In a speech in Cape Town in June 1966, John F Kennedy said:
There is a Chinese curse which says ‘May he live in interesting times ‘ Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.
So Day One of lockdown and, like many of you, I’m pretty fed up of COVID-19 but JFK’s quote is very relevant to all of us today as we are having to be creative in how we go about our daily lives and energetic in our approach to working through this time of uncertainty.
We’ve written before about isolation and how it can contribute to poor mental health but we didn’t realise just how the issue of isolation would land at each and every one of our doorsteps this morning…
We don’t know how long this situation will last and our wonderful NHS workers are already feeling the strain so we need to listen to BoJo and his team of science and medical experts and heed the Government’s advice to STAY AT HOME. We need to take responsibility for our own safety and sanity and that of our loved ones.
So, how do you look after your mental wellbeing and ensure you and your family/friends come out of this still speaking to each other?
Get yourself connected…
Now that we have no choice but to stay at home, all those little conversations that pepper your day, from buying your cappuccino in the morning to meeting a friend for a quick catch up, suddenly disappear. And that can quickly have a negative impact on your mental health.
So now, more than ever, we need to stay connected. We’re talking about a new virtually connected world here… WhatsApp groups, Facetime, Messenger – anything that can get you face-to-face with your family, friends and favourite people – start a virtual Book Club, organise an online pub quiz for Saturday night at 8, join a virtual choir (The Sofa Singers, Great British Home Chorus etc.) or take part in some virtual exercise classes (Joe Wicks, Lucy Mecklenbergh, FamilyFit4Anything on Facebook).
You are what you eat
This is only Day One of lockdown and my stock of snacks has been severely depleted so maybe this is the time to make a change to eating habits. A healthy diet can help keep your immune system working well – so what better time to cut back on snacks, start exploring new recipes and eating a range of healthy foods?
Stay Fit
In a Farmers’ Weekly survey around half of respondents (55%) said they exercised outside work – A third said they did so once a week or more. 12% said they exercised less than six times a year, with 45% admitting that they never did any exercise at all. 
One third (32%) blamed a lack of time as the main reason for not working out– come on people… there are 1,440 minutes in every day – use 30 of them for physical activity!
Make your Bed
Whatever you decide to do and however you decide to spend your time during the coming months, bear in mind Admiral William H. McRaven’s speech for the graduating class from the University of Texas at Austin…
If you want to change the world … start off by making your bed.
The simple act of making your bed can give you the lift you need to start your day. You will have achieved one goal and this can provide you with the satisfaction to end the day right.
This simple advice has never been so relevant. Life is full of difficult times. But there’s always someone worse off than you. If you fill your days with pity and bitterness for the way you have been treated, blaming everything and everyone else, then life will be long and hard. We’ve seen it many times in our industry, when times are tough people rally together, care for one another and show the compassion and concern that have always made Britain great.
This is BACKING BRITISH FARMING so keep it going. Keep spreading nothing but kindness.
At this time, the only thing more contagious than this virus is hope!
