Making the best of a shit situation

In between bouts of panic about the health of those I love and myself, where I am going to get money, can I buy food, are we going to descend into societal breakdown? I have to think about what I can do and what potential changes for good might result from the horrible situation we find ourselves in.

I find myself having more conversations on the phone, sometimes trivial, sometimes even managing to squeeze in "I love you” when talking to my father. It's a chance to catch up with people where there is that social awkwardness that too much time has passed since we last spoke and it feels embarrassing.

Time usually feels like a scarce resource, but with no gainful employment for the foreseeable future I have an abundance. I can teach myself new skills, learn to do things, learn to do things better. Activities that are usually rushed that can be given more time.

There are tutorials on everything, mundane tasks present opportunities. Could I research even routine tasks before doing them? to be more mindful of what I am doing and deploy different techniques. For example it appears there is a chance to learn how to clean the house better, make my own cleaning products and the opportunity to spring clean the house.

Is now the time to learn to make more things from scratch? Currently can’t get to the supermarket so yesterday made shortbread for the first time. It was ok but there is room for improvement. Once the dust has settled perhaps ingredients for pasta can be procured and another thing on my kitchen bucket list can be ticked off.

All those half finished projects that can be resolved, the garden tidied, turning compost beds, learning to weed. Have been talking about a vegetable patch for ages, and it appears will now have an opportunity to make this a reality. It has long been an ambition to be more self sufficient and this may be the spur into action that was required.

Our local community for a long time has had a very quiet facebook group, but now we are coming together offering support, asking for help. Perhaps we can develop a barter economy, someone was asking if anyone hast eggs the other day, I already trade sourdough loaves with a neighbour for eggs from her ducks and chickens. Maybe the community can expand on the items or skills we can trade with each other. Today someone suggested the opportunity to become a Red Cross volunteer and I have put my name down.

I can spend more time on yoga and meditation, and develop patience and equanimity. It's time to set up the turbo trainer again to work on cardio fitness. I often find myself at night trawling youtube for videos on all manner of things, am fascinated by dancing tutorials, so maybe this can be another physical outlet.

For too long flying to go on holiday has felt like a right, perhaps this will be time for us to reconsider this, perhaps we can learn to enjoy where we are and what we have got rather than feel the need to change location to make ourselves feel better. There are many accounts of pollution levels reducing already due to the lowered levels of travel.

So yes things are scary and shit right now. but it does appear it can be used as a spur to deepen relationships and friendships, bring communities closer, assess our environmental impact and even grow and develop as human beings.

What things are others doing to not just alleviate the boredom or distract from the fear but to allow a chance for improved relationships, communities, knowledge, skills or abilities?