I saw some great and helpful posts about world Mental Health Day back on the 10th October. I wanted to record for myself the things which I am finding helpful and not helpful for mental well-being as we pass 7 months of COVID restrictions, and with no sign of a letting up for the foreseeable. These things, I think, are true for me under normal circumstances but the pandemic has created a hot-house environment of issues and challenges which have heightened the need to be aware of these things.
We have been very fortunate. The three of us have rattled along well, enjoying time together; watching some culture on the internet and TV. Distance from wider family has been a burden, but thanks to technology we have been able to regularly video chat.
Since lockdown began in its most restricted form in the middle of March we have tried to exercise every day. This is easier for me, based from home. I think I have only missed about 12 days of running (and on some of those days we deliberately did not run so we could go for a longer walk). I have missed parkrun - not just the running but the camaraderie (and the regularly updated statistics and progress against challenges) - more than I thought, even if Saturday is usually the one day we wouldn't need an alarm.
Productive and meaningful work helps - what it must be like for some of those we are not so blessed, I can hardly imagine - even if there are days when there is too much, and others where it has been so complicated my head has hurt (learning how to edit video from multiple camera and audio sources!). Having the feedback from the Church family, and wider community, in response to our efforts to stream services and prayer times has been a real encouragement. The flip side of this is that it has taken a lot longer than I had imagined to want to use my cameras for my personal creative outlets. My birthday present was photography based, and has given me a very satisfyingly different way to work. Slowing down in creativity has been restorative in that sense. (If you've noticed one or two of my recent images on Instagram, you'll understand what I mean).
The learning of new skills has also reduced my energy levels in terms of reading. I finished some good books that had been on the half-read pile for too long, and have taken a new book quite slowly. I have, however, been uplifted by being able to browse my art books - finding those images which are, in some way, profound and then trying to work out why.
We made a concerted effort to increase our healthy eating with fresh produce, thanks to M and S food hall in walking distance and an excellent farm shop which delivered even when we couldn't get a supermarket delivery for love nor money (not playing the key worker card for either of us), and so trying to increase the recipe repertoire has been good for me at least. I'm so glad I made the effort to make my own sourdough this time last year, as baking my own bread a couple of times a week has been very good, even if supplies of large quantity flour bags was touch and go at times.
The big negative for us has been the curtailing of travel. Plans for travelling to the Silk Road and also our summer break along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland in the camper both had to be postponed for next year. Normally I find the planning therapeutic over the winter months; writing up a journal of destinations and places to see or photograph along with all we would need to know so we don't need to worry about wifi too much, especially when abroad. But at the moment, that is one life-giver which doesn't seem to be working for me.
I do find that being able to visit a gallery, go to an exhibition or a concert, or enjoy a sneaky meal out really restorative. Most of those things have been off limits since March. A lot of venues put some of their past performances up on YouTube which allowed us to catch up on some really good plays, but we would often go up to London for places like the Tate or Royal Academy and although London is open, the whole journey up seems a bit too much to take on at present. Being aware of this means I know I need to focus attention on to other things to make up for the gap.
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