If someone had said to me at the beginning of March that in a few weeks time people in the UK were being told to stay at home unless they are key workers, were only allowed to leave the house for exercise or to get essential supplies, only a few people at a time admitted in to shops, schools and colleges would all be closed and parents home-schooling; concerts, family gatherings, weddings and other events all cancelled, well I actually would have wondered what planet they were on…

Now it makes me wonder what planet we are on.

It’s surreal isn’t it, to me it kind of feels like we are all in some sort of sci-fi film and it is really difficult to comprehend, if I actually think about it. The more I think about it the more scared it makes me feel, so I need to take a step back. I have a tendency to overthink things which can lead to high levels of anxiety, so for now I am taking each day as it comes and trying not to think about tomorrow. I am deliberately avoiding the news at the moment as Covid-19, this dreadful Coronavirus, is taking over everything, with different advice being given by different people and a lot of the advice and so-called ‘facts’ floating around out there are complete myths. I think we need to shield ourselves a little from it all – for our own sanity.

So for now, this is the new normal. I don’t know how long it is going to go on for and it’s a horrible situation beyond our control. None of us can really do anything, other than staying home, following the NHS guidelines for social distancing and washing our hands 5 million times more than normal every day.

I am fortunate that I am still able to go into work, I’m not a key worker but as I work on the farm a very small number of staff, including me are going in to look after the animals. I’m also managing to do some admin and social media stuff (sometimes at home) even that’s changed now though as I am searching online to try and find articles of interest, sharing positive and useful posts and taking more photos and videos of animals, to try and spread some joy and make folks’ days a little brighter. On the days I am not working I have been getting out in the garden – I truly believe that gardening is good for the soul and at the very least each day I have been getting a walk with our dogs. I feel fortunate that we live in a village and can be in fields within a five minute walk from home, seeing and appreciating nature feels quite humbling yet uplifting. I have also made the effort every day to have a shower and put some make up on – not a lot but it makes a huge difference to how I feel if I have made a bit of an effort for myself. I’m also consciously making an effort to try and eat healthy food where possible because this also makes me feel better in myself.

We need to be so thankful to our NHS workers, care workers and emergency services who are risking their own lives by coming into contact with so many sick people and trying to help them be well again. What amazing, strong and caring people they all are! Also what a fantastic achievement that the Excel London exhibition centre has been transformed into NHS Nightingale, a hospital with 4000 beds, in just nine days! Hats off and a huge thank you to all those engineers, military, volunteers and contractors who have contributed to that. I truly hope that the hospital isn’t needed for too long and that not too many people are that sick that they have the need to go to hospital though.

Stay safe all you lovely readers and your families, I hope this passes soon and we all come out the other side appreciating our lives and all that we have, a lot more. I think we will all be more mindful about our day to day lives and I believe that we will treasure time spent with our family and friends a lot more too and not take anything for granted.

We are all in this together so please let’s all look out for each other ❤️