Day Twenty Three

In fact, it’s Day Thirty for me.
I was already locked down with a sick friend before Level 4 was declared but when it was announced, we had to scurry back to our nests.

Isolation isn’t easy. 

Such a drastic change from normal routine is stressful for any human, even those who, like me, enjoy their own company.

Richard S Lazarus , Professor Emeritus at the University of California, defined stress as,

‘a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that the demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilise.’  

Of course he’d put it like that, he’s a Professor !   

A simpler explanation of stress is 'when  we feel we are no longer in total control of our lives.'    And who does at the moment? 

This can apply to any life-change, even the mostly good ones such as getting married, graduating, getting a new job,  or moving to a new house.

When the changes are negative and against our will, the stress moves up a notch. 

When we see the world as we know it, spiralling into sickness and death,  then,  as during war it can strain us to our maximum capacity.

This is why I began writing this Blog. Not because I am relentlessly cheerful or wilfully ignoring what’s going on around me,  far from it.  

It affects me deeply and that is why I  knew I would need a way of coming to terms with a world turned upside down.

 Writing has always been my way of coping and the diary I’ve written for over 40 years has been my safety valve, confidant and companion.

It is very different from this Blog. 

The purpose of The Lockdown Diaries is to remind myself and those who care to read it, that there are still useful and positive things to do,  even when surrounded by  immense human misery.

It’s at these times we need to remember the good stuff.  

 I’ve heard a lot about the human spirit triumphing as it did in World War Two;  about people helping people and giving selflessly.

Yorkshire born, Captain Tom Moore has become the embodiment of this spirit as he walks round his English garden raising millions for the British Health Service.

 As he continues towards his 100^th birthday, bravely using his walker as support, we can choose to wonder why it’s necessary for a courageous old soldier to prop up an under-funded service  - or we can applaud his determination and optimism.

I choose to applaud.   

   

  Covid-19 may be ever-present but if we dwell exclusively on the horror, we lose sight of the hope.