going into self isolation (possibly)

Finally, the world has gone mad.

Amidst the fear of the dreaded word 'coronavirus', everyone has gone into fight or flight mode. Toilet rolls have gone out of stock. Pasta has disappeared. Most essentials have all been impulsively bought and stocked upon as if the zombie apocalypse has begun.

What about students who cannot afford to stock up their fridges? What about old people who have to protect themselves whilst having to avoid a weekly shop? What about those who cannot physically get to the supermarket? What about homeless people?

How will all of these people survive when the shops are unnecessarily wiped out?

There are so many factors and inequalities that people are facing during this pandemic, so be mindful about what other people are going through. Although people may argue that it is a 'dog eat dog world', being kind to others doesn’t cost a penny. So maybe think about those people who can’t stock up on their essentials when you are stood buying 20 packs of toilet roll. Maybe only stock up on items of a certain amount, as everyone should be able to buy the same necessities as everyone else.

As it hasn't been officially declared that we are going into lockdown, I am aware that some people have been advised to self isolate by their doctors. Therefore, this post is not scaremongering people into isolating themselves, rather discussing the impact already.

My opinions aside, I am not advising what people should do in a moment of crisis, as that would be unnecessary and biased.

Simply, the purpose of this post is to help those who are struggling with this pandemic and the abrupt change to their daily routine.

With a sociological perspective, I want to help people realise that their actions can impact other people, positively and negatively. We are all in the same boat, hence why we need to be supportive of each other as a community, or the moral is going to deteriorate rather quickly.

To help lighten the mood, here are a few photos of my dogs Shadow and Roxi. (Woof)

Do you ever feel like you are stuck in a movie, where nothing ever seems to feel real? Whether you believe in fate or karma, something just doesn't feel right when everything goes wrong.

With university being cancelled and pubs inevitably closing (you won’t see the last of me bijoux), I have way too much time on my hands, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Struggling to adjust to a fragmented routine of a three-day week was difficult in itself, rather than having no routine at all. Replacing lectures with online classes doesn’t mean that anyone will do the work, as there is no longer an incentive to do it.

Especially for me, as I tend to need to leave the house to be productive as my course mates bully me into doing my work in the library.

When I can’t leave the house for days at a time, I will just nap all day. As I am also chronically ill, it is inevitable for me to sleep most of the day away as I am physically exhausted. As dramatic as this may sound, day to day tasks are too much for me.

So, being in isolation may seem like an ideal option? Not when you feed on your thoughts instead of being productive.

Reiterating my first post, it is so easy to get trapped inside of one's head. If you find yourself spiralling into the depths of your thoughts, try ringing someone.

As most people are self-isolating during the next few weeks, you may feel a bit more lonely compared to usual. Sometimes distracting yourself by watching telly or reading a book isn’t enough as you are subconsciously still thinking at the same time. Multitasking at its finest.

Ringing people and having a conversation doesn’t just help you, but it helps those on the other end of the phone. Think about your grandparents for example, when was the last time you spoke to them whilst being at university?

You can be fully engaged in phone calls as they are typically a two-way conversation. If you are anything like me, then ringing my mam ends up in us talking over each other as we have too much to say. This can either lead to arguments or a half hour giggle.

On a serious note, one phone call can make somebody’s day as they may not be able to talk to anybody for days at a time. Imagine how lonely that must feel.

For those of you who struggle with their mental health, self-isolation will have such a detrimental effect on your well-being, and I apologise for those who are stuck in unwanted environments.

If so, then try not to spend every day in bed. Even a change of scenery within the house will help as you are moving around. Whilst watching waterloo road on repeat for the past few months has been fun, watching TV every single day will make you feel worse as there is no other stimuli. Trust me.

For the past week, I have been stuck in the flat on my own with no source of entertainment other than Netflix and facetiming my dogs, which does sound pretty good to me now seeing it written down.

However, I thrive when I am around people so the possibility of having to fully avoid everyone terrifies me. This week has been hard enough as it is without seeing any of my course mates or friends. Although I have been trying to sleep off my tonsillitis, the idea of self-isolating is horrifying when it isn’t by choice.

There are only so many TV shows you can watch, so many books you can read or so many things you can do before the cabin fever kicks in. For me, this can take up to an hour.

On top of this, having insomnia for the past few months has meant that anything I could do doesn't appeal to me, which I feel may be applicable to those stuck in the house for the foreseeable future.

Personally, from learning how to cope with spending a lot of time on my own, I think the first thing you should do is learn to enjoy your own company and stop depending on others. One thing you should always remember is to never rely on people to make you happy, they should make you happier.

Your friends and family are a necessity, but you are your own source of happiness. As cringey as it may sound, I feel like it is more important than before to depend on yourself. Although self-isolation is more extreme than just enjoying your own company, I know people who don't cope well on their own. If you are struggling to grasp the idea of being on your own, remember that it is only temporary and that people are still around you.

Conveniently, I overheard the news showing three women moving in together to drink wine and watch TV, so if anyone fancies following suit then you know where to find me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/51951583/coronavirus-three-grandmothers-self-isolating-together