Wednesday 7 July 2021

Extension Blues - self care


Even though I knew it was coming (and it had only been two weeks), the extension of lockdown hit my mood hard. I am finding this lockdown so much harder than the last, and it's only just beginning. Chatting to a doctor friend,  she said all her friends were the same, and their teens were all really lethargic and waking up late morning...

So the announcement of another week, online school and extended dullness (with pending tighter restrictions when we are 'released') just threw me down in the dumps.

I had tickets to Hot Dub, Tim Minchin and Miss Peony, all  rescheduled from 2020 and now all postponed further (some of them are now on their fourth date!). I can no longer go to Minchin as it clashes with another event. I had a party, champagne club and a night out dancing at Soda factory all nixed. Plus the school holiday adventures in Bowral and the Hunter. My youngest, having missed Snowtime in the Hunter Valley Gardens two years running will probably have outgrown it by next year. So I am feeling the clock ticking on these stagnated years. Missed opportunities that will never come back. The sand is passing through the hour glass but we are not doing anything with it, just watching it go by as a spectator, not a participant in life.

However, I understand this thinking is not helpful to anyone, least of all the kids, and as I steer the emotional ship so to speak, I could not dwell in the negative. So after sitting in my sorrow for a bit, I got to work in lifting my mood.

I ordered way too much Din Tai Fung to be delivered next week as a treat. (They have a special that you get $20 off orders of $100 or $50 off $200 for frozen items). I discovered the ping pong table at Everleigh and we will head there today with paddles and balls for something to do. There are no people around so all good.


Our dart board arrived and I set it up outside so we could play in the fresh air. I played with two of the kids individually, so we had some one on one time in the sun. That has been harder to manage this time for some reason, so it really felt like I'd achieved something, and that made me feel good.

I did some dance cardio routines - and blood & oxygen pumping  hard through the heart will lift your mood, add to that the hilarity of not being co-ordinated enough to keep up with the 'double time', and it made me laugh as well.

I purchased access to Tomorrowland - the festival online for another year, so next week I'll have a lot of happy, upbeat music to listen to as I go about my day. (Timmy Trumpet's set was so hectic last year and I played it about four times in it's entirety. Even just watching the opening minute of the clip below brings a grin to my face, the endorphins are Pavlovianly entrenched now.

 


I organised to host bookclub online, so I see some friends.

I read my book in the bath for an hour.

These things are small but effective. While realistically, the extended lockdown isn't a big deal, it's important not to let those sinking feelings take hold.

How are you all coping?

What are your tips for shaking off the blues?

Linking with #Lifethisweek and #WeekendCoffeeShare



loopyloulaura

24 comments:

  1. We never had the blues during lockdown, but we're old and have the things we do at home so we were fine. I'm sorry you're having another lockdown. If I was young I'd have a hard time.

    Hang in there. ♥

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  2. ...I hope that you can maintain a healthy attitude during these challenging time. Stay smart and safe so today becomes tomorrow's yesterday!

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  3. I am sorry for the lock down and how you are feeling. I do like that you are keeping busy with reading, games and blogging. Where do you live? Here in Oregon, the mask mandate has been lifted. Not for me though. I wore a mask before covid so it is normal for me. Hang in there. I do like you photo.

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    1. Sydney, Australia. Our lockdowns are not like even the rest of Australia so I really should keep my big mouth shut in the complaining dept, but...well, it is what it is.

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  4. I can imagine a lockdown being very hard. We've never had a lockdown here, but we have restrictions, even though they re slightly lighter now, compared to earlier this year, there are still restrictions. My youngest (almsot 9,) find it depressing. I hope you find a way to stay positive. It does sound like you have many good things going on as well.

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  5. Hi Lydia. I was sorry to hear that what I think is your corner of Australia is sliding back into lockdown again. Ugh! I have a friend whose daughter is going through some serious emotional challenges that began with our own lockdown here and being cut off from her friends. I know we should be mature or tough enough to endure such things but I have a hard time enforcing such ideas on our children. They have a limited time to enjoy life as it can be at their age and it's a time of substantial growth and development. Starving them of that time is a dangerous experiment at best and subjects them to development risks that they will struggle to adapt to.
    Just my opinion I guess.
    I know it's hard also for some adults, harder than for me. I'm one of those who is perhaps too happy being left alone because I often don't know what to do with a lot of people around me and that stresses me more often than being alone.
    Hang in there and ping us, your blogging friends whenever you want to vent it off. Your visits are always welcome.

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    1. What a lovely comment. I'm fine but this lockdown is def harder than the last one (which I totally rocked).

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  6. I really feel for you. I have some Kiwi friends stuck there at the moment - were due to come to us later this month. They'd arrived in Sydney on the Tuesday, stayed overnight in Chatswood, 2 nights on the Central Coast before spending the weekend in the Hunter Valley. They ended up coming back to their friends at the Central Coast instead of staying in regional NSW so are now stuck for the duration. It's a toughie x

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  7. What do you do your dance cardio routines to? Something on YouTube or a website?

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    1. You tube - often with my own music if I don't like theirs. Ha!

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  8. I feel for you all in the extended lockdown there! I have family and friends in Sydney and it's all rather worrying. My niece is in her first year of Uni there and was meant to come to Brisbane for part of the semester break and then was going to be going to the Blue Mountains with some uni friends. That all couldn't happen. I particularly feel for the young people. I would have struggled when I was young as I was always out! It's easier for me now as I'm a lot more content being at home a lot. I think all the things you've done to help lift your spirits are spot on. I hope things improve there soon! Take care! xo

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  9. Yeah I feel ya, I came straight out of hotel quarantine into lockdown and had to cancel all the things I'd planned for my 50th. Then on the day of my birthday, instead of gifting me a lifting of lockdown, Gladys gave us even tighter restrictions and I got to cancel even more of my treats. I know in the big scheme of things, they're just small things but I think it's so important to have something to look forward to. So for now, I'll be grateful for a dog to walk, time together as a little family after so much time apart, time to do stuff I'm usually to busy to do and I'll have the end of lockdown to look forward to... Because it can't last forever, right?! In the meantime, stay calm, play darts and eat dumplings! Sounds like a great plan to me!

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  10. You seem to have a few things in place Lydia but it's hard to know how long this lockdown will go on for. Out here in regional NSW we are watching with trepidation and uncertainty as we have family due to travel to see us from interstate, not sure that will happen now. take care and self care as much as you can. #lifethisweek

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  11. I was talking to a friend recently who said that she hoped there would be another lockdown because she liked the pressure of work being taken away, it's the last thing I need as a disabled person I am enjoying getting out again#mischiefandmemories@_karendennis

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  12. Ugh, I'm so sorry you're facing prolonged restrictions. Most of our restrictions were lifted on June 26, only for some (thankfully none that will affect me) to be put in place again last Saturday. I can totally feel you about the time ticking away and you not really being a participant in life, but this at the same time isn't a helpful mindset. I'm so glad you were able to turn it around by finding some activities to do both for yourslef and with the kids. Good job! #MischiefandMemories

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  13. You've got a few good things in place to manage the lockdown blues. My tips: Keep up your daily physical movements, moderate your news/ social media intake, look for humour and spend time with your supportive (non-toxic/ non-negative) family and friends even if it's virtual. #weekendcoffeeshare

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  14. Yep. and here we are..again, with an extension of lockdown. I am doing my utmost to stay off twitter...but occasionally I am on there until I get cross again. Seriously, its the politicisation of it all that gets to me the most. Former public servant for 40 years so I "understand" only too well how schools etc must take on what the leaders (political ones) say. So....we are both fully vaxxed and OK which IS better than 2020! Thank you for linking up for LifeThisWeek. It's always good to see you link up a post. Next week, the optional prompt is 29/51 Please. 19 July. I will be sharing a post about Head and Neck Cancer in the lead up to World Head & Neck Cancer Day 27.7.2021. Gotta keep the awareness happening! Take care, Denyse.

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  15. Sorry to hear that your tickets have been postponed yet again. Lockdown is so hard. The online festival sounds like fun though and great idea to set up a dart board outside. I love doing dance cardio routines too - they've helped boost my mind during the lockdowns we've had. Hope that you're back out of lockdown again soon and able to enjoy getting out more again. #mischiefandmemories

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  16. Oh no Lydia. An extended lockdown isn't easy at all. Of course it's put a downer on things... especially when you've had to cancel and rearrange so much. Well done on giving yourself a pick me up with self care. Enjoying the little things can make such a difference. Thank you for joining us for #mischiefandmemories x

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  17. It's so shitty, isn't it? I grieve for our collective losses of cancelled plans and missed moments and rites of passage as well as lost time. It sucks. I am also hating how divided is getting due to this and the nastiness and tunnel-vision that comes through. Sigh. I have mentally prepared myself for this to continue all winter. But emotionally, it still hurts.

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  18. Not to diminish your feelings, but I am desperate for our lockdown to continue! Cases and deaths in the UK are rising sharply but the government has anounced that all restrictions end on Monday and they are prepared for 100,000 cases and one or two hundred deaths A DAY!!! Thanks for linking up with MischiefAndMemories.

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    1. I totally understand your feelings. I'm watching Israel at the moment and their under 19's are being ravaged. It worries how we will cope with low vaccination rates. My 21 year old isn't even allowed to get it yet and she works in hospo. It's very concerning. As for me, I am thinking I'll be like those people in Sars countries that still wear a mask long after the fact. I used to think it was odd, now I TOTALLY get it. We are currently having hospitalisation rates like never before for us, so while still low compared to global figures, you can see what will happen if it gets away from us.

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    2. To clarify, Israel has high vax rates. Not implying they are doing anything wrong. Just meant you see the virus move to the 'weakest' link, that being the unvaxxed in a country with high vax rates.

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  19. It sucks that things get cancelled, sick of this all now x #mischiefandmemories

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