The past four weeks have been emotionally stressful for everyone here in the UK. It has been the same all around the world since late last year due to the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown of pretty much the whole world. How are you coping with your emotions and mood swings?

I spent the first couple of weeks in lockdown feeling sorry for myself, worrying about my family and friends, worrying about the wider community, and crying for all the tragedies I heard about in the news. Then I decided enough was enough. My children are devastated that they can no longer play with their friends or go to school, my husband has depression and OCD which translates in him being out at work for longer hours that he really needs to, and I am essentially a single parent for the foreseeable future, with no chance of a break from my children until lockdown is over.

Using my reiki training, I decided that actually I don’t feel sad or worried or stressed. Deep down, when I really think about how I feel, I am OK. Yes, I cry when I hear sad stories in the news. I am very sad for a friend who recently lost her mother, and another friend who is grieving for hers. But there have been good experiences in amongst all the tragedy. People are coming together on social media; we are making use of video calling to keep each other cheerful. We can still take the dog for a walk and smile at people across the street. There have been heartwarming stories of individuals who are raising money for charities, supporting their local communities, and just generally giving people a reason to smile when normal life has been ripped apart.

There are still days when my mood dips and I wallow in self-pity. I think that is part of the human condition, and I won’t try and make light of it. Sometimes we need to be alone to reflect on life and our situation. I believe that lockdown will prove transformative for many people, and they will emerge back into society with a new outlook and different priorities. Others simply take each day at a time and don’t want to face their demons or their inner selves, and that is fine too because it is not their time. I have faced many personal demons over the past fifteen years, and while I still have work to do, I feel it has prepared me to survive lockdown with my children. I will cry when I need to, but I will embrace the opportunity to laugh and have fun. It’s all about the simple things these days.

It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)

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