This post isn’t about veganism. It’s about the world we are currently living in and what has become clear to me during this period of enforced isolation. I know that the past ten weeks have been a mixed bag for many people. There has been so much suffering; those who have lost loved ones and haven’t had a chance to say goodbye. People without work, without a salary, some who have fallen through the cracks when it comes to government support and others who are now considered key workers and have never worked so hard in their life.
I know that I’m one of the lucky ones. Like so many other people I know, I have used this period to pursue avenues that would normally remain closed to me, mainly due to simply not having the time, mental space or brainpower. Starting a blog has been the perfect task to keep my mind engaged not only because of my need to share and communicate but also because I feel like I’m doing something positive in this time of crisis. I have also been taking long walks, cycling, sitting in the garden, listening to podcasts, reading my book and spending much more time baking treats and trying out new recipes. Life has slowed down. The ‘to do’ list doesn’t often get written. Is my house any tidier than before? Probably not. Have we cleaned out the loft yet? Nope. But hey, I’m exercising for longer and even though I’m not seeing friends face to face I’m probably communicating more than ever via facetime, zoom and whats app groups so I never feel lonely.
Of course, it helps that the weather has been simply delightful; the warmest and sunniest April and May I have ever remembered! Sunshine is indeed good for the soul and everything feels that little bit easier when you wake up to the sun streaming through the windows. Yes, I am certainly one of the lucky ones and I don’t take it for granted. I’m constantly thankful for my home, my garden, my husband, my dog, my friends, my family and most importantly; my health. Which has led me to truly question what is important in life. For me, I’ve realised that contentment can be achieved on relatively simple terms.
What do I need to be happy? Well, it turns out, not a lot. When financial stress is removed a huge burden is lifted. My husband and I have always lived within our means and that’s been instilled in us from years of ‘feast or famine’ due to the nature of our work as self-employed performers. We have never taken anything for granted; if we land our dream job in a musical we know that one day twelve months down the line, that job could come to an end. There has never been any stability in our profession and in-between ‘jobs’ we have worked in a variety of other fields from telesales to teaching to filming and singing at weddings. Because of this, actors tend to be great hustlers. We are used to change, in fact, we thrive on it. The idea of working 9-5 in an office fills us with dread. We enter into this profession for the love, not the money and we fully accept that 92% of the time we will probably be ‘out of work.’
I think this is why so many of my friends have coped quite well in the face of the COVID crisis. Not just coped but blossomed. My husband Nick who has been auditioning for various musicals, plays and commercials over the last two years and not securing work in any of them suddenly feels completely liberated. Rather than dejected at the thought of the arts grinding to a sudden halt, he has fully embraced lockdown by creating his own work with the collection of puppets that have remained in the loft for the last seven years. By removing the pressure of auditioning he has been able to make art for himself on his own terms.
There is a deep relief in knowing that you’re not missing out on a job to someone else because suddenly there is no job to miss out on! Once that pressure dissipates, the creativity can really take hold and you can work for the sheer joy of it. And isn’t that why we got into this profession in the first place?
Me on the other hand, I’ve come to realise that I crave creativity but this can take on many forms. As long as I’m expressing myself; whether that be through song, writing, teaching, talking or baking then I am content. And that is why this time has been so valuable to me. The need to multi-task has melted away and instead, I have a freedom that is incredibly rare to find under normal circumstances. And because we have all been forced to stay in and slow down, I haven’t been spending money on things we don’t need or planning the next holiday abroad or even comparing myself to others. We are all in the same situation and it feels like the need to ‘keep up with the Jones’ has come to a grinding halt because the Jones’ are also at home living ‘the iso life.’
The only thing that tends to burst my bubble is the news. I learnt early on in lockdown that watching the news too often made me feel anxious, angry and stressed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way and yet like a car crash it’s difficult for us to turn our eyes away. Perhaps because we’re not able to get out and about we feel that watching the news is even more important so that we can keep abreast with what is going on in the world. But do we get to see the world? Not really. The news generally focuses on what is happening on your doorstep. And lately, the news has been far from positive. In fact, I can’t remember a time when the news was anything but negative and fear-inducing.
I understand that the world is not always a safe and positive place. I also understand the need to not ‘sugar coat’ the truth. I’m not burying my head in the sand when I choose not to turn that TV on, I’m just deciding not to be a part of the noise. Because that’s what it has become for me; noise. There is so much taking place in the world that I can’t control and by buying into the media I am compromising my mental health. And for what? So that I’m able to talk about Donald Trump at the dinner table? Or quote how many victims this deadly virus has claimed? Are these issues important? Yes, they are, but I would rather spend my time trying to make this world a better place by focusing on the things I can change. Otherwise, we are all just treading water until we slowly grow tired and sink beneath the surface into the gloom.
I must say, since switching off from the general hubbub of the media I have felt far more content, happy and generally at peace. I have the odd ‘Iso day’ (don’t we all?) but most of the time I see this phase as a gift. I am living completely in the moment and it feels utterly liberating. Surely I can’t be the only person feeling this way? All I know is, if this is the definition of ‘living in a bubble’ then I am doing my very best not to burst it. I really hope we can learn from this. I hope we can hold onto the things that are vitally important to our health and happiness and let go of the things that aren’t. Because isn’t that the very definition of contentment? And if 2020 has taught me anything so far it’s to take nothing for granted because you never know when the next deadly pandemic will hit.
It may be cliche but it’s true:
‘Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.’
Well, why not give that present to the most important person in your life: Yourself?
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