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  • Published on

    CORONAVIRUS - The New Normal!

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    And so, the lock-down and social distancing continues. It is all very strange. It is strange not seeing friends and family. It is strange having to totally adapt to a new way of working. It is strange not doing any travelling for work, something that became the norm last year. It is strange attending multiple meetings and delivering courses over zoom sessions.

    Things I usually took for granted have changed dramatically – going to the shops, going to the pub with friends, and going to football.

    One of the things I have been really impressed with is the way that communities have pulled together to support each other – whether this is in a practical or emotional sense. I really hope that this continues once we get back to a more ‘normal’ way of life.

    As the lockdown has continued it has sometimes been a challenge to find ways of keeping oneself occupied – I’ve probably done more quizzes in the last couple of weeks than I have done in the last couple of years!!!! I need to read more though. A number of box sets on DVD have been watched yet again.

    My ‘lockdown’ fitness challenge has kept me going and it is something I’ve been enjoying. I’m currently making my way along the Appalachian Trail. I had initially said I was only going to count my run miles in this but after doing the maths and looking at the distance I calculated it would take me around two years to complete!!!!! The app allows for any fitness activity to be included. As I’m also doing a few sessions a week on my indoor bike trainer I figured I might as well include these miles as well – after all it is training and it is keeping me fit. So to date (26 days since I started the challenge) I’ve covered 330 miles leaving just 1,638 miles to go. Looking on the map that plots the progress it can sometimes seem a bit daunting looking at how far I’ve got to go but that is all part of the fun I guess!

    The runs and bike sessions are getting longer every week, so I’m determined to finish this as soon as I can.

    With many races cancelled this year it has been good to have a goal to work towards.

    I’ve noticed when I’ve been out running the number of people exercising – either running, walking or cycling. This is fantastic and I really hope that this continues once the rules around social distancing are relaxed, and we return to a more ‘normal’ way of life.

    I’ve also noticed on social media the number of people that are taking up some of the virtual fitness challenges as well and it has been fantastic to see.

    I like challenges and I enjoy having targets and goals to strive towards. I know for a fact that if I was just training for the sake of training my motivation levels would drop quite quickly as would my mood which would have an effect on my mental well-being.
    It is amazing at the moment just some of the small things that people can and are doing, despite the huge challenges that the lockdown and social-distancing are bringing, to keep themselves occupied.

    Until next time, keep well and stay safe, and remember those small changes each day can make a huge impact over time.

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  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Amanda Clayton!

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    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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    There are so many obvious things that can bring positivity: family, friends, pets, memories, achievements... the list is endless! However, we all need to have a momentary break in the seriousness of our lives and our current situation, however hopeless or desperate it may feel. This can only be truly achieved (in my opinion) by humour! Silly things that make us laugh and make us forget for at least a moment. Chickens singing is just one thing that makes me chuckle! Xx

    Amanda Clayton

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  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Dame Amelia Lockhart!

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    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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    I've been thinking about what I wanted to say for your article. I kind of wanted to write a poem but inspiration just wasn't striking... until, sitting at home I heard people outside start clapping. Here it is. I hope it'll be useful to you 🙂

    A new Thursday routine
    Of thanks
    Clap
    Clap
    Clap
    I clap for my sister
    Working long hours
    Caring for the sick
    I hope someone cares for her
    Clap
    Clap
    Clap
    I clap for my nephew
    Singing like nightingale
    Hospitals built in days
    Clap
    Clap
    Clap
    I clap for my friends
    Working through difficult times
    Keeping the nation fed
    Clap
    Clap
    Clap
    Neighbours throw open doors
    Let off fireworks
    We applaud you they say
    Clap
    Clap
    Clap
    You and you and you
    And you, whoever you are
    Wherever you are
    We give you thanks.


    Dame Amelia Lockhart

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    Photographs of Hope - Christopher Bunday!

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    This is a photo of my aunty Linda. She's had an awful life with heartbreak, abuse, depression and a partner who died about 5 years back unexpectedly. Yet through thick and thin is the happiest, kindest person I know. This picture and Aunty Linda always makes me happy and thinking of her always reminds me that no matter what happens I'll make it through, thick and thin and be happy like she is.

    Christopher Bunday

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  • Published on

    CORONAVIRUS - Adjusting To The New Normal!

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    I'm just coming to the end of my few days off this week, and after a difficult time last week, I am finally feeling recuperated and ready for the next few days. On Thursday and Friday, as I made my way home from work, I was spat at by a rather dishevelled gentleman, who I have never seen in the local area before. Considering everything that is going on I felt sick to my stomach, at the thought of someone elses saliva on me. Luckily enough, I was able to move my elbow up towards my face, protecting me from the worst of it.

    In most cases everyone is pulling together, but there is still an element that wishes to cause stress and anxiety for everyone else, and they succeeded in my case. When I got home from work on Friday I was pretty angry and took my anger out on other people. To be honest I really don't want to be around anyone at the moment, which is good considering we are all in lockdown. It is clear that certain individuals really shouldn't be mixing with the local community in any case and I just wish someone, somewhere would do something to stop the kind of anti-social behaviour, which is a blight on this city!
    The Government has been encouraging all of us to get out and enjoy some exercise each day, despite the lockdown we are currently in. This has been an incentive for me to get up and do something I wouldn't usually do. I have never really been a great exerciser, but over the last week I have been out and about for at least an hour a day, getting to know Portsmouth and enjoying some much-needed physical exertion.

    On Saturday I walked to Portsmouth historic dockyard, a place I have been many times before, but somewhere I never tire of visiting. The dockyard encompasses everything that makes Portsmouth special, it is after all a Naval city first and foremost and its connection to the sea is everywhere you walk.

    Like the majority of the city, the landscape was desolate and empty with barely a soul in sight. I read an article on Saturday praising just how well Portsmouth has done in adhering to the lockdown measures introduced by the Government and it is easy to see why. The roads and parks are empty and people are following the rules unlike many other large towns and cities across the country.

    There was understandably an eerie feeling across Portsmouth as I walked around, a sensation I am just not used to. I remember thinking to myself, that I would wake up from this nightmare and suddenly life would be back to normal, but sadly that just wasn't to be. This really is the 'new normal' now and all of us have to get used to living this way, at least for the foreseeable future. The streets may well have been empty, no longer full of voices, but there was a strange calmness, even in the face of a deadly virus!
    On Sunday I walked a slightly different route, this time heading to Southsea Common and Clarence Pier. The funfair was a special place for me as a child, where I would go with Mum and Dad or my Grandparents. It looked sad and tired, closed and shut down with hardly anyone about, but it was a reminder that this venue, like so many others, will rise again one day, as all of us get back to the way things were.

    Walking down towards the coast, early on a Sunday morning I was amazed by the reaction of those I passed in the street. There were just a few joggers and runners and others taking their daily walk, but everyone was happy to say hello, raise their hand and say good morning. That hasn't happened before, usually others pass you by without a second thought. The community feeling in the country right now is truly humbling, as all of us try to cope with circumstances we have never seen before.

    As well as my daily constitutional, I am continuing to cook healthy balanced meals each day. After reading up on Coronavirus, it is clear that a healthy immune system is your best protection against it. I no longer drink or smoke, but do take multi-vitamins and probiotics every day and try to do my best to stay fit and well. Of course, I am overweight, which is a red flag, but I am continuing to lose a few pounds a week as I work towards my personal goals.

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    On Thursday we did our third non touch toast as a family, celebrating each other at this time. With everything that is going on, it is important to remember those close, even if we can't see each other at the moment.

    I have to admit I am finding the social distancing difficult, having not seen my Dad or anyone from my extended family for nearly six weeks now. The loneliness has become so extreme, I have become very insular, in a way I haven't since I was a teenager and that really does worry me. Not only am I beginning to resent people, but I am purposely avoiding conversations.

    Depression has also become a growing concern, as I navigate this new, untested way of living. Despite getting out as much as I can, soaking up the early summer sun, I want to get home as quickly as possible, only spending an hour outdoors. The long term effects of this lockdown will be vast and wide for all of us and I hope we all learn to live with our families, friends and neighbours once again when this is all over.
    Today the weather was a little drab and overcast, so I went for a brisk hour walk around the local neighbourhood, something I haven't really done while I have been here. It was truly heart-warming to see nearly every house, celebrating the work of our National Health Service, in fighting Coronavirus. The colourful pictures of rainbows was amazing and an important sign of the times. It did at least allow me to recall happier times, spent with friends and family, before Coronavirus, before the planet turned sour.

    Finally, I went for a stroll around the cemetery, which was oddly tranquil in these stressful times. Just to reinforce the COVID era, a funeral was taking place, with just four mourners and everyone wore masks. Nothing is normal any more, the difference is stark, observing the 'new normal' that now envelops all our lives!
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