CORONA SELF CARE Words by Alexander Arthur
COVID-19. The invisible bastard that has made everyone from the bearded millennial at the Ligertwood front desk to your Aunt Karen run for the hand sanitiser, toot paper and pasta faster than Usain Bolt at the 2008 Olympics (as I write she is still speaking to the manager at Cumberland Park Woolies). Retail entitlement aside, the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest public health emergency for a generation; at the time of writing there are more than 1600 cases Australia-wide, and over 300,000 cases worldwide. Its rapidly evolving nature, lack of known cure and mass media coverage has resulted in uncertainty and confusion, so here is a short list of tips to take care of yourself during the foreseeable future. 1. Focus on what you can control – Viktor Frankl once said that “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.” Some examples are: •Where you go •Who you spend time with •How you spend your time and money •Your behaviour, mindset and reactions to your thoughts & feelings •How much you sleep •How much you exercise •What you consume By focusing on what you can control, you’re allowing yourself to let go of what you cannot, which allows you to react to situations in a way consistent to your values and massively reduces any stress and anxiety brought about by 48
coronavirus. 2. Practice good hygiene: This means washing your hands with soap and water for twenty seconds, (especially after leaving the house, before eating etc) – the same time as it takes to recite the ratio from Donaghue v Stevenson at para. 580: ‘Who, then, in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called in question. You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injury your neighbour.’ In short, don’t socialise unless absolutely necessary, practise social distancing and look out for others. Be like Lord Atkin. Don’t be a dickhead. 3. Re-establish your routine if necessary: A routine is essential for self-care as humans crave structure. If you’re struggling with where to start, think about what is working, what isn’t and what you could change. Some examples are: • Study: Check that you have enough space for you to study with natural light and air, where you are unlikely to be distracted. I also use Google Calendar to plan tasks out over the course of a day, and Trello boards to break down tasks into actionable components to avoid overwhelm in light of due dates/any other commitments. Having a solid pair of headphones and a banging Spotify playlist is a lifesaver, leaving more time for Kath & Kim re-runs on Netflix with a bottle of wine. If you
