I wanted to share my thoughts and ideas with you, with everything that is going on. There is a lot of anxiety and stress, worry and fear of the unknown. I think it would be fair to say that most of us are fearful or worried about catching the virus, others we know catching the virus, and getting really sick. Add to that the fear of the economy, the loss of jobs and income that are affecting so many of us. We are very fortunate, I know that, but people we love and care for have lost their livelihood; this can lead to a range of stresses, including anxiety and depression.

Add to all this, the people who are doomsday prepping and hoarding, or worse who are bulk buying and on selling at a huge price or even sending overseas to make a profit. These people are stopping others, the most vulnerable, from buying goods such as toilet paper, masks, Panadol, rice, sugar and other basic foodstuffs. It is fair to say emotions are running high at the moment.

Home schooling, life changing decisions and actions, on top of the devastation that was the bushfires and even flooding at the beginning of the year. Three months ago seems like such a long time ago now. It’s no wonder people are feeling a little unsure of what is happening. For most of us, nothing like this has occurred in our lifetime, and are similar only to stories from long ago, handed down through generations. Or maybe for others this seems like the end days, like every single end of times movie we have watched over so many years. Is this really the end of time? Or is it a virus created by a mean world super power aimed at wiping out all competition, or the start of some weird virus war? Truth and fiction blur, fake news and all the media and movies blur, what is the truth?

Maybe, it just might be that this virus and the changes we have to make to our lives is Mother Nature trying to heal and recover and in turn heal humankind. Maybe she has tried everything else to try and help us understand that the way we are living is unsustainable, that we have to make small adjustments in our lives for the health of everyone. It almost feels like the equivalent of Mother Nature sending us to our rooms for a time out, to think about how we are living. I am not making light of the situation, but seriously all we are being asked to do, is to stay home, rest, relax, spend time in isolation and not gather in large groups. We are not being asked to fight, we are asked stay home and sit on the coach. Not literally though. Get up, get out of bed, learn a new skill. Go outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Play with your pets, plant a vegetable garden (with the price of food increasing it is a serious suggestion and one which will benefit us all). If you are in a colder climate, you can plant the seeds or seedlings out indoors, in pots. We are fortunate, in a much warmer climate now, we have just planted up a whole heap of garden beds. Which is what we were going to do anyway, so no great impact to life for us with that.

There is no doubt, this virus will see us all make some adjustments in our lives, for a prolonged period of time. I feel for the younger generation, they are all used to going out and meeting up, social gatherings and are going to find it difficult to stay home in isolation. But they are the creative tech savvy ones. They can skype, zoom, face time and communicate in different ways. Families too will have to find creative ways of connecting. I now don’t live in the same state as any of my kids, grown up kids, and with the border controls I wont see them for a while. But that is life anyway isn’t it? Not all families meet lots, yes some do, but there is the technology to stay connected.

For the elderly, who now cant have their family visit, too far away or because they are susceptible to the virus, we can all help. Contact an elderly neighbour, write them a note and stick in their mailbox, offering to get them some groceries, or a paper next time we go out. Talk to neighbours, over fences, over balconies if we live in a unit or townhouse. Set up a barter system with neighbours, swap potatoes and tomatoes, or a haircut for babysitting, that kind of thing, with an awareness of social distance of course.

We all have a part to play. At the most basic level – we need to look after ourselves, and our loved ones. So stay home, be creative, find things to do, skype loved ones who live away that we cant visit. Only go to the shops for essential shopping. There are on line buying options for many things, but be patient with businesses and staff as they deal with increased workloads. Remember, we are all in this together, so when we do interact with others, be kind and compassionate. Everyone is likely suffering and anxious. It is natural to be fearful of the unknown, but we mustn’t let that change who we are. Nor should we focus on the fear, but rather focus on creating a new, simpler life. It is our chance to relax to a degree, with no expectations to be always out doing things. It will take some time to adjust, but I suspect on the whole it wont be as bad as we imagine, and we may even improve our health and wellbeing. It’s all about how we think, feel, behave and act. Stay safe and well.