Yes, Positives Do Exist (Just Squint Harder And You’ll See)

With so much negativity festering daily, from scaremongering and sensationalising tabloids spitting doomsday ‘news’ into our turquoise surgical masked faces, to apocalyptic scenes in some of the local supermarkets. I wanted to flip this on its head, and dare I say, try and see some positives to this nightmare we all find ourselves desperate to awaken from. 

Is this my feeble attempt to sugarcoat reality or turn a blind eye to the obvious? No, of course not, but sometimes we need to take a minute and reflect on some good in order to continue soldiering through the challenges. 

And for that reason, I want to share with you some positives I have jotted down recently regarding the pandemic in an attempt that you too could relate. 

Will it plant a cheek-hurting smile on your mug allday? I think not, but perhaps for a millisecond or two, and that’s better than not at all, right?

So here goes:

Money Saving

I am not ignoring the financial hardships, again this point will be for a few not the majority. Many people have lost their livelihoods, or are struggling on furlough, I know this. Which is why I think it is important to remain hopeful that this nightmare will end this year. 

Some of us may have been able to save throughout this situation, perhaps you have returned to the parental home and are saving money by paying a decreased rent. Or maybe, for example, because the hospitality industry has been closed at different stages throughout the year you have managed to save money which otherwise would have been spent in restaurants and bars. Because, let’s face it, who would ever want to spend their money enjoying themselves *wink wink.

Perhaps this situation presented you with an opportunity to kickstart your own business. New ideas may have arisen as a direct result of these circumstances perhaps. Or maybe, simply, you’ve had the time to forge a solid business plan, thrown caution to the wind and just given it a go. 

Family Time

Although the novelty definitely wears off, I can say that the support and company of my parents, and vice versa this last year has had more positives than negatives. Of course the pleasantries fade into the abyss by the second week of living under their roof, with their ways of life mimicking that of a stoned three-toed swamp sloth. It’s no lie that I have wanted  to take them on in the boxing ring, but overall I think spending time with family is something that should not be underestimated. Having company is definitely something that’s overlooked by us all at times. There’s nothing wrong with living on your own, so long as you can still catch up with friends and family, right? But definitely, in these times I think closeness with people is needed more than ever. Love you Ma and Da (they never read this sh*t)!

Perhaps you are a parent yourself and have found that this situation has given you the opportunity to spend more time at home with your partner and/or children. Maybe you have created more memories as a result. Hopefully happy ones!

As social beings, I think having company and companionship is only ever a good thing. Which is what makes this situation sort of bitter/sweet , after several months you grow to hate your family and crave socialising with your cool friends haha! But deep down family is important in my opinion.

Location Change = Less Stressful City Lifestyle

Ofcourse, this one is location dependent and based on your preferences as an individual. In my situation, I moved out of the city of London and into my parents’ shoebox of a home. Which despite its modest size it still manages to swamp the non-existent space you get in the matchbox city apartments of the UK’s capital, might I just add! 

Like any city, there are both pros and cons to the types of lifestyles they offer in them. I do like the atmosphere and amenities on my doorstep but the flipside is, do I miss overcrowding, sprinting off trains like racing greyhounds, or overpriced below-quality accommodation and products? I guess not, atleast not at the moment. 

So by being away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the city I have been able to take my head out of the sand and say ‘ no, no I do not miss the stress of the commute’ as I travel from my bed to my desk in my pink thermal pyjamas.

My blood pressure has thanked me too. 

Learn To Value Health More – Physical & Mental

It’s not that things like getting a haircut and saving the world’s economies are not important (in that order). But I think obviously the core of this crisis is the concern it poses to health on a mass scale. 

This risk to our physical health has taken a toll on our mental health, I believe this is fair to say, would you? Both are as important as eachother, yet one is always overlooked. I will leave this to you to decide.

The bottom line is, perhaps this is the time to truly put ‘health’ in its many aspects in the spotlight, and not focus on making more money or building  a more impressive reputation. Perhaps the importance should be on looking after ourselves. 

And not just in moments when we are physically sick, but in the moments physically well too. 

Not just in the moments where we feel physical pain, but in moments of mental pain too. 

I think it’s easy to overlook our own well-being and place more priority on widening our wallets. But ultimately what is a million in the bank really about if you are stressed or depressed, or physically unwell as a result of your quest to be rich?

My point is self-care has become a much more apparent thing to me, our mental and physical health is overlooked until a health scare abruptly enters our lives. 

We work ourselves into the ground to save money which we won’t see until we are pensioners, or instead, we work ourselves into the ground so that we can retire before we are of pension age. 

I have no issue with strong work ethics but a question I asked myself is – what value of money is my health worth?

We should treat ourselves better more often, we can be too hard on ourselves at times.

 Why obsess with always chasing the future plans, doesn’t that mean you will never really be enjoying the present?

Take more care of yourself is my bottom line!

If you are  feeling down, perhaps do as I did and take a moment to reflect on how much strength you have had in getting through this situation thus far. Perhaps even jot down some positives as I have done above. 

Personally, I felt alot better when I did this, and I am sure that you will too. 

Take care

Natasha