The Lockdown
Hi everyone
To start with some really good news – the Chase household now has its full complement of functioning credit cards (see earlier blogs)! Secondly some tips from one of our readers about shopping. You can order food boxes rather than join the queues at the supermarkets – for instance Morrisons https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/ or find an organic food box at https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/buy-organic/find-an-organic-box-scheme/box-schemes-south-west-and-wales/ . Similarly if you need your medicines delivered you can sign up to https://www.echo.co.uk/ operated by Lloyds Pharmacy rather than go out to collect.
Meanwhile four lockdown weeks gone and at least three more to go. Humpff. I sense a loss of commitment to the lockdown – and for varied reasons. More people are fed up with doing the right thing, with some bending of the rules from taking walks to playing tennis to having an outside drink with people from other households …….all of course with social distancing. With no ‘in your face reason’ to be so conforming is it any wonder that the rebellious and independent nature we British pride ourselves on is coming out? In America we are seeing this played out on a bigger picture. Interestingly your character probably plays a big part in determining your response. A study of 2000 UK residents revealed five main character types. Both the (usually wealthier and older) ‘pragmatic realists’ who shop at M and S and the left leaning ‘nervous dependents’ who like Primark and love the NHS tend to be ok with accepting the constraints - while the other sections of our nation - the resentful pessimists, deluded optimists and sceptical troublemakers - increasingly resent the lockdown. Here in the countryside we are faced with less direct evidence of the disease to the extent that many people say they do not know anyone who has had it…at least anyone requiring hospital admission. Will the rural areas follow the high numbers pattern of the cities – like house prices? Two factors are at work which together determine the spread – how physically close we are to each other and how many people have had it and become immune. Compared with the cities, in general we live with more space which reduces the spread, but consequently we have less community immunity. Until lockdown is lifted there should be no upsurge locally, and after it is lifted not necessarily. It will depend on the virus, our movements, visitors, the weather and much more besides. There is still much to learn about this new virus and its behaviour and effects. However it is worth considering using those masks in busy public places even if it seems so un-British.
A second more universal factor that determines our commitment to the lockdown is the uncertainty about its duration and next steps. A plan would be helpful - Austria is impressive with its clear timetable. People hate uncertainty – with illness the most difficult time is often the ‘not knowing’ after which people face up to their new reality. It is said that ‘Human beings can adapt to anything’ but uncertainty makes that difficult. In nearby Calne some years ago when the Harris pork pie factory – the only employer in the town - announced it was closing a year later, a local GP practice started counting the numbers of people coming to the surgery in the year between the announcement and the closure and then from the closure for another year. There was a much higher attendance in the first year with its uncertainty despite the loss of income in the second year. Let us hope that Boris comes back to lead with some decisiveness – right or wrong – as it will help us when there is clarity about how the country is going to move forward.
It is said that the pandemic will cause a few to suffer physically, many to suffer economically and everyone to suffer emotionally. It is worth remembering that emotions about emotions can become a bigger problem than the initial emotion itself. For instance you may feel guilty that you are frustrated with lockdown. Be compassionate to yourself and accept the frustration…….and then it will not hold its power over you. Only humans can imagine the future and therefore get anxious about it so remember that we are here because we are at our core very resilient – it is in our genes. So trust the present and know that you will know what to do whatever situation may come your way. You always have!
For a particularly good interview on emotions I recommend Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED interview https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_it_s_ok_to_feel_overwhelmed_here_s_what_to_do_next?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
With love
Derek
I welcome feedback and do send details of any resources you have found particularly useful.
You can find a copy of this and all previous blogs plus some resources at the following new website:
https://www.bremzero.com/coronavirus
There is a summary of how to stay safe at https://www.bremzero.com/staying-safe-summary
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