The positive mental health thread - part 4

[Spudlet]

Keeping it positive, keeping our sanity, people 👍

@Mrsorganmorgan yes get your vitamin D in in the garden!

@Spudlet ooh your doggy is so cute!!

Thanks for the new thread! The only thing I’m now looking at online!

@Layladylay234 glad to hear he seems better it’s totally understandable to worry especially when you’re pregnant.

I’m in the same situation. As of yesterday we are now in Full self-isolation as my DD (almost 3) started with a temperature and a dry cough yesterday afternoon. Both are only mild and she doesn’t seem too affected. She was up in the night coughing a bit but it’s not persistent. Who knows if it’s covid or just another cold but so far she doesn’t seem too bothered by it 🤞🏻 I on the hand am 26 weeks pregnant and supposed to be keeping away from her which is impossible with a toddler!

Going to struggle not to get out for a walk for the next 14 days and DD already had massive meltdown about not being able to go to the park this morning so hard to explain to them.

I am feeling in some ways better that we are on full lock down though as at least there is proper clarity now and it takes away the uncertainty of when it will happen as I always thought it was inevitable. Hoping it makes a big difference so that things are less bad by June when I’m due to give birth 🤞🏻

Sunshine and birdsong cheered me this morning while I had an early morning cuppa in the garden before anyone else up!

Just wanted to placemark as I like to read this thread every day.

My good news is that my tulips are starting to bloom and yesterday me and toddler DD collected nature from the garden (sticks, leaves etc) to make a collage which she was v proud of

Thank you Bloodybackpain.

I have bloody back pain too.

Bloodybackpain

Thank you for this thread!

Delurking to place mark on this amazing thread (I posted at the end of the third one and then realised you'd all moved over here already - you can tell I haven't much experience of posting ☺️).
All your posts have made a huge difference to my past week, thank you all so much

@Bunnyflop, hi! Your rabbit looks a proper character!

Here's a photo of Zoiddog 1 after a game with her ball in a very muddy field...

I meant to add, if I rig myself up with a webcam and some electrodes, could one of you please zap me whenever you see me go on Facebook? It's not good for me - I need to stick to this thread!

The trouble with Facebook (I find) is that I can scroll through and see lots of nice things, friends and family messages of support and useful advice, things for the kids to do, but then something horrible and scary and possibly not even reliable will come up, I am trying to snooze updates from certain people or news sources as I see them that are not very helpful...

Same here @foxessocks social media is such a double edged sword right now

Oooh this is a great idea @VoyageInTheDark I’m nicking that got my DD this afternoon as she gathered a nice collection of twigs, leaves and wildflowers at the weekend which is now just sitting around the house!

@foxessocks, yes, exactly that!

In better news, it's a beautiful day here again, and there's even some warmth in the sun; I've just been sitting on the window seat (Well, ok, two ottomans - ottomen? - pushed together and covered with a throw, but it works!) Watching the birds in the front garden. So far we've had pigeons, collared doves, greenfinches, robins, a dunnock, blackbirds collecting nesting material and a pair of reed buntings, which was a lovely surprise!

@foxessocks @Zoidbergonthehalfshell Facebook is like bobbing for apples in shark infested waters at the moment. One minute it’s all fruit, the next, snap! I’ve set a time limit on my phone for how long as I can use it per day and a curfew as well - after 10pm a lot of the apps on my phone are set to switch off and they stay off until 7am.

@Zoidbergonthehalfshell I saw a robin in the garden yesterday and it filled me with love. I always think robins are sent to watch over me, it might sound daft to some but that’s how It feels. Also birds in general, I always feel loved when I see a bird near me x

A friend just sent me this. A message from the other side:

Reflections from ex pat Cilla Murphy , just emerging from 7 weeks of lockdown in China!

We are just finishing our 7th week of E-Learning, seven weeks of being mainly housebound and seven weeks of uncertainty. We are healthy, we are happy, and we are humbled.

We are allowed to move around freely now with a green QR code that we show when we get our temperature taken. You get your temperature taken everywhere, and it's just become part of the routine. Most restaurants and shopping centres are now open, and life is coming back to our city.

As we watch the rest of the world begin their time inside; here are some of my reflections on the last seven weeks:

1. Accept that you have no control over the situation. Let go of any thoughts of trying to plan too much for the next month or two. Things change so fast. Don't be angry and annoyed at the system. Anxiety goes down, and you make the best of the situation - whatever that might be for you. Accept that this is what it is and things will get easier.

1. Try not to listen to/read/watch too much media. It WILL drive you crazy. There is a thing as too much!

1. The sense of community I have felt during this time is incredible. I could choose who I wanted to spend my energy on - who I wanted to call, message and connect with and found the quality of my relationships has improved.

1. Appreciate this enforced downtime. When do you ever have time like this? I will miss it when we go back to the fast-paced speed of the 'real world'.

1. Time goes fast. I still haven't picked up the ukelele I planned to learn, and there are box set TV shows I haven't watched yet.

1. As a teacher, the relationships I have built with my students have only continued to grow. I have loved seeing how independent they are; filming themselves to respond to tasks while also learning essential life skills such as balance, risk-taking and problem-solving, that even we as adults are still learning.

1. You learn to appreciate the little things; sunshine through the window, flowers blossoming and being able to enjoy a coffee in a cafe.

To those just beginning this journey, You will get through it. Listen to what you are told, follow the rules and look out for each other. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

@Spudlet "Facebook is like bobbing for apples in shark infested waters at the moment. One minute it’s all fruit, the next, snap!" What an awesome way of putting it - that's brilliant, and exactly right, Thankyou - I shall be saving that!

@Alsohuman - thankyou so, so much for sharing that. I'm going to share it with my family on Messenger - my DD in particular will appreciate it.

@Zoidbergonthehalfshell cute dog! My bunny says hi!

Positive words from China. I can only hope that life will ease a little within 7 weeks here too.

My little positive for today - I have a pack of nappies which I bought to set aside for Brexit (lol, remember that being the biggest worry?!). We don’t need them so I put them onto the village Facebook page and will be leaving them for a family in the village who are running low, when we go to pick up the car from its MOT later. Feels nice to help a bit!

There’s such kindness out there, I’m loving it ❤️❤️❤️

Hi all! I’ve moved into a “limiting Corona stuff on the Internet” phase and deliberately trying to surround myself with positive things.

So, despite me not usually bragging about my studying, today I am going to. I’ll try and make a long story short.

Stories have always been my ‘thing’ since I was really tiny. I was taught to read long before school started. I was the kid who used to devour the maximum amount of books the library allows you to check out every week. English was always my best subject. I had the usual teen angst poetry floating around. I copied famous novels when I was young and tried to recreate them.

Anyway, fast forward to A Levels and I completely screwed up my final exam despite getting 98% in my mocks. My self-confidence took a huge nose dive. I was also dealing with family and mental health issues at the time which didn’t help. My dream had always been to study creative writing at university. My parents told me I was rubbish, based on my A level exam, and besides, they’d always had their own dreams for what I would study. So I went to university to try and do a different degree, trying to find compromise between their dreams and mine. I still always wrote, just for me, and made it my personal hobby to learn as much as I could about the craft.

Eventually I dropped out of my degree. A mix of mental health and family issues again plus my own lack of interest. You can imagine how ashamed my parents felt.

Fast forward some years and with the support of my DH I decided I wanted to finish my degree. I signed up with the OU to study part time alongside my full time job. I was able to transfer credits from my previous study. This time, I took English subjects. I am now on my last module, and only two assessments away from completing my degree. So far, on every single piece of creative writing I have received a distinction. If I maintain for the last two assessments then my degree will be a First, though I don’t want to curse myself, and a 2:1 is fine. It feels so surreal to be in this position after hiding what I love for so long. I’m entering international writing competitions now. I’m working on my novel. I’m applying for a Masters in the autumn.

What’s more, I’ve not told anybody about this in my real life apart from my husband. This is just for me. And it feels amazing.

So I’m taking full advantage of the extra time at home to work on my next submissions. I’m wfh but I’m using the time I would have used for commuting, meetings, lunch breaks etc. as much as I can.

And I’m finally proud of myself. :)

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Place mark

Good news. A friend colleague was in a coma but has since has recovered and been sent home from hospital. Her other colleague also positive was feeling ok and self isolating. Two other close colleagues working with the effected both tested negative.

@Writersblock2 well done, fab achievement!