So, the announcement has been made – lockdown has officially begun. For most, it’s the inevitable and necessary ‘next step’ that we were all expecting. For others, it’s the realisation that things are serious and with that comes anxiety, worry and fear. Staying at home has been sounded out from the very top and now working from home has all of sudden become a prison that many find a suffocating and daunting prospect.

Now more than ever, listening to the real advice is imperative. This even comes down to how it’s communicated; everywhere you look, people are using the words ‘coping’ or ‘dealing with’. Personally, this feels too strong and using words such as ‘adapting’ or ‘adjusting’ are far calmer. With stress levels already heightened, a softer and more positive approach can recalibrate someone’s mind to successfully adapting their life.

Believe it or not, there are people who self isolate for a living. Professions like submariners and astronauts have done all this before. These are the real people we should be taking advice from. As much as peers and work colleagues can offer their thoughts, most come with a hint of emergency, mainly (and understandably) due to the fact they’re dealing with the shift too.

Reading tips from people like John Bailey, ex-navy submariner, almost immediately gives you a calmer perspective on things. They are working under these conditions for days on end and using a variety of strategies and routines (I’ll share at the end of this post) they successfully adapt to their new surroundings. 

Experience in these situations carries a lot of weight and being able to relate this to the COVID-19 situation that we find ourselves in today can really help focus the mindset. Yes, we’re in unprecedented times but ultimately it’s a life adjustment for a period of time; the real people in the war are the key workers still out there working day to day to keep people healthy, supplies plentiful and streets safe.

So, read these routines from the people who have done it, let the bigger picture take care of itself and focus on readjusting our lifestyle for a short period of time.

After all, there’s an astronaut in all of us.

Click here for Top Tips from John Bailey, ex navy submariner : source bored panda