So after that April Fools' gag, I decided to write down my ACTUAL experiences during lockdown just to give you some insight into what it's like for someone like me to go through it.
So how am I coping? Not great which is weird considering that I've practically trained for this. For those of you who don't know, I wasn't exactly the most social person growing up, preferring to stay in my room first to play with toys and later with technology. I basically lived the lockdown life before it was cool. However that all changed in 2015 where I actually started to have a social life. I went to different house parties (including some at a barn) and I started to regularly hang out with my school friends. This got exacerbated at university where I joined different social clubs and societies whilst also befriending my housemates. On top of that, I gained a new appreciation for the outside when I started walking to uni (which is usually about 45 minutes away) and I got so used to it that long walks are now a habit to me. This continued even after uni where I two theatre groups and mapped out a walk across my home town.
True I had days where I stayed in my room but so long as I had that balance of staying in and socialising, I was okay. I am an ambivert by nature meaning that I want to be social and active, just not all the time. Then COVID-19 and lockdown happened and suddenly I was forced to be an introvert again. Now I have prepared for this by getting Disney+ as well as engaging in writing activities such as this here blog and staying in contact with my friends and family through the likes of Zoom and Facebook Video Messaging. My mum is also an expert in isolation and she organised things like a Friends themed birthday party for my sister's birthday and quiz nights including two games of trivial pursuit with my extended family (via Zoom). But then the troubles started
Basically, April was the month where technology failed me across the board. Firstly, after downloading Norton Anti-Virus in the vain hope it would protect my laptop, it instead killed it. I spent weeks trying to fix it before giving up and handing it over to my stepdad who fixed it within 24 hours. My laptop is fine now but its charger is not since an exposed wire is preventing it from charging properly. It was the same problem with both my phone chargers as well as a dusty port. Thankfully, I was able to sort out my phone and I now have a new phone charger. My mouse also had an exposed wire but I was quickly able to replace it. My laptop one is on its way but it won't be here until May.
All this plus the extended isolation definitely took a toll on my mental health. I felt trapped within my own home and I missed my friends terribly. I also hated that my life was put on hold after it just got started again at the start of March. Not only can't I return to work as the garden centre I work at is closed but I can't meet new people which has stunted both my social and dating life (and no I'm not going back to dating sites... I really don't do well on them at all and interactions with some questionable people have left me feeling icky). It made me feel incredibly anxious with some tears that followed. The fact that it's going to rain soon won't help because that will truly keep me confined in my own home (though it might stop some idiots from breaking social distancing).
Still, I'm trying to make do with it. My sleep schedule is ironically a lot better as I've started waking up at 9 and watching movies on my phone in bed to help me sleep before midnight. Disney+ has allowed me to watch some of my favourite franchises (I'm redoing Marvel this month) and this Friday, I'm organising a Doctor Who quiz night with some of my Leicester theatre friends. I still maintain my faith despite not going to church through prayer and listening to worship music which in turn helps maintain my sanity.
But yeah it's not going well for me and from what I can tell, I'm definitely not alone in this as my friends and some celebrities I follow on Twitter share the same sentiment. If you, like me, want to stop the spread of COVID-19, please stay indoors and 2m/6ft apart from everyone you're not currently living with. It really helps to save lives and give the people in the NHS a break. And maybe one day, we can go about our lives as normal. Until then, fare thee well good people of the internet!
Meme of the Day:
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