Have you noticed a certain weird feeling in your tummy, chest or throat?
No, not the kind of symptom we would associate with an illness, but more generic, more diffuse and a bit hard to explain? Not the type of pain you would take a tablet for or consider to see someone about it. Just a funny feeling, most noticeable when you stop for moment with what you were doing.
Today is the day before Good Friday. Most of us associate that time of year with a certain routine. This might be seeing family, being outdoors while usually complaining about the weather or travelling. But this year is different. For one, the weather forecast is good, but on the bigger scale, we are in lockdown for the Coronavirus. We are not allowed to see family and friends if they are not within our household, we cannot drive to the Lake District for a challenging walk or to the cottage by the sea, we cannot go to the church/temple/mosque and we don’t even consider taking a holiday abroad.
Most of us cope or are trying to make the best of things, some are key workers and face heightened levels of stress and possibly anxiety to get infected, some work from home and have to manage family, schooling, playing, and exercise, some life alone and isolation turns into loneliness, some cannot work at all at the moment and most worry to some extend about finance and economy. This has touched all of us, young or old, healthy or unwell, poor or rich, all of our lives have changed, we all had to give up ‘our way’ of living. Anything that we are forced to give up, might it be a routine, might it be seeing a particular friend or family member, might it be a certain type of hobby or sport, can cause pain. It is also called grief. It is that weird feeling inside us. It is a yearning. It is grief.
There are great efforts on social media to keep us ‘entertained’, or ‘connected’. And there is a hole avalanche of online learning, free or greatly discounted to ‘make the most’ of the lockdown. There is also a beautiful poem of Kathleen O’Mara from 1869 in circulation which proposes reflection and healing. There is a motion of getting is fitter and healthier by exercising more at home and with our family and eating better. While some aspects of it might be a vital help making a real difference, there might be a time when it turns into unwanted pressure, ‘I must get fitter/better/stronger/better educated etc before lockdown is over’.
Grief and pressure do not go well together. Grief supresses our immune system, as does unwanted pressure or stress. Allow yourself time to appreciate that this is a challenging time for all and each individually. Give that weird feeling a name such as ‘grief’ if you like and appreciate and respect it. It is ok to not feel ok at times. I quite like the analogy of ‘hanging out at the back of the cave for a bit’ until I am ready again to be active, to start getting stronger again. Most bad things heal over time and bad times will pass.
I am a chiropractor and miss seeing my patients and colleagues - but I have not stopped to care. I was able to check in with some of my patients on the phone and I repeat my offer in this post, that all of my patients can contact me - free of charge - for advice and my attention during this lockdown. Leave a message on the clinic phone or email me under office@montaguechiropractic.co.uk
Stay safe and well everyone.