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Lockdown struggle

DeepBlue1771
Community Member
Citizen from Melbourne, home of the brave and the free. Hearing police sirens outside as I type. Just wondering whether anyone else is struggling with this lockdown, now extended possibly indefinitely. I live alone in an apartment, and the Groundhog Day existence of working from home all day with the only highlights being a walk/cycle and a trip to the grocery store is getting to me. I can't fathom living like this for another year. Anyone else feel the same?
9 Replies 9

Emmen
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hello DeepBlue1771,

Fellow citizen from Melbourne here! I know how you feel. I keep looking forward to when the lockdown will lift but it feels endless. I want to be able to go outside again, to travel into the heart of the city and see some life but, like you, all I have is a walk and a trip to the grocery store.

I try to keep positive though - this lockdown is to save lives after all. I try to spend more time on my hobbies and try to cook different cuisines daily, just for some variety. I also keep in touch with friends daily through online chats and video calls. Seeing people on my daily walks also makes a huge difference.

Have you tried do something for yourself that you enjoy? I feel like it makes a lot of difference when you have something to look forward to.

Warmly,
M

therising
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi DeepBlue1771

Although I leave the house to see work colleagues and I live with my husband, 15yo son and almost 18yo daughter, this lock down is definitely doing my head in, in a number of ways. To be honest, had a slight meltdown before round 2 lock down, which ended with my daughter telling me to SHUT UP and work out a constructive way to manage it. Actually it ended with us all laughing at how insane I was behaving. I can't do 'a lack of excitement'. A lack of excitement can get a little depressing if we're not careful.

Was just saying to someone recently how I never really appreciated how adventures outside the house always had a way of helping me shift my emotions. If I'm bored or lazing too much, my son and I may jump in the car and go to the beach. If I'm feeling a little lost or in need of some escapism, I love going for a drive up to the Dandenongs. Love the cafes, the nature and the vibes up there. Always puts me on a high. A lot of those 'go to' resources are off limits at the moment, which is definitely challenging.

Personally, I try and steer clear of the media as much as possible. I have my person who filters a lot of it for me, on a need to know basis. I find it all too negative. Mr Andrews, give us something positive to look forward to. Raise our spirits. Give us more of 'Now, we'll be looking forward to improvements, positive changes, amazing progress and so on'. Less of that 'We'll be possibly looking forward to a Christmas without family gatherings, tough times ahead and so on'. Human beings, by nature, thrive on evolutionary ways. They thrive on excitement. Give us one hundred and one ways to get our cells excited.

DeepBlue, as I say to my husband and kids 'I'm not going for a walk unless there's an obvious payoff. Otherwise I find it too boring'. Living in a time where the little things matter, I'm working on connecting to my senses more these days. If I go for a walk, it's gotta be a sensory experience. Stop and smell the roses (aroma therapy), take in as many unique sounds as possible (audio therapy), run my hands along fence lines or plants (touch therapy), see how may colours or objects I've never noticed before (visual therapy). Will work on trying different foods perhaps. That should cover the taste aspect. It's amazing how many things we don't take the time to absorb, until we have so much time on our hands. I don't believe we exercise our senses anywhere near as much as we should. Such a connection can be emotional.

🙂

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. It helps to know others are struggling with it. Going for a hike in nature followed by a coffee at one of the great cafes nearby was one of the things I loved to do too.

Glad you steer clear of the media, I made a decision to switch it off about four months ago and haven't seen it since. The relentless bombarding of fear and negativity and stats only serves to mind control people and make them very frightened. I have other sources where I get my information from, there's a wealth of information on the internet if you know where to look, but you have to be discerning of course.

I hate to say, but I wouldn't be waiting for Andrews, or any so-called leader for that matter, to 'give us' some positivity, like hungry seagulls waiting for breadcrumbs. Freedom is something we must take for yourselves, it can't be given to us.

Totally, totally, 100% agree with you that we need to connect to our senses, smell the roses, being in nature. That's something I do all the time, yesterday I went for a bike ride in the sunshine and then just sat on the grass feeling the sun's rays and smelling all the gorgeous scents of flowers coming into bloom. I think as a society we are very cut off from our senses, from our intuition, focussing too much on science and stats and what we're told on the news and other mass media channels. Wake up and smell the roses I say!

 

 

Emmen yes I agree, but unfortunately the lockdown is ending more lives than it's saving and this is what is not being reported in the news. Only yesterday I heard from a friend that someone she knows committed suicide because he lost his job and he was so lonely from not being able to see his family and friends, and another person that died from metastatic cancer because she was so frightened of going to the hospital in case she got covid, so her early stage cancer unfortunately progressed.

Something I enjoy doing is meeting up with family and friends and giving them a hug, and I'm unable to do this.

I can agree with escaping the house to 'shift your emotions'. I enjoy going out at night to the city or someplace , I have been good with substituting other things to do whilst in Covid but I do miss the adventure of going out. Oh well soon enough we can enough enjoy ourselves more. In my case I've saved money not going out hah.

Pete66
Community Member

Make the most of your trips outside, Australia is still a beautiful country

these restrictions will not last forever

Hi everyone

Definitely a time to develop higher consciousness, leading to questions we may not have asked our self enough in life, such as what do I really want to do or not want to do when life returns to normality? Who do I want to be? What do I desire, in looking forward? What do I take for granted? While I see this time as an opportunity, I also recognise and feel deeply for those who see this time as intolerable, with so much time to focus on the thoughts that run through their head. I am both surprised and disappointed that it has taken so long for the government to start giving so much more attention to the mental health side of things.

I've never truly realised until now how incredibly fortunate I am. I do count my blessings in regard to much of what I have in this wonderful country, free of war and great sufferance, but as it pains me to hear of those who have lost their job, I am now more grateful than ever to still have one. As I watch my 81yo mum grieve for time lost with her new grandson (my brother's child), at 50 I'm assuming I have many years ahead of me and many opportunities. As I feel deeply for my 35yo nephew who attended his friend's funeral last week, due to his pal's life becoming unbearable, I am grateful to not have suffered such a loss and am grateful that my years in depression are behind me. I am grateful for my kids and husband who I live with, while others miss the company of people. The list goes on.

This time changes many of us in many ways. As Pete says 'These restrictions will not last forever'. Maybe 'Who am I going to be when I come out of them?' is the ultimate question. For me, the answer would have to be...a deeply grateful adventurer who looks for every opportunity to be excited while no longer taking life for granted.

🙂

Tangney
Community Member
Deepblue and others. I'm not in Melbourne. I live in Sydney, but I really feel for you folks. I think what's happening in Victoria, but especially Melbourne is just awful. It seems as though many Melburnians have reached the end of their patience today. The only thing about this that surprises me is that it didn't happen sooner. I hope that something is done soon to give all Victorians some relief and especially hope. The situation must be debilitating for so many. Please remember that Australians elsewhere are thinking of you.

therising
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Tangney

Thanks for your beautiful thoughtful words.

Feeling the love. Sending some your way too 🙂