Don’t overthink things and look after yourself

A collective sigh and a sinking feeling of ‘here we go again’ greeted yesterday’s news that 2 million people in the North East have been put under greater restrictions to further prevent the spread of Covid-19. A local lockdown is less strict than the full lockdown we experienced earlier in the year but it’s still something to adjust to.

For specific guidelines on what the lockdown means in the region, visit:

North East Measures

With the news that socialising with people in your home or garden or in public spaces is against the latest regulations, get prepared to wrap up for some exercise and a change of scenery. Rebecca has a young son so for fresh air they’ve been heading out, but as we go deeper into autumn, going out will become weather-dependant:

“I have realised the importance of a good winter coat – the only place we go is the park, which is fine for now, but I am worried about what will happen as the weather gets colder. Plans are more precarious, but we appreciate those outings to the duck pond a little bit more.”

For the most part we’ll be losing the ability to see friends and family face-to-face and, while that should be temporary, Rebecca says that it’s to be expected that your friendship circle will feel a lot smaller as you rely on Whatsapp messaging instead of meeting up in real life:

“It’s natural that some relationships will falter. Don’t beat yourself up about friendships shifting. I’ve found that the regular group of friends I’m in contact with has shrunk.”

With no firm end date being given for today’s local lockdown news, Rebecca recommends we don’t fixate on when it might end:

“Don’t think too far ahead. We don’t know the end date of our local lockdown yet. Information changes regularly and I have learned not to think beyond the next weekend. I haven’t even considered how things might look at Christmas.”