Last year I was an activities coordinator in a care home. Bustling with life and laughter and joy. I had always had my eye on moving into marketing to share this joy with others, showing the world that care homes are not what they are often perceived as in negative press and in January of 2020 I landed my dream job of Marketing Exec of the Care company which owned my care home. A whirlwind of learning and planning ensued.
When January became February and COVID began to rear it’s ugly head I entered the care homes less to avoid putting our wonderful residents at more risk that they needed to be (non essential was what I was classed as within the care homes) and began working at home more and more.
Now 7 months after the care homes were forced to close their doors my world looks very different. No longer surrounded by laughter and hugs and fun I sit alone at home in quietness and solitude trying to continue to shine a light on the amazing work our care homes do. Remaining positive and joyful on the outside even though on a personal level I am anything but.
Groundhog day becoming a well known concept for me, like many others who now have a new normal of working from home.
The lack of human interaction is somewhat soul destroying and to someone like me who thrives on connection the world feels cold, disconnected and quiet.
While people have stood on their doorsteps and clapped for carers, sent gifts and cards into our homes and set up online ways of connecting it makes you look at the simple act of a hug in such a different light than last year. Without that connection physically. while people feel fed up, restricted and confused by the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns, no longer able to smile at strangers or have friends over we seem to have all been tucked away into our own little worlds within our homes only stepping out for essentials then rushing home again to hide away. It is human nature to look to others for help and support but now it seems that solitude and encasing ourselves in that is the only way to say safe.
Mental Health has always been an issue for so many but now it seems a pandemic within a pandemic is occurring and I just hope that once we find a cure for covid19 we can start to heal from it mentally as well as physically. Death, lonliness and solitude all around us, the end of the rainbow seems so far away and everytime we hope we are nearly there it seems there is yet another hill it’s hidden behind. We just need to keep on seeking that pot of gold and we will get there in the end. Together. <3