I can do this. We can do this. #Covid-19 #Coronavirus

Like many, the news this evening was somewhat of a shock. Immediate thoughts were, "how will I cope?" and "will I get through this?".

So I thought I would share some things that have helped me and may or may not help you.

If you are asking yourself questions like the above, think about things that you have gone through in the past, and survived, be that being made redundant, divorce, bereavement, anything that at that time, seemed daunting. And ask yourself, "what exactly do I mean when I think, will I get through this, how will I cope?". Although this is your and indeed everybody's first time to be confronted with this, so was your first divorce, or the first time you lost someone or lost a job, or that first presentation to a client and so on. Everything we ever do has a first time. You coped then, and tell yourself, you can find that same strength again. Humans are incredibly adaptable and stronger than we sometimes realise. Look how quickly we have adapted in a matter of days to queuing outside supermarkets, closed pubs and restaurants, Euro's 2020, Glastonbury and Olympics cancelled, being furloughed and the rest.

Take it one day at a time, try not to think "how will I get through 3 or 6 months". Each day over, is a day closer to this being over. And focus on the positives, spending more time at home with children, your husband or wife or partner, doing those chores you keep putting off, (or finding that "I haven't got the time" wasn't the real excuse!), take up painting or writing, learn a language or keep a diary and sell it to your grandchildren (or Ebay!) when they do their essay about the Great 2020 Corona Virus! And pick up the phone, call your neighbour or that distant relative you haven't spoken to since Dave's wedding 10 years ago. They probably feel the same as you. We are all in this together and think of it as physical, rather than social distancing.

Try and focus on the things you can control (turning off the news, being kind to others and finding fun things to do around the house or garden for example) and try to ignore the things you and we cannot control (such as predicting what will happen and how long this will last).

Count your blessings and consider those on the NHS frontline, shop-workers, delivery drivers, the homeless, women living with their abusers. Easy to say, but all we've got to do is sit on a sofa.

Go easy on yourself, and on others. If it gets to 3pm and you are still in your PJ's and are not sure if they are your night PJ's or your day PJ's (which happened to me the other day!), so what, who cares? And try and be flexible, adaptable: does it matter if Tesco had run out of wholemeal bread and only had brown or white?

Finally, if you really are struggling emotionally or mentally or just in general and don't know where to turn, what to do, who if anyone to talk to, or are lying in bed in the middle of the night and can't sleep, the Samaritans are still there, 24/7, as an "essential" service. Some people still think you should only call if you are suicidal. That is not true. There is no hierarchy of suffering. You will not be judged in any way and it is in total confidence. You can contact them on 116 123 or email [email protected] or visit the Samaritans website.

So, one day, this will be history, for you and for all of us and we will look back on this time and hopefully think "I got through that, I'm not sure how, but I did".

See you on the other side!