The 'Positive Mental Health' Corona virus thread Part III

[DaffodilThatch]

Think would be good to keep this thread going! Will link to the previous threads in a bit.

Bunny, our rabbit was a rescue, so age unknown, best guess is 7!

Good news from here is that the in laws are being sensible, they’re usually a bit gung ho, so it’s reassuring to say the least!

Grrr! This is the third attempt at posting this - stupid phone!
It's been beautiful here so I've been gardening with DH. Planted up 6 hanging baskets (we usually have 10, but the plants were expensive!) and put some sunflower seeds in - they'll be nice and cheerful later on

And repeat...

Hi @Bouncingbomb what a lovely kitty!

Yes we have been out in the garden a bit but our garden is weeny and very overlooked by the neighbours. We went to a big playing field for a bit but there were too many people there including a couple of coughers .

I agree that everyone needs to be careful what they read. Too much sensationalist news reporting. Even bbc news has been at it a bit. Sometimes some of the stories have really got me down. I’m reminding myself often that out of the giant population of China only a tiny fraction died of this.

Here’s some more bunny pictures in a bid to spread even more cheer.... he is currently flopped asleep under ds’ bed.

@cavemum I read that same article and I agree, it was very reassuring.

@Millie2013 I would love to see a pic of your bunny if you feel comfortable posting! Bunnies make everything better.

Had a lovely outside walk. Dare I say it, the place looks like it did 20 years ago, can hear birds singing and everything.

Was on it here that a helpful poster gave me the link to the very short video of Moriarty saying “that’s what people do”? The shortest one I can find is about 2 minutes.

Just for you, Bunny ❤️

@millie2013 oh my gooooosh your bunny is so cute!

Popped to see my mum earlier. We were stood one at each end of her hallway and she opened and read her Mother's Day card, cried then declared 'I'm giving you an illegal hug', bolted down the hallway (can't half move fast for 76) and gave me a sort of half hug from behind, then retreated. Bless her. She did make me smile.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-51947299

Love this! I work with a lot of terminally ill people and I always encourage them to find something meaningful to do. This is such a lovely example 🦔

I found this helpful

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-51995797/coronavirus-stephen-fry-s-take-on-managing-anxiety

Loving this thread

I have a cleaning business and have reluctantly decided to close. It isn't worth the risk going into people's houses. Luckily we are ok for money as H works in a fairly well paid job so I am grateful for that. However the amount of lovely messages I have had from clients is just wonderful and gives me hope I can re start my business again and keep most of them

Struggling hugely to get things into perspective and sense this afternoon. Read a couple of ill-advised things that popped up on social media and now I’m wobbling like a weeble during an earthquake. Trying hard to focus on the here and now, and not start careering off down rabbit holes!

More lovely bunny, kitten, pony and puppy pictures would be great right now please.

@spudlet don’t go on any social media! The only thing I look at is my Instagram which is full of bunnies, nature and garden pics.

I highly recommend making a feel good playlist on Apple Music/ Spotify or whatever. I always bung it on when I’m anxious and sad and it really lifts my mood. Also me and ds just got our art stuff out and had a play with paint etc, very soothing.

Ps here is a bunny pic for you. He looks like Jaws while attacking some lettuce! That’s the last bunny pic now everyone I promise!

@DianneWhatcock I’m sorry you’ve had to close your business for the mo.

@bunnyflop please have a look at www.curablehealth.com It is absolutely brilliant for fibromyalgia. I think they have 50% off because of the virus. Others could benefit too in terms of managing anxiety amongst other things (it's a broad programme). I know someone who is feeling much much better with their fibro for doing it. It helped me with terrible chronic pain.

Hold on in there everyone. I think it was inevitable we'd feel worse with things picking up. Just remember this will end. People are generally doing less so 2-4 weeks down the line that will have an impact. There are lots of brilliant minds working on this and 97-99% of the population is going to come through this ok. Sometimes you just need to have a cry and a worry don't you? I have today.

I also keep thinking how there is a real downside to reporting numbers daily, vital as that is. The winters where we lose 17k people to flu....how do you think we'd all feel getting daily death counts tracked by location worldwide and here? It'd feel terrifying. Ditto with malaria (which is 2k deaths per day I believe). I know this isn't flu and it is hitting closer to home than malaria but if you can, don't keep checking them. They are going to go up. It doesn't mean the world is ending, tragic as it is for individual families. Even 50k+ deaths is a drop in the ocean out of 65 million.

A friend sent me this. I thought of you all.

@Noooblerooble thank you for the link! I haven’t heard of that.

Just popping in to say thanks for this thread, it's a lifesaver. It's weird, I used to go on Mumsnet to relax and de-stress, and now it's the opposite - this is the only thread I can bear.

Round where I live, people do seem to be social distancing. Went for a walk this morning, and people either moved away from me, or I moved away from them.

Some good news from Italy:

"More on the numbers coming from Italy. The total of new deaths from coronavirus in Italy in the last 24 hours - 651 - is lower than the number reported in the previous day - 793.
According to the government, the number of confirmed cases has risen from 53,578 to 59,138, a 10% increase.
This is the lowest rise in percentage terms since the contagion came to light on 21 February, according to Reuters news agency."

Still awful, but signs their actions are taking effect.

@Bunnyflop I love your bun-shark hybrid! ❤️

@Alsohuman that is beautiful and almost made me cry

@Noooblerooble You are right about the figures, I know they are important but we could do the same for a great many diseases and end up just as terrified.

You are all keeping me sane on this thread. Thank you.

I would like to add my sincere thanks to you all.

I watched an ill-advised YouTube video earlier, followed by waving at my son and daughter-in-law-to-be when they came round to pick something up instead of our usual warm hugs, then came inside and soaked DH's shoulder (I hope his jumper doesn't shrink). Then I read the latest posts on here and regained my equilibrium. Thankyou all.

Thank you also for this thread. Enjoying the bunnies and puppies and petsI definitely have a low every mid afternoon where it all gets me down so I come and read here

Some random other ideas for lifting our spirits:

• having a big hot bubble bath
• ordering some bulbs and seeds to plant for spring and summer
• watching ASMR videos on YouTube
• downloading Duolingo and learning a new language
• watching feel good films on Netflix
• yoga
• light a candle and meditate
• have a clear out
• listen to a podcast (nothing grim! The Rewatchables is really good)

All other ideas welcome!

Sounds like some lovely relaxing days all round today with beautiful sunshine- we have spent most of it outside for a walk (obviously observing social distancing)
Sorry I hadn’t replied yet Millie but see a PP has kindly answered (have come off Facebook so hadn’t seen that!)
Am watching the news once a day only, and switching my phone off at 8 to stop me reading too much alarmist info and cogitating in the middle of the night.
Worth remembering that currently approx 1500 people die a day in the uk from all causes, so while the current 30ish a day from covid-19 sounds scary (and it inevitably will go up), currently it is still a tiny proportion. That helped me get it into perspective a bit.
Thank you all again