Hello friends,

Welcome to my seventeenth blog.

I really hope that this finds you all safe and well.

I have broken my routine of once-weekly blogs as I woke up this morning and decided I needed to connect with you all.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease that it has caused (COVID-19) has been devastating and has impacted millions of people, their lives and their families.  We can only hope and pray that when it is all over and in time when our new normal arrives, it will bring with it new hope, rebirth, and revival. In the meantime, we all need to stay safe, isolate and take every precaution that we can.

I have always thrived on routine and cannot bear wasting my time. I am not totally dogmatic in repeating what I do every day in exactly the same way, but I have a general way of living most days and it has always worked for me. It seems to maintain my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

This has been particularly important over the last while. With our self-imposed isolation due to the fact that we had travelled internationally, albeit not in high-risk countries, it was even more important for me to maintain a good routine. So, from the first day of our isolation, I made sure that I got myself into a fairly regimented routine and that has held me in such good stead in the days that have followed and will hopefully continue to do so.

.This daily routine definitely has a number of benefits for me.

I seem to have become more efficient with this planning of my days as I am not wasting time thinking about what I should/ could be doing. The structure that this is providing is also making me feel more secure, safe and comfortable, which is sometimes decreasing the stress factor. I do have a great deal of energy and I cannot bear being idle which is not always such a good thing. However, the fact that I plan my days quite rigidly expends energy and makes me content that I am using my time constructively.  For me, time is one of my most precious commodities and one of my most valuable resources.

I am speaking to family and friends about the evolving pandemic in moderation and somehow this seems to help me. A problem shared is a problem halved. I am also trying to do an act of kindness most days, because, as we all know, helping others, helps yourself. It doesn’t matter what the motivation is, it doesn’t have to be a selfless act. Hey. Karma can work in both ways. When you help people, good things mostly do happen.

The new habits I am creating in this temporary-normal, are helping me maintain my sense of well-being and overall health. I feel that I am becoming more proficient in my nutrition studying and my blog writing. I am now prioritizing my exercise even more than before, as well I am varying it, usually about thirty minutes of running and walking on the treadmill or twenty minutes of beginner yoga with my new App and some deep breathing exercises in between. I am also stretching a lot more than I did before. I am planning to get back into meditation as this does help with anxiety and chronic stress. The release of the subsequent endorphins from all of this definitely helps keep me on a relatively even keel, although I do miss going out and having my exercise sessions. The family time and the ongoing meals together are my best and such fantastic food for my soul. Interesting chats and I am definitely sleeping better since they are not going out at night. This is so good.

My bubble is going to burst. It has to.  I am only on Day seven and there are many more days to come. With our imminent lockdown, my routine will stay the same and that will start to get mundane. I will end up having an argument, or two or three with one, two, three or four of my boys.  I worry about not earning. I do not contribute very much to the family coffers, but what I do contribute has always made me feel good.  I also enjoy the independence earning my own money gives me. I am also concerned about my patients. I don’t like the fact that I am eating lots of chocolate, coffee, and diet coke. I am sad that I cannot see my Mum or my Mum and Dad-in -law and give them each a hug and a love. I fear for their health too. I would love to see and hug my friends. The virtual hugs don’t really do it for me. I worry about the many poor innocent people in our country who are going to suffer so badly. It’s always the innocent that do.  I fear for my children and their future and the future of our beloved country.

Oh dearie me, Hayles… and you said you were okay!!!

I really, really actually am.

On a positive note, with so much extra time at home, I am spending a great deal more time planning, prepping and making our evening (and sometimes lunch) meals. I am looking through recipes, experimenting, chatting to the family and learning so much, and we are mostly making really healthy choices. Actually, really rewarding!

We had a delicious lentil curry (the first I had ever cooked) for meat-free Monday last night and I have made delicious bliss ball choc treats (thanks to Jessica Sepel) in the hopes they will replace the chocolate eating, We have enjoyed homemade broccoli based pizza with delicious toppings and have had an unexpected tasty experience with lettuce cups filled with creamy salmon (thanks again to the beautiful Jess). Unexpected and delightfully tasty dishes!

So, all in all, it really is good. The sun is shining, the late summer rains have made my garden look lush, green and magnificent. I have a home that I love, I  can learn and create, I have food in my fridge, I have a family whom I adore, my dogs who are in their utter element at having us all around all the time and actually life is just grand.

Friends, I urge you, establish your routine, make the most of this time, explore new avenues, learn new skills and live your life.

Wishing you all lots of love, spectacular health, and wonderful wellness.

My sixteenth tip.

Try to wake up every day and think of five things that you can be grateful for. it really does help in these testing times. Stay safe and keep well.