Hello! Welcome to the end of week 12. 2020 isn’t going too well right? Nobody expected to be where we are today. And I really hope everyone is ok, taking care of themselves and keeping themselves safe. How are you doing today? Today is self care Sunday, another week is over and a time to make sure everything is ok. Make note of what you learnt from this week and become stronger for the new week ahead. Every Sunday I update you on my life basically and how my week went. Self care is hugely important to me and has been for 4/5 years now. But right now we all need self care to be top of the list. I have endometriosis, not that this virus is effecting my endometriosis, but endometriosis also leads to mental health issues and that is linked to the virus. Bringing them in tightly together. 

Anyway, enough of the negatives, or as much as I can. This, I really want to be positive throughout and continue too. Because we are literally living on negatives right now. But every situation has a positive to it and that is what we need to focus on. Positives really help your mind stay fresh, kind and happy. For me personally too much negatives makes me want to run and hide. Anyone else like that? 

Let’s start with Monday. A fairly normal day to be fair. The usual work, home, write a blog and all that. Actually I started this week on the point of staying with the healthy foods, better lunches that toast and spread. To get a lot right rather than wrong. You know I fell of the healthy eating awhile ago because my “something new” is really on hold. And due to feeling a little run down all I’ve wanted is food. My lunch was really green and healthy. A simple spinach, avocado, cucumber pesto salad. Amazing in taste, was simple to chuck together and serve daily for lunch. With me, I followed WW years ago, so fruit and vegetables mostly are free from points. Really filling and nutrious. 

Then we get to Tuesday and all things start to become iffy. I am in the UK for all you that don’t know. Tuesdays for me are work and floristry. Creativity is something I love. Really do. Just before lunch we were all called in for a team meeting. Dotting around the room like we all had a naughty corner, to be told the action plan. We learnt something on Tuesday. Never get excited until it really happens! The action plan to divide up and conquer the world. Do nothing but go to work and little else. I could of cried in that meeting over several things. But held my strength together. 

First because I had floristry that night and we already had thought that this week would be our last for a while. Secondly because basically I was told I would be part of the skeleton staff in the office. Long story that I won’t get into. Thirdly because I was literally told that I could go work and home but I had my god sisters wedding to attend to next Friday which really I shouldn’t go to. And finally because everyone around me were mostly leaving me and I would be there all lonely trying to plow through. 

I went to floristry on Tuesday night. No body could stop me and its not like I actually had to tell them I went. To be fair not everyone I work with, knows I went still. Super happy I went because this term I have struggled for many weeks with inspiration. But this week I went prepared, fully of ideas and my own spring like colours and Easter decor. The old antic looking trays we used are beautiful. When I move I want to do something with this. All sorts of jars, ribbons and candles. No I am not a gardener and I had dirt. LOL. Planting the bulbs was not the best but look how colourful, easter like and spring like I made mine. How cute are the hanging bunnies. This is what I mean about positivity. Something happy and colourful always puts a smile on your face. 

So Wednesday, the day when everyone started to move out the office. A really odd feeling actually. An office full of empty desks and a few dotted about still working. It was really hard and strange to sit there carrying on working when box by box people were emptying out. We had no choice in who stayed, who went to our operations department and who went home. That was made up before our team meeting. Though now it is Friday, even I know that the decision wasn’t made until they were told and changed it! 

Wednesday afternoon was really odd. Lonely and I was freaking a little because this could be for a long while. That I am sitting in an office with no one practically. Say 15 on a floor of normally 100 people. I went to say something then realised that no one was there to talk to. Not even that but I couldn’t just walk through to my friends in operations and have a chat. I was locked down to my office. This is when COVID-19 got serious! Covid-19 is no joke. Seriously if you have the slight symptom, cough, temperature anything stay home. Just before lunch we found out that a guy came into our office when his wife was already showing symptoms. People were in a small office with him that day having meetings and now they were to be self isolating. How selfish! Again don’t get excited until it actually happens. We were then told “it is just a cold” so you can stay but in your own office. 

Thursday came and things kind of sorted itself out. Got my earphones out, downloaded an audiobook and sat on my own doing my work and others who now were in new roles. Everyday we have been having meetings of how we do things, what we should do and so forth. When it came to the afternoon, 2 managers walk through the skeletons office and take the temperature of one who was meant to go home the day before to self isolate. High. Has to leave. Takes the next persons, high have to leave. Then they get to me. I was going to have to jump ship and join my friends in operations. At this point I really didn’t care what I was to do. But then they took my temperature. Knowing it would be higher than normal as I am on antibiotics. Again high. Off we all went home. 

We are all working from home now as in the 3 off us. But how selfish of that one guy, to come in and knock out several willing and healthy people. Not just us but our families as well. Then I got my sister’s thermometer out and took my temperature. Read the back to realise that they are reading people’s high at work when its actually a normal temperature! I was 37 but now after several times of checking per day am at 33. It is catch 22 really. Do I mention and have to lug my 2 monitors and box back to work straight away. Or enjoy the time working from home? I really felt like I should of told them that actually your thinking people’s temperatures are high but you are wrong. Again a long story why I haven’t so maybe I will keep quiet on that reason. 

Friday comes and I woke up at 8am. 30 minutes spare to get up and dressed to walk next door to my living room. Turn the computer on. How amazing would that be if I could do that daily? Self isolation for me is only a week. Because lets face it I didn’t have a temperature on Thursday so I am not going to have one a week later. Fingers crossed. Working from home is good, you get things done that sometimes you can’t at work. You don’t have that distraction or pulled off for other things. We even had our first virtual team drink at 3pm to celebrate the first week, of what could be many. How well we did and what we have to come. 

Things I have learnt this week. That I am in a really good place right now. I didn’t think I was but now its Friday night and I am feeling good. Not to keep focused on the corona virus COVID-19 but to share happy things and good things. Laugh at the silly jokes and smile because I don’t have to wear proper clothes for a while. Maybe work value me for what I do, being apart of the skeleton staff and being wanted for so many things. A good thing write? How listening to a book “surround by idiots” has made me laugh and stay real. Learning about people as well and doing what I want and need. 

Reading a good book is really helping me also. And I am about to close my laptop to finish the last 10%. Leaving each night we happy thoughts and scrolling through my feed daily to stop only at funny things or nice things and ignoring all the negatives. Who needs toilet roll anyway. Just jump in the shower if you need to. I really do value the last hour of each day. Switching off and putting me first. Setting things straight for the next day. 

This week coming I want to learn more about balance. As crazy as that sounds having my pc literally 5m away from me doesn’t mean I have to sit on it all day. Even with the tele on or an audiobook. Breaking up, going for a walk or a drive. Just change room even. Meditate and relax. If I have to stay home all day and night, then I will but I will still do things as normal. For the fact I have my house to sell at least, but to keep everything clean, healthy and positive. 

I ask you all to stay safe. Do what you need to do to take charge of yourself. Don’t just think of you but think of others. Doing something stupid can wipe the whole future. Think before you do that silly thing. Take care of yourself and do what is right.