By Alex Morris

Self-Isolation Sanity 

We are entering The Unknown. 

This Unknown is scary – I can’t even comprehend how scary it is for those with loved- ones who are at severe risk, or those who have no idea where their next payslip is coming from, or those who will wake up tomorrow to Monday’s cruel embrace, unsure even if they still have a job. 

So this blog comes from an absolute place of privilege. 

Yes, my life is about to be disrupted but not to the extent of some. Some brilliant people have already got the ball rolling with #ViralKindness – please look to help out those in need if you can. Mainly by not losing your head and strapping 4 x 24 Charmin packs to your motorbike (as I witnessed in South London today). I also had a timely reminder from my former evacuee-nan this morning that toilet paper itself is a ‘modern luxury’ and in her day it was newspaper. That might put a shiver up your pampered sphincter but it’s arguably the best use for The S*n, isn’t it? 

Anyway, here’re a few top tips aimed at those in a similar position to myself: 

Sift for the solace in your emails. Your inbox is about to take one hell of a beating, so get some positive words incoming early to balance out the dross. 

– Thought Starter send weekly ideas for anyone who’s thought about changing the 

world, but isn’t quite sure where to start. From ‘how to champion women’ to ‘how to nurture a love of reading’, they hit you with the big q’s and supply what you can do to make a difference. – The Hustle sends Daily Emails with a handful of topical stories, adding perspective and 

colour to make it easy to understand. Something you go to bed thinking about and wake up the next day ready to take on the world. In this age of hysteria and mass misinformation, it pays to be informed. 

Write your own Odyssey… or don’t. I’ve always been on the fence about the whole Everyone Needs To Have A Side Hustle, ‘we’re a Slashie generation now’ (only heard this the other day, vom) argument. Completely get that it’s good to have prospects aside from your main job, but they shouldn’t feel like an extra pressure (especially when surviving a pandemic and keeping a source of income is going to be a Herculean task for most of the population). 

BUT if you CAN, or even WANT, to use this time to write that book which the world definitely needs to hear, detailing your first true love Mario, whom you met in a Minorcan all-inclusive aged 12, which, then do it. 

But if you just want to potato-print penises till the coughing cows come home, this is also fine (just be sure to get the potatoes in early doors). 

If you have to self-isolate, make sure YOU do YOU. Stretch. Dance. Meditate. Be mindful. Do body scans. Make playlists with songs that make you feel happy. Calm. Read those books you forgot about or didn’t have time for. Take the time to deeply connect with your loved ones. Don’t forget to breathe. Deeply. Use social media sparingly and wisely. Turn on notifications of accounts that give you strength. That educate you. That inspire you. Mute Piers Morgan. Go inwards. Feel your emotions. Sit with them. Don’t judge them. Don’t block them. Spend time writing about them, about you, your life. What you love. If you feel like it, your traumas. The things you still have to shine light on within yourself, in order to move on. Your dreams. Your goals. What do you want from this life? Take more care of yourself. Take time to go through the routines you normally go through for self-care. Take care of your surroundings. The space you live in. Make it more calm. More beautiful. More worth living in. Take the time to learn to cook new recipes. Write. Philosophise. Ask yourself deep questions that you normally don’t have time for. How can we make the most out of our time here? How can we make the world a better place from now on? 

Do these things because you deserve it. 

Or just stick on Premiere League Years and re-watch from 92’ onwards – your call. 

Stay safe beloved Scabbers. 

AJx