let me get onto routines. The first thing that I have tried to grasp my whole life that I’m sure everyone has heard is this- let go of the things you cannot control. One vital piece of advice that I have right now is that you are allowed to be uncertain. You are allowed to not have a clue what is going on, because we all feel like that! Something I keep reminding myself is that every single person you know is in the same boat. And whilst it is important to not compare your suffering to another, this is the best time to start finding an amazing support network right on your own street.

I think that it is absolutely imperative to give yourself a break at the start of all of this. If you are feeling overwhelmed right now and the last thing you want is a daily routine that’s your body telling you that you need to rest and that’s okay! If your brain is working at 10% happiness right now then make a 10% routine. If you were 10% today but today you’re feeling 50% that’s great but don’t try and complete a 100% routine. Take it all at your speed. Some examples below could be-

10%- Brush your teeth and make sure you eat.

20%- Brush your teeth, eat, try and do some self care like brush your hair or wipe your face.

30%- Brush your teeth, eat, have a shower and put on a different outfit than that you slept in.

40%- Get ready for the day and make yourself something to eat, do those dishes that have been piling up.

50%- Get ready for the day, eat, phone a relative or friend and ask how they are, do some house work.

60%- Get ready for the day, eat, get your house work done, go out for a walk, check in on your friends and family.

70%- Get ready for the day, eat, why not do some meal prep, paint that pesky spot on the wall that you always have wanted to paint, go for a walk or do some home exercises.

80%- Get ready for the day, eat, try something new you’ve always wanted to try, clean out your wardrobe, do a workout, call your friends and family, do your taxes that you’ve been meaning to do.

90% to 100%- All of these but adding in anything else that you do for leisure or anything that makes you feel like life is a bit more back to normal.

Of course this list will be different for everyone but it’s important to figure out what your typical mood is and start personalising to suit your own life. So if you mostly sit at 40% maybe your 100% is actually what 80% would be for some other people. Make it personal, no one knows you better than yourself. Breaking the day down into manageable slices like that gives you a sense of accomplishment, give you the wee boost of confidence that you need and it’s a really easy way to subconsciously create a routine without putting too much pressure on yourself.

Please remember that despite how scary the world is right now, there is comfort to be found in knowing that everyone is scared and everyone is willing to help each other. Find your own happiness in your own home, make it your little safe haven and try and take one day at a time. If you find yourself being bed ridden with anxiety reach out and get involved in whatever gives you peace. I’m fortunate enough to have a creative outlet for all of my worries, and maybe you will find that you are the same, or maybe you’ll find out that you are actually really passionate about something else! As forced as this lock down is, the universe is also forcing you to slow down and get a fresh start if that is what you want.

Thank you for everyone who is doing their bit for the community right now and of course all of the essential workers that are keeping us afloat. And thanks to you if you read all the way down to this bottom page!

Leo x