If you were a fly on the wall in some of the millions of homes around the globe I wonder what you would see. People dealing with being alone, couples and families together 24/7, sudden change in routines, virtually no warning. Its really fascinating to me as a psychologist how it's going to impact people's minds, emotions and behaviour.
For some it will hardly be different - those who are used to working form home already. But there will be many more who find themselves alone day after day, feeling as though they are slowly going mad. The people used to going out to work and the kids used to seeing their friends at school. Those used to having their space each day whilst everyone else is out. Those working from home who are also now feeding the kids, cleaning the house and trying to be professional on the telephone. The bankers being bombarded with bad news about the stock market. The firefighting of the millions of employers who have to deal with the sudden halt in their projects. Many of course have lost their income.
But to every cloud there is a silver lining and we have no choice but to make the best of this. This ludicrous situation really must be seen as an opportunity to reach out to each other. Families will never ever have the chance to spend so much special time with your kids again, parents, brother, sisters. Every day is a chance to sit together to eat, to watch a family movie, to learn together, have some fun. Communities are being built virtually too - its actually hart warming in so many ways. Some are getting alone time they could only have dreamed of. There are going to be a lot of clean houses, and organised cupboards and well tended gardens. Its time for a little change in the pace of our lives, just for a while and whilst it seems interminable not knowing when it will all end, make sure you use this time wisely because it will soon pass.
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