Iso Life

Okay, its playing on my mind and so I need to put a pause on the catch up posts just for a second to get this out there!

I'm talking about the 2020 apocalypse that hit apporoximately 8 weeks ago on March 11th, the pandemic that is the Coronavirus (coVID-19).  As of right now, 4.63 million cases have been confirmed worldwide, with 311K deaths as a result (HERE).

For futuristic readers, or those who have been living under a rock (like is usually the case for moi), here is recap on the corona times; some has been taken from a facebook post, some from government website and some from the top of my head due to personal experience.

Australia was forced into lockdown! 

This meant that schools, restaurants, gyms, beauty salons, retail stores, workplaces and communal outdoor areas across the country were closed.  Thousands of Aussies started working from home and kids started learning from home as nobody was allowed to leave their home except for 4 reasons deemed as ‘essential travel’:  1) shopping for food and/or other essential items. 2) access medical services or provide caregiving – for example, this includes shared parenting obligations or providing care and support to an unwell, disabled, elderly or pregnant friend or relative. 3) attend work or education where you can’t do those things from home. 4) exercise and participate in some recreational activities.

The reduced travel saw petrol prices drop to 98 cents to entice people to fill up.

At the start of the madness, grocery shoppers went into survival mode, bulk purchasing items like toilet paper, sanitary pads, pasta, rice, frozen vegetables, disinfecting supplies, laundry powder and hand hand sanitiser. There were many shelves and isles left bare.   Mark took the folowing videos.

Even today, there are still some sections and shopping items that are hard to find; for us personally its coles laundry sanitiser. 

When it comes to doing the shopping the recommendation is for only one family member to go out so to reduce risk. Online shopping was shutdown for weeks, but thankfully they are now open again. Shopping hours are limited and stores are open early for those with extra needs and who are 60+ due to higher risk. A limited number of people are allowed inside store at one time.

Self-distancing measures were and still are mandatory, this means standing 1.5 meters apart. There is tape on the floors at grocery stores and other stores to ensure this is maintained. In waiting rooms laminated crosses are placed on seats.  People are wearing masks and gloves everywhere they go.

Mark over exhaggerating just a tad.

Non-essential stores and businesses were mandated closed.

Parks, pools, lookouts & entire cities locked up.

Entire sports seasons cancelled including professional sports and the Olympics were postponed until 2021.

Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.

Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - severely reduced in number attendance to 5 guests or cancelled.

Immediate family only able to attend funerals and even then no more than 10 so not everyone can attend.

There were no masses or services as churches are closed.

All school holiday plans, cancelled. No movies, no sleepovers, no friend catchups, no dinner plans. All Easter holiday plans etc. camping trips, cancelled.

Only 2 people allowed together out in public spaces. Rule is: Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home. Children's outdoor play parks and Skate parks are closed.

There is a shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers. And, a shortage of beds and ventilators for the critically ill. Not to mention those actually trained to use them; some nurses are being asked to come out of retirement Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switched their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.

Medical appointments being done via telephone or video link. Prescription refills at the click of a button on specific apps. Hospitals heavily reduced visiting hours and then stopped them entirely. Screening done in hospital lobbies before being able to attend appointments.

States and Territory Governments close the border to all non-essential travel. Federal boarders are shut too.

Fines are established for breaking the rules which are legislated acts. $1600 fine in Victoria if caught away from home for a non-essential reason. As such there is barely anyone on the roads.

There are daily updates on new cases and deaths. Not a lot of coverage on recoveries or those sick with the virus. Personally I have never watched the news so much in my life. At one stage we had it on all day!

Unemployment rate is high and there is Government incentives to stay home e.g the Corona Stimulus package. 

The reason for all of this...

To flatten the curve and reduce the spread! Basically, so Australia does not face the same devastation that the United States and United Kingdom have.

And it worked!

Then...as of Tuesday May 12th at 11.59pm, 'some' restrictions were eased. 

You can now:

Have family and friends visit you at home (and as such leave home for the purposes of visiting others) – with up to five visitors being allowed at your home at one time. No sleep overs allowed!

Gatherings of people for the purposes of non-contact sport and recreation in public settings, such as National, State and public parks – with groups of up to ten being allowed to gather.

Small gatherings of up to 10 people at some indoor facilities such as places of worship and community centres – along with those required to run the facilities. The four-square metre rule applies in these settings.

plus more...

AND, I don't mind saying it has sent me into a tail spin!

I like iso life...staying home with my family who I know are safe, and only interacting with the outside world via zoom/social media when it suits, was an easy adjustment for me. So while others were struggling with lockdown mode, I easily settled in to a new 'safe/controlable' normal.  

I will admitt that I do miss catching up with good friends, listening to the banter of the kids hanging out, and would have liked to be able to call on friends/family for support during recovery.

But, now that things are changing 'again' and going back to a previous semi-normal, I am apprehensive about it. Well, more to the point, I have 'return-anxiety' about the unpredictability of what the future holds.  This situation is serious, and I believe/feel/fear the worst is yet to come!  Therefore, for me personally, restrictions have eased too soon! I mean, they still don't have a vaccine (or do they? lets rephrase that, they have not yet released the vaccine for the general public) AND winter hasn't fully set in yet, which means flu season hasn't even started, which means we have not seen the worst of it!  Transitioning back into our old way of life, just feels like a step backward to me. Perhaps it is just fear talking and I am being overly cautious, but I really feel 'unsafe'. 

As mentioned earlier, one of the ways the restrictions have eased is that we are now allowed 'up to 5 visitors in the home at one time'.

Don't get me wrong, I love catching up with my family, with my friends, having the boys hang out with mates, but it also raises so much uncertainty which triggers anxiety; there is so much I cannot control outside of our four walls!  

Despite feeling this way, Saturday 16th May we had visitors, as I know that the interaction would be positive for mental health, not only for the boys but us too (once my anxiety settles).

There were a couple of times my anxiety got the better of me e.g. all 6 (even though it was supposed to be one mate each for starters...I need my NO to be more stern) kids in one small room together so clearly the 1.5 meter rule not being adhered to, and Jazz going for a walk with mates to a local shop that doesn't follow the social distancing / limited number of people rules eeekkk.  

Sending everyone outside (I feel safer outside, thankfuly it was a beautiful day) helped reduce some of my anxiety a little bit, I mean if I could visit with my friends outside (albeit totally on edge and no fun to be around due to feeling too overwhelmed by 'change - too much too soon), then so could they.  

I think part of the anxiety also stems from not feeling 100% yet, and having a limited tolerance for feeling crowded and for noise, as when there was only one mate each I was much more at ease.

As per the social distancing rule, there are also no hugs allowed!  For those who know me, hugs are one of my favourite things so it certainly is not easy, but, it keeps me safe from corona, prevents accidental knockage of my foobs, and thus reduces my anxiety.  If only the kids listened to that part too...gggrrr seriously its like just because there is a slight ease in restrictions they think everything is a-okay, hence why I believe we will see another spike, as its not just the kids!  Mindyou, I get what its like to be a teenager in love and all touchy feely (well within reason ofcourse), so I can't be too hard on them.  

Anyway, my psychologist has a phrase..."name it so you can tame it". So here I am naming it, so that I can tame it and move forward.  I have also started to think of plans I can put into place to help me move forward, because I do need to, you know - move forward!  (You think I may have an issue with 'moving forward' LOL).

Coming into Iso I posted this on instagram...

I am determined to stay out of the shadows of dense vibrational energy; aka FEAR. Instead, I choose not to dwell on that which is heavy, and instead choose to walk in the light and high vibrational frequency of POSITIVITY!

REMEMBER: it quite simply is what it is until it is something else. Worrying about it does not change it, it only robs you of the moment of now.

Breathe! Release! Trust! This too shall pass!

I have to remind myself that where consciousness goes, energy flows...in other words if I have fearful thoughts then I will manifest said thoughts.  I know this, I believe this, but I am struggling to move out of this space right now!

I will get past this, but first I need to show some self compassion as it is okay to feel anxious about this situation, to set boundaries, to take it day by day, to do what works for me!

I also just need to remember to breathe AND focus on the positives rather than allowing fear to control me!

And in saying that, to notice what thoughts and feelings are real and okay, and what is a bit OTT.

As I said though, this situation is serious, especially for those with compromised immunity; asthma, diabetes, autoimmune...all of which my family falls within!  I think I have a right to be a little bit cautious, don't you think!

P.S. School goes back on June 9th and as much as home schooling is exhausting, albeit somewhat rewarding (but still something I believe to be more beneficial for my boys if on a non-set curriculum), I am nervous about sending them. I guess I will deal with that closer. Perhaps I need to just put some strict safety plans/rules/boundaries in place.  The boys arent keen on returning at this stage either.

P.P.S. It dawned on me that another reason for todays anxiety was knowing people were coming and my house was a mess. Why? Because I am freaking fatigued as f^&k, but havent been sleeping due to pain!