Thread by @LoveInYourTummy

I spent several months bedridden and housebound in 2014 with a spontaneous spinal CSF leak, so I thought I’d share 7 things about what I learnt from the experience of being at home all day every day for several months. And 7 things about how it changed me for the better
#COVID19

1. Prioritise meals. Focus on feeding yourself in the best possible way you can afford. If you can’t already, learn to cook. Good physical and mental health start with good nutrition. I can’t stress strongly enough how important this is.

2. Develop a routine. Get up, get dressed and make your bed as though you are going about your life in a ‘normal’ way. I had to lie down for most of the day due to my illness, but I never stayed in my pyjamas. This made me feel more ‘normal’.

3. Find something that makes you laugh every day. I mean proper belly laughing. When I was unwell, I watched sitcoms, stand-up comedians, rom-coms, panel shows, chat shows, etc every day. I had nothing else to do, as I couldn’t work, so I did this for at least 2 hours each day

4. Practice gratitude - and focus on the simple things. There is *always* something to be grateful for. It could be enjoying a meal, sharing a joke with a friend or family member, sunshine, the smell of spring blossom, hearing a child giggle, having enough toilet paper!

5. Be curious and learn something new. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and people in your life through this experience anyway. Try to ‘home school’ yourself as well. It could be from reading, watching YouTube lessons, via TV; it could be arts/crafts, music, language, science...

5. Practice kindness and help others. Connect with people virtually if you can’t work or go out. I was housebound and couldn’t work, but I could share my learning about my condition with others that I met on patient support groups. Be inventive as find new ways to show kindness

6. Do some exercise every day - even if it’s indoors. Walk around the living room / kitchen / garden / climb up and down the stairs (if your home has stairs). Quality time outdoors can be as good, if not better than quantity.

7. Learn to be content in your own company. Take some time to be still each day and be happy with your own thoughts and solitude. Don’t focus on doom and gloom. Learn to benefit from the power of hope.

‘The future is a fantasy that shapes our present’

And here are 7 ways that the experience changed me forever - for the better - and made me happier

1. The new habits, skills and knowledge I gained whilst bedridden and housebound helped me to recover from my illness, drastically improved my overall health, and changed my life for the better. Good nutrition was the bedrock of all of this.

2. When I could go back outside and regain my freedom, I started to appreciate the things that had been taken away, that I had taken for granted. An example is that I am now thankful for - and actually enjoy - travelling on busy commuter trains.

Yes, really!

3. I was grateful for all the downtime and for what I’d had the opportunity to think about. I realised who, and what, was important to me, and what kinds of behaviours I was prepared to tolerate (or not) in others. This improved my confidence and self-belief

4. Learning to solve my own problems and puzzle my way out of new and difficult situations taught me/reminded me of my ability to be resilient. I learnt the true meaning of ‘Where there is no struggle, there is no strength’

5. I learnt to worry less and feel less anxious about uncertainty. It means that I am more mentally and emotionally prepared for the prospect of several weeks of being confined to my home again. I’m convinced that good nutrition helped this too.

6. I was unwell during the anniversary of the start of World War 1. By comparison, with access to internet shopping and home delivery, being confined to home was not actually that much of a hardship. I learnt to be very grateful for the people who grow, pick and deliver my food.

7. I learnt that we are all interdependent. As well as appreciating the people who provided me with food, I was grateful for the people who looked after me, who supported me with a listening ear, or a word of advice, who shared their learning, and showed me kindness.

And finally - for a decent chunk of my life I have worked in (or with) the NHS. I know how hard people work, in what can be very difficult circumstances. Now, more than ever, we need to support and protect the NHS. #StayHomeSaveLives

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