I’m usually shy when it comes to our social media content at Kinetic, but at a recent cyber staff meeting we decided it would be a good idea for each of us to write a little bit about how we’ve been feeling in this difficult and uncontrollable situation, for our own personal benefit and to help others…so I thought I would contribute.

I’m not going to lie, I for one have found this whole situation really difficult. On the 23rd of March when the news broke that we had to stay home I was quite panicked. I was living in a house with two of my best friends and due to different circumstances had already planned to move back in with my parents temporarily. The move date was the following day. So since the 24th of March I went from living in a house with my own space, making my own decisions on what to eat and where to go, to living back home, with my parents. I do love them both dearly and am happy to be here, but for a 29 year old woman who had grown accustomed to all of those wonderful benefits of living in her own space, I knew that moving back in with my parents alone was going to be a shock to my system, but with this entire pandemic in the mix too…it knocked me for six.

We were nearly 2 weeks in into lockdown when it suddenly hit me. I had a couple of days where i felt like ‘whats the point’. It made me not want to get out of bed in the morning because I felt as though I had nothing to get out of bed for….. Going from having a buzzing social life, a job I loved, being financially stable and all those amazing things to look forward to in the future, to nothing… I had plans to go and see my boyfriend in Canada on the 18th April, but like many others that trip has now been cancelled and the idea of not knowing when I would see him again shook me.

After a few days of mulling things over, my brain started to put things into perspective….

I think we are all entitled to feel a little bit down every now and again but the important thing is to realise that we aren’t in this alone, there are people dying every day due to this awful virus but we just have to try and stay positive and be there for each other.

Your support system is so important and times like these really do make you realise how much you need your friends and family in your life. Regular video calls with them has really helped. Friends have been having regular virtual pub quizzes where each person takes it in turns hosting each week. They have been really good for me, having others to talk to outside of my family circle, but it also gives you a sense of structure to your day and something to look forward to. I think we’re all going to be general knowledge wizards when this is all done ha

Ive also been trying to exercise everyday because I find it helps to clear my mind, I can refocus on what’s important and it’s something I have control over. I’ve been trying to get up and go for a run in a morning or do a workout with my Nike Training Club app. I even took part in an online Yoga class the other day with my mum, which was hosted by Bev Porrino a fellow Be Activated buddy all the way from Dublin. It was great fun watching my mum struggle with some of the balances ha!. This also allowed me to recenter my thoughts, think about my breathing and my body and the things I can control in this chaotic time.

The mind can have such a huge impact on the body and our immune responses, so at a time like this when we need to keep our immune system at its strongest, keeping the mind positive and active is most important.

I’ve been doing diaphragmatic breathing and full body activation on myself for the last week since my ‘freak out’ and it’s really made a difference to how I’ve been approaching my day.

As Sports Therapists we are aware of the breath and it’s importance to the body’s ability to function, but it is even more important now in this current situation as the coronavirus attacks our lungs.

When we are struggling with the lack of control in this current situation, challenge ourselves to control the way we are responding to whats happening to us. Thats where we will find our power.

Stay Strong guys and Stay Home.

Hoping and praying I see all you lovely lot soon.

Much Love,

Jess x