Watching the news back in December, we learnt that there was a virus going around which originated in a town called Wuhan in China. Apparently from a food market that sold Bats. On further research, I understand that this is not the case, being that Bats were not sold at this particular market. It is however true that the virus can be transferred from Bats to other animals such as chickens which were also sold at the market. Live animals were also kept in the same place as dead animals, increasing the risk of passing on the virus.
If you are like me, my first thought was that this is happening miles away and it will not affect us in the U.K. I have seen these markets when travelling to China and I have also eaten different meat from some of the market stalls, but I never thought a virus could come from this wonderful place. Little did I know at the time- Welcome Covid 19.
Whatever your thoughts about this, it is clear that people lives have been affected in a huge way. There are also many conspiracy theories going around filling our news feed, but should we chose to believe them? It is often hard to create our own opinion with twenty four hour news. We are almost forced into believing everything we read and listen to through our devices.
It is no surprise that some of us are feeling very negative and wondering what the future will bring. At the beginning of all this, I was stopped from going into schools. It was the week before the actual lockdown, based around the fact that I visited other schools during my week and I was at a higher risk of spreading an infection. I took this on the chin, but then a week later the schools shut. My world fell apart. Income I receive from the schools equates to almost 3/4 of my wages.
At first it was a novelty being off work. This meant that I could practice more and do all the jobs around the house along with spending more time with my daughter. It was becoming clearer as time went by that this was a serious situation and I needed to work out a plan for us to survive as a family and also protect my business. As a teacher I am always trying to inspire people to set goals and keep them motivated. If you are brave enough to read some of my other blogs, you will know that I am currently studying my level four teaching qualification. Although I am a little behind with my progress, it has taught me to structure my life in a much better way and to put “First things First”
Balancing family life and achieving what you want to do in your career is hard, but it is even harder when we are presented with a pandemic. For what it is worth, here is a few things we have been doing at home.
- Get up in the morning as if you were working as usual.
- Get dressed ready to start your day
- Plan your day including any work commitments you may have.
- Read the news just once a day.
- Do not drink too much alcohol.
- Keep a healthy diet.
- Read a book.
- Work “with” your partner/wife, talk and listen to each other.
- Learn something new.
These are all pretty obvious, but easily forgotten. I do not mean to be patronising, but if these are all in place, you can think about this situation with a clear head and get through it. My teaching work is now online and with the support of my students I am surviving. With the help of a positive mind, new ideas for the future will naturally happen.
It is true that my situation is not as bad as others. We have friends that are really struggling and my heart goes out to them. If you are employed, do not assume that things will get back to how they were. Yes, you read that right. Your company will need you more than ever. Do not make the mistake of thinking your company owners have plenty of money and can afford it. They are more than likely having the same worries as you on top of a big debt paying for a business that is not currently providing a service. Give them a call, be proactive, throw them some new ideas, have a think about the business you are a part of- It is your future after all.
I wish you all the best with whatever you do. We are all key workers and don’t let anybody tell you any different. At first I felt very forgotten, now I am working on being memorable.
Just a few thoughts,.
Stay Safe
Glenn