Lockdown blues how are you avoiding it?

It’s a difficult one isnt it, but my lovely mum is in her early 90’s and lives 150 miles away so......... it was flowers last week.... I try and send a couple of upbeat cards weekly with positive messages on, I make up a goody envelope which went today and has, Vit D3 tabs!:, 3 small choc bars (diff varieties) 3 pages of puzzles/xwords, puzzle book, 2 pages of jokes, a couple of Pooh Bear quotes, occasionally a photo of a strong memory, I have a good stock of aromatherapy oils and send her a couple of drops and ask her to guess the variety!! Lots of silly things really! X

Oh and my Lockdown Diary! It was a note book with a few recipes, places I wanted to visit & to-do list this time last year.
But it's now a record of the unfolding events which I'm sure in the not too distant future I'll be thinking - surely, that didn't happen! My GCs might find it of some interest. Its got sketches of Xmas decs I made & all sorts of snippets I found interesting at the time.

This one is harder - last year when the weather was better - so much easier. Now I've got my head round it feeling happier about the isolation.
Wake up late.
Leisurely cup of tea watching the news & weather.
Bath, moisturise, catch up with GN - Thank you All. (Only started last year)
Smoothie - banana, yogurt, spinach, tumeric, grated ginger.
Word Chums (on-line scrabble)
Dress & Dab of lipstick.
Household chores
Ive become obsessed with boosting my immune system - in a healthy balance way (pun there) So lunch is planned & prepared.
Walk whether I feel like it or not always improves my sense of well-being.
Home for lunch, painting - a picture of my GD - I'm not that good but as time goes by, I think I'm improving.
Phone a friend, check in on DM & DD (by phone)
Shop if necessary - once a week at the mo - the early evening seems quiter for me.
Home to watch TV, word chums,.GN. Eat. Read, sleep - as late as 2 am these days!
Sometimes I have a home-made Spa Day.

Repeat ?

I Zoom to Poetry Open Mics around the country’ There are so many things to do online. Today I discovered virtual walks around Subterranean London and art events.

I am not coping very well with lockdown, as I already suffered from depression before then. However, my 2 beautiful cats and my dog keep me sane! I also read a lot, do Sudoku puzzles, listen to music, all of which helps keep me occupied! And, well, there's always housework! ?

Redhead56, I haven't run out of steam - not yet. There are always plenty of things to do. Motivation stops and starts, but I go with the flow.

I really miss my family and friends but, otherwise, this last year has offered opportunities to be far more self reliant, and self indulgent too. It's been a challenge - and I do love a challenge!

Nanaroo.what about arranging an afternoon tea to be delivered, with or without wine? Or a dvd for your friend?

Like NanaPlenty going to bed and getting up later, a sure sign of low mood. I have good intentions but doing everything more slowly! I do try to seize the moment though - I have childcare once a week and this week it coincided with snow so took DGC sledging. Felt a lot better for the fun and certainly got the joints moving.

Arts and crafts keep me occupied and sane, when the weather gets warmer it will be gardening too. If I ever get a bit down about the things I can't do, places I can't go and people I can't see I just remind myself that we're still here, we have each other and a lot of people are much worse off than us, we WILL get through this.

I'm watching Bridgerton on Netflix, I'm alone - that's definitely the best way to watch it. It's great fun so I might sit thru it again ?

Yes, so glad others are feeling the same!

@Unigran4 how lovely!! It's like having a baby isn't it!

Training a puppy! No time for anything else!

I'm so sorry for all experiencing loss

What helps me is wrapping up warm and going in the garden to sit on my favorite bench in the sun. (I wear thermals and at least four layers and a hat for this) Also gardening and going for my hour's exercise walking outside and dancing at home to give myself good endorphins.

I take vitamins and gave up sugar apart from having a couple of squares of dark choc each day. On two days I'll have a glass of red wine for the antioxidants, but avoid other alcohol. Talking to friends and family helps as does keeping my hands busy. Hoping these things might help some of you and sending hugs.

I find that I go through up and down days. On down days I let it wash over me, acknowledge I am p*** off and then move on. On up days I keep busy in the house and walk or cycle outdoors every day that I can

4allweknow

I feel I am really hitting a barrier. DD died April 2019. Hadn't got to grips with that when Covid kicked in. DH has cancer and is now on the end stage treatment for the disease . He has very little energy for going for a walk Was given 2 years but one of those has been used up with Covid restrictions. Discovered through research my GS has a learning disability. He is 10 and school has put his issues down to everything but a disability. All those years he has struggled and to get a formal, education department accepted assessment we may have to pay or wait months as waiting lists for any school funded assessments are huge. SIL (deceased DD's husband) is struggling with the isolation, he has a bubble of a friend but he doesn't want to impose on him and his family. I don't live near him. I can't remember when I had a night's sleep. I feel I should contact GP but I know if I am diagnosed as depressed my husband will feel he is a main part of the cause. I go into the garage get on the exercise bike and can just weep buckets at times. And some folk think it's terrible not to be able to go to a pub!

Bloody hell, 4allweknow you definitely need help. I’m so very sad to hear how badly life is treating you. No one should have to cope with all you face, on their own. You should definitely speak to your Doctor - your DH would surely benefit too if you had more support. Make that a priority, please. You owe that to yourself and you must say how you feel because there is no shame in admitting it’s all got too much for you.

If you can, come back and let us know how you are, what you’ve been able to change. Grans are here to listen, any old time. Try the Good Morning thread, or Soop’s Kitchen. Always lovely people to speak to through the night on the Night Owl thread. Please don’t cry alone, that’s crazy - people do care.
Sending you a hug, and every good wish that you’ll find some small relief from all your pain at this awful time. ??‍♀️

4allwe know Always feel supported on Gransnet and never alone.

I feel positive much of the time and the days seem to go so quickly. Much of what I do each day depends on how my back is when I get out of bed. On a good day will cycle 10 to 15 miles straight after breakfast, then its reclining on the bed time with a hotter bottle and a book for a short while. I will often bake, knit or do my jigsaw. At the moment I trying to knit a pair of mitts and line them with sheepskin so my hands will be warm when cycling. I can but try. We also tend to get a takeaway meal from our favourite cafe, just to support it and hope they stay in business. Also makes us feel near normal.

January is always a long tedious month so for years we have remedied this by at least 2 weeks in Tenerife where we’ve enjoyed fabulous entertainment at Hole in the Wall Irish Bar. Since the beginning of lockdown the lovely owner/singer Fergal Flaherty has been online on Facebook providing brilliant entertainment for us all. There is a regular following who post messages & it’s a forum in itself. Couldn’t believe our luck when Dee Daniels, another great entertainer started to put on her own couple of hours as well. We’re now treated to a weeks entertainment instead of an annual fortnight.

I put dance music on and jig around the lounge. Reading is a great escape, a daily walk, trying new recipes out.Baking teacakes is a favourite.Facetiming friends and family.Making plans for the future.

I have maintained a routine to help me through this. I start the day with a walk if the weather is fine, followed by a leisurely bath. This is followed by some household chores, and cooking/baking/jam or chutney making. I phone friends regularly, speaking to someone different every day, and several of my friends enjoy a FaceTime chat too. I belong to the WI., and we have Zoom meetings, book club discussions, craft afternoons, and coffee mornings. On Facebook, there is a group called WI Wanderers, and by joining this group I am able to join other WIs up and down the country for their meetings and talks. I have a very full diary.
I have started a four week Spanish course - free on FutureLearn, and a four week Mandala drawing course - also free - on Eventbrite.
I am so thankful that I have my health and am doing my bit to remain so. I remain positive and cheerful.

I'm struggling, feel like there's really no point in anything. I live in a house full of people but I'm lonely

Anyone feeling down should try and reassess.
Through no fault of my own - I've worked, as required, shopped for groceries and walked my dogs for the last 10 months - I've just spent 10 days in hospital, 8 of those in ICU with a fairly bad case of Covid.
Anyone thinking of bending the rules because they're bored might want to consider not only their own health but that of everyone they intereact with.
The sooner we ALL think of each other the sooner this will be over.
Do you want to spend time in hospital? Not knowing whether you'll recover? Would you wish that on anyone else?

Some of us don't have gardens.I have noisy neighbour. Everything I do or try to enjoy all I can hear is her on loud speaker on her phone.I don't feel well enough to go out.

4allweknow such a draining awful time for you