Covid-19: How are you handling all this?

How is this Covid-19 situation treating you? Or better still, how are you handling it?

For the past 8 years I’ve been touching base with you about how uneasy and overwhelming it can all feel sometimes, and you nice readers regularly get back to share your experiences with me. Of course, I’m no expert but just a listener who have had my fair share of uneasy, anxious moments, just like everyone does at some point or another. And THAT’S OK!

Back to this Covid-19 which hit us unexpectedly bur which is now kind of becoming a norm (cause no, this is far from over and we really have to work hard together to keep this under control)! In my case, it’s now better than I had first expected it to be. The first two weeks were...SCARY, and that’s actually an understatement.

I was trying to keep myself informed of what was happening so as to protect myself and my loved ones as much as possible, staying updated with all the latest statistics, numbers and measures along the way. It was almost becoming an obsession, waiting for the new figures in Italy, Spain and of course Malta, and trying to adapt to the new circumstance as best as I could. I decided that I was going to have to stop visiting my parents (as per our health experts’ guidance) and that was probably the hardest, most upsetting decision which still bothers me big time but in the circumstances, I figured it was the best thing to do. Besides self-isolation, I started following this strict wiping-everything regime which was driving me nuts as I kept questioning everything; am I doing this correctly, should I wash all the veggies one more time just in case, am I disinfecting the surfaces frequently enough? Now some of you might not get this and I totally understand, but I am sure that there are plenty of you who can relate to this; when worry and fear take over, this could easily be the end result. And again, it’s ok as long as you try to understand what’s happening without it letting take over.

Of course, to some of us, that’s easier said than done. Finding the right balance might require some of us to be really brave during one heck of a long self-battle!

In my case, thankfully, I got to relax after a couple of weeks when I started to understand that I simply had to ADAPT TO this new norm rather than setting a deadline to when this will be over (those who are so used to planning everything and setting deadlines for everything know what I mean here)! I followed the given guidance and accepted that I was doing my best and taking all the necessary precautions. I started my daily walks in the countryside (a new thing for me) first time in the morning or very late in the afternoon. I adapted to virtually hanging out with my friends. I found time to do small chores around the house that I had never managed to do before. I looked forward to a time in the day late in the afternoon where I would go near my parents’ to have a brief chat in the front garden or just to wave hello from outside their house; the time to hug them again will come as well!

The minute I got to understand this, it all felt better; it started to make sense. I’m in no way saying that I don’t miss my old life, my friends, my frequent travels. But I found a way to, as much as possible, make the most of this time inside during self-isolation and I’m kind of happy and proud about it.

We are all in this together; so let’s help each other out. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed, nostalgic and/or frustrated at times. But we will get out of this and we will look back and say “We managed to overcome it. Together.”

askdorianne.com

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