Not really a surprise, is it? Like many countries, the UK is entering a second lockdown period. This time it will initially last a month and schools will stay open. And whilst I'm not interested in the politics or effectiveness of lockdown enough to bring it up for discussion, here I am writing about it. Why so?
Amongst the many questions it will raise for each of us, it raises two questions for me that I want to cover here. Firstly; how long will this lockdown really last? We're less than two months from Christmas now, and lockdown will separate family and friends at the one time of the year that is normally untouchable.
And the second question is this; how are you? No, not the stock answer you give when you get asked. Really - how are you?
How has lockdown affected you thus far? What major life events have you missed or only witnessed from afar? Who are you really missing right now?
Apart from annecdotes and minor pieces of information, I'm not keen on giving out too much about my life. I will say this: I 'm approaching my forties, have been a gamer all my life, and I have some serious life experience. So believe me when I say that I have some first-hand knowledge of isolation.
You don't have to be on your own to be isolated. You can be surrounded by people and never feel more alone. You can have seen your family and friends more than most during the pandemic, yet still feel further from them than ever.
What I'm getting at is that how you feel is how you feel. You can't compare it to other people. You can't try and deny things with thoughts like 'well he/she has it worse so I have no right to feel like this.' How you're feeling is how you're feeling, and you don't have to feel guilty or ashamed or weak because of it.
Admitting how you feel - even if it's only to yourself - is strength, not weakness. It's acknowledging that there's a problem. It's giving yourself a starting point to set things right.
Realise what doesn't help you, and then minimise your exposure to those things. Maybe it's being tired. Maybe its certain music, or films. It can be a smell, or a colour. Talk a walk. Talk with friends. Draw something, or write something.
Do whatever you have to to feel better - as long as it doesn't make things worse in the meantime. Me? I've stopped drinking any alcohol at all for a while. It's not that I drink too much, or become silly when I do. It's that drink brings feelings to the surface that are better off left alone for now.
And if things get worse? If you're feeling like you can't cope? Reach out. It doesn't have to be anyone you know. It can be an anonymous voice at the end of a phone, or an email to a stranger. It can be to a medical professional who can direct you to a more formal style of help. Post it on Facebook, or text a friend.
No, they don't think you're a burden. Yes, of course they want to help. Give them the chance you would want to have if it were they who felt like you do. Let them stand by you.
We're gamers: we have access to worlds through our consoles and computers that many don't even realise exist. Some of us are lucky to have online communities where we feel like we're in company, and lockdown is a million miles away.
But this beauty of gaming can also be a curse. Just because we were okay in our own company before, doesn't mean we are now. If you're struggling, you are not alone. There is help. It will get better.
You might have read that, but I don't think you took it to heart. Take the time to do that now:
You are not alone.
Comentários