We’ve all had our lives turned around and upside down in a very short space of time.  There have been moments when it feels like we’ve been caught in a tornado, or maybe climbed into the washing machine and some joker switched it to spin.

COVID-19 has become an echo in everyone’s ears.  Social distancing, self-isolation and lockdown were words hardly in our vocabulary before now, and yet these days you can’t go anywhere, listen to anything or read anything without seeing them.  It’s been wonderful to see the country united for once, willing to put themselves through great difficulties and hardships for the benefit of others.  Of course, there have been the exceptions, the few who seem to think the rules don’t apply, but certainly in my road there has been a big pulling-together and support system set up to make sure no-one is left alone and in difficulty.

During this time, I have, like so many others, been unable to work.  I found myself talking to the radio whenever they said we should all be working from home, telling it that I would love to work from home as I normally do, but right now it was not in the best interest of my patients.  Just today, I have welcomed the first few urgent cases back through the doors, with stringent distancing, cleaning and hygiene measures in place to try and ensure everyone’s safety as far as possible.  It’s been really wonderful talking with people, and the support and understanding I have received from those I can see as well as those who for the time being are better off self-managing their condition with whatever advice I can offer.

I decided to take the time today to reflect on the what the recent period has shown me.  There is good in the world.  There is also quite a lot of idiocy, but lets put that to one side.  I’ve learned a lot about social media, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to forget where my phone is because I haven’t needed it.  I picked up the musical instruments I used to play daily, and enjoyed getting to know them again. I’ve found ways to keep fit at home, slightly offset in my efforts to stay in shape by also making the most of not having to be at work the next day to enjoy the odd more-frequent-than-usual cheeky glass of wine.  The moment when I finally cracked that most ironically-named pole pose for a currently-unable-to-work-chiropractor, the “no-handed chiropractor”, on both sides and just had to take a picture to prove I DUNNIT!

Perhaps what we should do now is decide what of these things we wish to take forward into the new world we are slowly emerging in to? It feels a bit like making New Year resolutions to promise I won’t let my violin gather dust, that I will carry on with my HIIT sessions and pole fitness, and I will certainly never take popping in to a supermarket for a few bits in 5 mins for granted again.  One of these days, I might even do a happy dance to find bread yeast has returned to the shelves again.

So yes, the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating in many ways, and we are a long way from over it yet, but let’s remember some of the good things we’ve come to enjoy, and perhaps find ways to include them in our daily routines from now on.