Kindness & Isolation

Last month, every meme, every social media post and our conversations were about how we should be kind to each other.

This month, it’s all about panic buying and people in need who cannot get the essentials they want.

Now, more than ever, kindness should be our number one priority.

As we continue to work from home and isolate ourselves, there will be people out there who are isolating alone. Remember to check in on them, see how they are doing. There are some great apps out there such as House Party and Zoom to keep in contact with each other. Seeing someone’s face – even if it is just on a screen, can make all the difference to a day in isolation.

Call that family member you maybe haven’t spoken to in a while, catch up with old friends online – this is great opportunity to reconnect with some of those friends you haven’t seen in a while. You can make plans and think about what you can do when we are allowed to see people again! Even though social distancing and isolation can be difficult now, it’s exciting to think about all the fantastic activities and events we can do once this is over. Popping into your local beer garden or just having the freedom to go clothes shopping will never feel so good!

I am lucky in my job; we have been having daily meetings where we catch up with each other through the Teams app and talk about the day’s work activities (as well as what we had for dinner last night). It’s great – it ensures we are continuing to communicate each day and it’s a great start to the day to see some faces!

One of the best tips I have been given so far about working from home and being in isolation is to make sure you keep a daily routine. Get up as you normally would do for work, get showered (even put on your ‘work clothes’ if it helps) and plan your day as if you were in the office. Make sure you take regular breaks and a lunch break and finish at the time you usually would.

One of the things I have found most difficult with my home office set up on the dining table is to do a little bit of extra work in the evenings and it is so tempting for us all to do that, but try to keep your evenings for your own time - it’ll make you more productive during the day!

There are some fantastic things going on that we can all take part in from home such as online workouts, online pub quizzes and, of course, some great box sets.

If you’re lucky enough to have some outdoor space, don’t forget to get some vitamin D and enjoy some time in the garden (obviously away from your neighbours)!

There will be an end to this, and if we do all the right things now and continue to isolate and keep social distancing, then hopefully it will be sooner rather than later and we can all enjoy a fantastic summer.

At the CIM, you will see we have cancelled all of our current events, but we look forward to welcoming everyone back again when we are all ‘back to normal’.

In the meantime, keep well, stay safe and why not check in on that friend?

Article written by: Claire Sweet, Student and Education Ambassador