Have you learned anything good out of this new situation? *Positivity only*

[happytobemrsg]

I’ve learnt:

That regular, goal driven exercise (c25k) really helps with my anxiety

The joys of Nutella on toast (where have you been all my life?!)

Sequins can be worn any day of the week - today is Sequin Saturday on the OOTD thread

What about you?

Oh & I’ve discovered farm-bought sacks of potatoes. They last FOREVER & taste much nicer than what I get from Tesco’s. I’ve subsequently got really good at roasties & mash, & the air fryer has been on lots!

That my relationship with my small children is so much easier and more comfortable when life is slower and I’m not always having to harangue them to get out to places. All the activities seem less important now and possibly a bit detrimental to our relationship weirdly. They just want to be with me and are so much more pleasant to be around just now. (Apart from the odd spot of cabin fever but keeping positive!)

Also reflecting on how luxurious our lives have been - we could get whatever we wanted and when we wanted - so fortunate compared to many in the world. It’s humbling to be inconvenienced and think of how ungrateful I have been at times for what I’ve had.

I am making a conscious effort to stop multi tasking. If I have the tv on, I am not allowed to browse on my phone. If I go in the garden to garden, no phone or music on just listen to the birds, same for going for a walk. Trying to be more present "in the moment"

My husband has finally realised he doesn't have to work so hard all the time. He's totally shut down, I'm still working and we can pay bills and put food on the table on one salary.
He's always believed it's all down to him and I'm incredibly glad he now sees were a team

YABU for just discovering Nutella.

That my hair looks a lot healthier when I wash it and let it air dry rather than blow dry with loads of product.
I can manage on one food shop a week (although I don't like not having fresh fruit in the house).

DH and I are happiest when we’re together all the time so him wfh is great, he has lunch with the baby and me, he’s very busy but not commuting so around more. His work has been great and everyone’s pulling their weight.

Our village has banded together amazingly well. Way more volunteers than needy at the moment. The food bank in the church is overflowing. The shop is being brilliant and delivering to stop too many people having to go in. The pub is closed but doing takeaway food.

That my husband is a wonderful man to be isolated with.

He is quiet, he is often busy doing stuff not requiring my space and he makes cups of tea before being asked. Bliss.

It's never too late to take some exercise. Being doing the Joe Wicks PE online and it is doing me good.

Standing outside inhaling fresh air is enjoyable all by itself!

The kindness of friends and volunteers. The way people are helping and supporting each other. The way we are all re-evaluating our priorities and focusing on the only things that really matter.
I have been impressed with the way the NHS has magically reverted to its old “can do” attitude, ditching the stranglehold of bureaucracy to achieve in weeks what usually takes years of committee meetings and paperwork!

The people posting funny videos to cheer us up.
The church, offering “practical Christianity”- my minister has left home cooked meals on my doorstep while I an ill with covid and living alone!
And here on MN, the mutual support and advice being offered and shared by so many courageous women is brilliant and uplifting.
Disaster can bring out the best or the worst in human beings. So far, this one seems to be doing the former much more than the latter.
God bless all of us, and let’s all look forward to normal life afterwards - when we can look back and feel proud that we all did what we could to help.

That my dd is a really easy going kid (I knew this before but really appreciate it now!) She's been fantastic this week sorting all her school work and entertaining herself while I've been WFH glued to my laptop 10 hours a day.

I've learned all I really need in life is dd, sweatpants, wifi and vodka

Conducting a freezer audit is now an exciting Saturday morning task.. found 4 sausages earlier and was genuinely happy.

That Gareth Malone is a great choir director and takes everyone with him, making them the best they can be. Im not in the uk but streaming on youtube and he is so much better than the local alternative.

Also learned that the local supermarket has much better stock than it did when I moved here 13 yrs ago.

Yy to the freezer audit. We're having quite a lot of freezer tapas atm.

DH retired early 2 yrs ago and I will retire in 4 yrs. I have been dreading it but this has given us a peek into the future and we have been getting along fine. The odd irritable moment but far less than during normal life.
We’ve been working in the garden this week and worked well together.
Lots of jobs to do but I have told him to chill and spread them out so we have something to do every day.
Weekends off for everyone though in order to structure the week.
Best of all we go out in the evening to walk the dog. We are so lucky to live rurally and have plenty of long walks to chose from.
The only cloud on the horizon is that I will have to work on or close to the frontline in the coming weeks.

I’m just loving the peace and stillness. The slowness and quieter life.
Appreciating that nature is also loving this and seems to be abundant.
The birds seem to be so much louder!!

That I don’t need to be out and about every day with my toddler and just playing with her is enough.

That I’ve absolutely made the right decision to separate from exp, still living together and the isolation with him has confirmed without a shadow of a doubt I've made the right choice.

I am really grateful for more time with my children without the usual chaos of going to work, rushing home, having to be somewhere all the time.

I’ve also realised how much my friends and family really do mean to me - once we are all free again I will never take anyone or my freedom for granted again.

Time to do things, not planning so far ahead, hanging out with DH rather than tag teaming tasks, children (11 and 13) have impressed me with their willingness to muck in with cleaning, cooking, gardening etc. I've got 6 years before I can draw my teacher pension at 55 and now I'm actively looking at ways of making that happen, whereas before I was worried about how it would be too little to live on. Now I know most of my incidental spending comes from being at work:petrol, lunch, clothes, stress leading to massage, reflexology, Spa, weekends.. weight gain... Etc. ...

I've learnt to be grateful for what I have. I think this will change the way we shop and eat forever.

The best thing for me is that my DH has finally understood all that I do for our family. His workplace is shut and he only has enough to work from home 2 days a week so he's actually been able to see (and join in with) all the cooking, cleaning and toddler wrangling that happens day to day while I juggle my WFH job that I don't think he ever noticed, even though I told him it was tough. I was seriously considering our future before this all happened because I was so worn down and felt like I didn't matter apart from serving a function to care for other people. I do hope it will spark a long-term change in our relationship.

I am working from home (secondary teacher) which is not usually possible for me ( I work at home plenty but obviously, I am normally in school 7.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri).

I am actually enjoying the slower pace of life, doing my work is suddenly so much less stressful even though I am getting to grips with how to deliver lessons remotely. Not having to rush my 6 year old son here, there and everywhere - just having time to chill at home.

Appreciating my garden and field which I never get much time to spend in.

I have enjoyed cooking without it being a mad rush.

I popped out for food shopping today and although there was a small queue to get into lidl, it was actually very calm inside. My small, independent butchers was similar to normal.

Our village is much more pleasant because the volume of traffic passing through has greatly reduced.

Community spirit is really showing which is lovely.

Naturally, lockdown has it downsides but we are very much trying to focus on the positives.

My kids are really adaptable.

That my children really are a joy!

That all the extras I stress about sorting for them aren’t necessary at all

That I’m very privileged to work for a good employer

That I’m lucky to have close family I can really talk to and an unlimited minutes deal on the landline

That dp and I are getting on well at the moment

That I don't need to go out with my friends every Saturday that I can cope just fine without a break where before I would have panic attacks if I couldn't find someone to go out with.

That my dc even though all 3 have sn are fabulously behaved caring considerate dc who can pull together in a crisis.

That I can cope without my mum here every day and while I miss her I am enjoying the time spent just me and my dc.

I’m not rushing around so much and doing everything 100MPH. I’ve actually enjoyed homeschooling dds and properly finding out their strengths. I’ve really enjoyed spending more time with them and our evenings are less fraught and stressful. We now wind down with a board game.

I've learn that I spend so much money on absolute crap (coffees, sandwiches, magazines, cheap clothes that I don't really need etc). Not being able to go anywhere has saved me a fortune (luckily as our income is down).

That I have wasted many years thinking I am not good enough, and that when this is hopefully over I am going to live life to the full and ditch the guilt.