In February, after Elton John had postponed his remaining Auckland shows, I made an impulsive decision to go to his last scheduled Australasian show in Sydney. While I was there, there were fewer than 30 cases of Covid-19 in the entire state of NSW, no community transfer, and no travel restrictions. I figured I was pretty safe.
After being home for more than ten days, I developed symptoms and had to get tested. It was the longest five days of my life waiting for the result, and by the time I was cleared, the country was already in Level 4 lockdown. Once the first weekend of the national lockdown rolled around, I already felt like a self-iso expert.
On my first day of quarantine, I spent so long in the bath that my gel nail polish peeled off. I caught up on my washing, but I certainly did not deep clean my house. I saw countless tweets saying that people have realised they didnāt need more time to do their chores, theyāre just lazy. I laughed at first, and then I didnāt. What we really wanted was a chance to pause and breathe, not be forced inside while we worry about our elderly relatives or whether weāll have a job next month. For many, this is not a holiday.
Let me tell you, if I hear āthese are unprecedented timesā one more time, I might actually scream. Itās hard to know how to feel or what to do when the entire planet is experiencing something entirely novel. Social media is telling me all kinds of mixed messages: work out, stay productive, relax, slow down. Iāve decided there is no right answer, if you want to watch all of Tiger King on Netflix in one day or Marie Kondo your underwear, go for it. (Surprise, I did both.)
Iām also an essential worker, so the only extra time Iāve gained since coming out of quarantine is a shorter commute. For many others, itās longer work hours, juggling kids and working from home on a desk that is not optimised for proper posture. When I get home, Iāve got a whole decontamination process, and itās difficult to continue to be productive when youāve got your pyjamas on by 6:30pm. There has been an abundance of advice for those working from home, but what about those on the frontlines?
Most of my friends and colleagues arenāt sleeping through the night, there is undoubtedly a collective anxiety that hangs over us all. Iāve had to incorporate meditation back into my routine, to settle my mind that races even at the best of times. To my surprise, Iāve done more baking than ever before ā obviously, those who panic bought all the flour were more forward thinking than I. Iāve done the occasional online workout and about three quarters of a 1,000-piece puzzle. Like everyone else, Iām taking it day by day and trying to find joy in the simple things.
Some things have remained the same though, I donāt wear pants unless Iām going out and I still havenāt been able to remember to water my plants until they are slumped over, silently screaming for help. I had my first therapy session on Skype on Friday night, while my neighbours blasted Mambo No.5 ā some routine maintained amongst the chaos. Around this time last year, I went on my social media detox, but now I couldnāt be more grateful for the ability to stay connected. I never thought Iād be glad to still be able to be subjected to live kazoo performances from my niece.
The government originally began with the advice of āsocial distancingā, but quickly there were calls for a change in terminology to āphysical distancingā, to remind us that two metres apart doesnāt have to mean complete isolation. In New Zealand, we have some pretty sobering mental health statistics, and now more than ever we need to come together to make sure everyone is getting what they need. The Mental Health Foundationās Five ways to wellbeing has āconnectā at the top of the list, so itās time to get creative. My neighbourās toddler shouting hello as we took out the rubbish reminded me that it really is that simple to reach out (figuratively).
You can check out some great Covid-19 specific mental health advice for both frontline workers and those at home from the Mental Health Foundation.
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Chanelle is a vegan, amateur athlete, social advocate, environmental enthusiast and blogger at mynameischanelle.com.