It’s been well over a year now that all of our lives have changed
That the world has changed and seems further away than ever from things getting back to normal. It’s been a hard year for us all.
Here in Canada, things have gone from bad to worse with the variants. Fuelled by continued air travel, a lack of vaccines, a lack of distribution of vaccines, a lack of information, and a sense that pandemic rules only apply to certain people.
A second birthday in our lockdown and now we are cycling through more holidays. They have the Easter bunny even wearing a mask now. Maybe they are afraid of a bunny born variant?
I just wanted to share with everyone that I am struggling with the mental health aspects of feeling isolated, a fear that things are heading in the wrong direction, and I am very worried about those who will die and suffer. And not just from covid, but also from delayed medical procedures and mental health issues.
And like many others, imaginary lines have separated our family from those we love and we are starting to wonder if we will ever see them again. But we soldier on, hoping for that magical time to arrive, hoping that the families and friends we miss so much will be okay. Hoping you are okay too!
Here are a few tips that I have found helpful in dealing with the ‘third wave’
Limiting my news consumption.
I am finding that there is so much fake news out there, that the situation is constantly evolving, and that there is so much arguing and hate for different opinions on social media. It’s good to unplug from that.
Keep moving.
It feels hard to keep the inertia of life up when it feels like life is on hold. It’s easy to pull a Peg Bundy and sit on the couch and eat bonbons, but it’s much better to get outside. Be in nature. Walk, hike. If you can’t get outside there is always youtube. Yoga and working out have consistently helped my mood, as much as sometimes I don’t want to do anything.
Keep dreaming.
Don’t forget that the best way to keep hope alive is to keep your dreams alive. Some things may have to be on hold for a while longer, but keep working on the parts that you can.
Doing pottery/making art
Putting energy into creating rather than consuming has helped me to keep moving forward.
Reach out in whatever way you can.
To friends, to family, to those who are struggling. We may not be able to solve the pandemic individually, but if we all reach out to people we can make it a little more bearable. And that’s what it’s all about, small actions that will hopefully add up, keeping the essential part of humanity, for at heart people are meant to be together.
Stay safe and be careful everyone! Do what you need to protect yourself and each other.
How are you doing during
this phase of the pandemic?
Please share any tips you might have for getting through this in the comments below.
And if you need a little good news …
We’ve reached our newsletter subscriber goal to add a vase to our prize package!
So if you want to win a free raku vase, a mug, and even more pottery pieces, sign up today! The more people who sign up, the more prizes I will add for our draw at the end of the year!
Excellent post for all of us Ya to consider and feel good about 🐰🐇👋🐻❤️🥳💃🎶🎉🪘🏀🎢🤬😎👋🙏🐕♒️
Thanks so much for your kind comment. I am glad you enjoyed the post, and I hope that you are doing well!
We’d always trying Jajaja 🙏♒️🐕
Buen trabajo! Gracias 🙏
You are on the right track by realising that there is tone of fake news, just tune out. I did years ago. No news programs are seen in my home, ever. And stay busy, I hope you feel better soon! 👍🏻🙏🏻😎🇨🇦
Thanks so much John! I am starting to feel a bit better. A tonne of fake news is almost an understatement. I have long tuned out the news on tv, but it’s hard to find any site that has information that is reliable or without bias. I’m just going to take the whole ‘bubble’ thing to heart and keep busy in mine 😉
Hope you are well, and that things are getting back to normal there! It’s going to take awhile here.
You are most welcome! That’s good news. I am fine, getting my second vaccine shot in a week. Another blog friend in BC mentioned that the vaccine is rolling out very slowly in Canada which is not good, I hope they get caught up soon. Do tune out and drop out from the crap news that is spewed these days, it’s mostly propagand to me. Haven’t watched a ‘news cast’ in a very long time.
I stopped watching the news long ago. I now spend a lot of time outdoors and or writing. Thankfully I have family close and we take care of each other.
That’s great Rebecca! You are blessed to have family nearby. Our family is far away and we are worried about them as they are in a much harder hit part of the country and are looking forward to being able to hug them all again. Nature and art has really been a healing salve for us during this time.
Wishing you and your family all the best, and I hope you have a beautiful weekend!
It really is. I know that I am blessed in where we live and that we could get out even during the shutdowns and enjoy nature in our own backyard. I hope that you are very soon able to hug your family and that they are safe and well.
I completely agree with the news consumption. I read it to stay updated but don’t check in several times a day like I used to, particularly before bed, as I just found it too distressing to watch. This has also meant limiting my use of social media as I can only despair at friends and family commenting on, sharing and liking stuff that is clearly fake (not only COVID related but competitions etc), but who have not done their due diligence before sharing.
Thanks for sharing. I completely agree with you about people not being very careful about what they share on social media. It is so polarized these days, so I avoid saying much of anything not pottery or art related. I am just starting to get into the routine of checking once a day when the numbers are out here, just to make sure we are prepared and stay safe.
I hope you are having a wonderful day and wishing you a happy weekend.
Great post. Yes as Simon & Garfunkel said in one of their songs: I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
haha! So very true, and your comment brought both a smile and tune to me 😉 Thank you for that. I hope you have a great day and enjoy your weekend, and the weather is good in your parts!
I hear you. Getting out in nature, moving my limbs, and being creative are essentials for me. Hugs! 🌷
Thank you for the hugs 😉 As long as I keep moving and busy with my art I am fine. I just need a little push every now and then! I hope you are doing well and have a beautiful weekend!
I think we all need a little push every so often, especially over the last year. Wishing you a lovely weekend as well! 🌷
Thank you for sharing. The only way to know that you need a hug is to reach and tell us. Many hugs to you. Yes, this is tough stuff. I’m reaching into my tool belt for all I got! Let nature heal you. Let creative outlets heal you. Much love.
Thank you for the love, hugs and beautiful comment! It means a lot right now. I am upgrading my tool belt and learning to be more vulnerable and reach out more 😉 Sending hugs and love your way and I hope you have a beautiful day and weekend. Thank you again!
Thank you for sharing with us… Yes, mental health is being affected… getting off of social media and reducing the exposure to the news is a huge step towards helping us all heal… thanks for all of your tips… 🙂
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment! I am focussed more on my healing now and letting go of those things that get in the way. I hope that you have a beautiful weekend and that things in your area are getting better! All the best!
Thanks for your honesty. Limiting news and creative outlets have made a difference for me. 😊🤗❤️
I am glad to hear that those things have made a difference for you. Limiting my news consumption is definitely starting to help more and allowing me to focus more on my creativity. Thank you so much for your comment and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
You, too!
I agree keeping occupied helps. I’m walking and started an online MA last year. (I was lucky to get a loan) I hope things improve for you and that things get back on track for your country. Sending hugs x
Congrats on starting your MA last year! That is so amazing! How are you finding the course so far? And how is doing it online? Our country is not doing well, which makes me very sad, but I am starting to do a bit better. Thanks for the hugs and comment, and I wish you a lot of success in your course! So amazing and exciting for you. Hugs!
It’s going OK, a bit overwhelmed with the work and nervous about academic writing. Got to submit a project soon. I have a tendency towards procrastination! Yes it would be good to meet eole
Last word should be people!
Inspirational post! Thanks for the advice. Take good care, and please keep reminding me to go make some art!
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend.
PS – Go make some art 😉 All the best 😉
Your coping techniques are sound. I would add one that I learned years ago when I had cancer: Remember that you way you feel at this moment is not the way you will always feel.
Firstly, a big congrats on getting through cancer, and thank you for such an insightful comment! You are very wise. Its something that is very true, and (eventually) slips into my mind when things come up.
Thank you so much for your comment. I hope you are doing well and have a wonderful weekend!
Beautifully written! This explains your creativity in both your writing and pottery.
Thank you so much for your kind comment here. I feel really blessed to have these creative outlets at such a perilous time. I hope you are well and enjoying a beautiful day!
Wonderful, honest post, and I’m sure many can relate to how you’re feeling. Your suggestions for coping are perfect. We only watch a snippet of the morning news and that’s enough. Take care and hope you feel better with each day.
~Lauren
Thank you so much for your kind comment Lauren! I am glad you have sorted out what works best for you too. I am starting to feel better in spite of the situation getting worse here and that has a lot to do with limiting my news consumption.
I hope you have a beautiful day and an amazing weekend ahead!
This is such an inspirational post. I am glad you are sharing your experiences with the world. So many people need to hear what you have to say!
Thank you for your very kind comment. I really appreciate it. I figure other people must be struggling with all that is going on too, and hopefully it will encourage people to talk about how they are feeling and not keep things bottled up inside.
I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoy the weekend ahead!
I decided to take up a new hobby–it occupies time and involves a learning curve with new terms and a new group of people to interact with (on the internet). I am fortunate to have gotten the vaccine and that removes a huge level of anxiety–still careful but not so worried about doing the bare necessities. Isolation is difficult with few of our normal social interactions—and somehow all of the pandemic became a political item—I agree–limiting news and time on social media is key to survival.
I am so glad you found a new hobby that keeps you occupied. Learning new things is a powerful way to refocus the mind, and it being online, well that is just what these times have become. I am also glad you were able to access the vaccine. Something most aren’t able to do here.
I think the isolation is starting weigh very heavily on many people. Let’s hope the end of all this is in sight soon. I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy a great weekend ahead. Good luck with your new hobby!
I just sent off yet another email to Doug Ford, MPs and the 3 doctors who demanded the “stay at home” order for Ontario starting Tomorrow Apr 8th… it’s ridiculous… and I would like to know where I go about doing my own research regarding the apparent growing COVID cases in our hospitals… because quite frankly, I don’t believe what I am being “told” … it’s time to get back on track, open up and let the young and healthy live again… set up the pop up hospitals for the COVID patients so our hospitals won’t be over run (if that is the case at present).. the lock downs obviously haven’t worked.
I am really saddened to see what is happening in Ontario and some of the other provinces. The impact covid is having on people, their mental health, and people’s livelihoods is serious and seems to not be a factor in any of these decisions. It’s really hard to trust any information one reads in the news, because there are so many inconsistencies and any information seems to be dumbed down like everyone is a child.
Having said all that, I hope the situation improves for everyone who is struggling, that people can have the support they need to get through this and that things can get back to normal soon. Wishing you and yours all the best that can be in this frustrating and trying time. I hope that someone comes up with a plan that gets things back to normal as quickly as possible,
Me too… even the most patient of us are quickly running out of it… 🙁
Yeah. I feel that. Stay strong! I wish there was more I could say, but one never knows what will come from one day to the next.
I can’t thank you enough for writing this post. Had a terrible, terrible day. This is was much needed. I hope you get well soon, and I hope the best for you. Time shall heal, everyone and itself. ♥️
I am really sorry to hear that you had a terrible day. I hope things have gotten better for you since and that time has helped you heal. I am feeling a bit better, trying to stay strong in spite of all this.
Thank you so much for your very kind comment and I hope you have a good day and your weekend brings peace and healing.
Very much needed post.
Thank you for your comment and I am glad you found it useful. I hope you have a wonderful day and a great weekend.
Jajaja keep at it ya already know!🙏🐕♒️
Thanks for the post and here is my virtual hug ! Hope you meet your family soon all in good health and wellness! I am staying alone and my family is 450kms away, in India it’s the 2nd wave now. YouTube, reading ebooks are making my days. I believe i will be safe and I have made my mindset stronger. Be engaged as you are !
may we all be able to get back to “normal” again soon, it’s wearing everyone down… stay safe Praveen and keep busy, you are doing great… 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. it gives me strength and hope☺️
🙂
Fear not what lies ahead. Today will be gone tomorrow. Make it matter while you still can.
Beautiful Narrative,
Is there anyone who isn’t suffering from the ill effects of being isolated? I feel that I am happy one day then weepy the next. As you know I get through these days, weeks, months with the gift of creativity. I love painting and am working on my 4th C.D. too. Also my faith keeps my hope alive. All the very best to you.