Canberrans have been encouraged to assemble safety kits for their homes as we head further into round two of the fight against COVID.
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ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman wants us to prepare a kit of essentials: tissues, hand sanitiser, liquid handwash, soap, paper or cloth towels, disinfectant and, yes, toilet paper. But no stockpiling and let's be sensible please. Hopefully we've all learned that lesson.
And hopefully we've all learned that lockdown isn't all sourdough and days with the cat. The novelty of working from home, having time to cook, and afternoon walks around the neighbourhood has well and truly worn off.
There's been a lot less #quarantinelife posts this time around and perhaps that's a good thing if this is going to be the new normal, as is being suggested, for the next few years. There's no point in peaking early, we have to pace ourselves.
We shouldn't feel guilty if we're just surviving. If you're getting the kids to school - and I'm praying they will physically go to school for the remainder of the year - if dinner is on the table, if you and your partner can still smile at each other, and if you've worked out the working-from-home thing, then all power to you. You are doing this.
But I started to think, if this is the new normal then perhaps we needed some things in our "survival kit" beyond sanitiser and facemasks.
Here's my list of essentials:
Friends
People who don't live in the same house, or even the same town, or country even. People you can call, or text, or dare meet outside for a coffee. People who understand your situation, they too might have small children going stir crazy, or are struggling with work or relationships. Find your people who will listen, and be there for them as well. Just because we're not physically interacting as much as we used to doesn't mean we can't interact. Everyone needs a support network. If you're finding this hard, search out professionals. Plenty of organisations such as Beyond Blue and Lifeline have specific Coronavirus strategies in place. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Exercise
It might just be that gentle walk around the neighbourhood before dinner. Or, while you still have the chance, a full-on sweaty weights workout at the gym. Whatever works for you. Just keep the body moving. But be gentle too, if that's what you need. It's been proven nature is good for the soul, as well as the heart and lungs and muscles, so if all you need to do is sit under a tree, do that.
Books
What better way to sit under a tree than with a good book. A pile on your bedside table is an essential survival tool. Here's what I've been reading. Some of them were advance copies but keep your eye out. Meg Mason's Sorry and Bliss (4th Estate, $32.99) is a dark and tender tale of Martha, who's not quite sure what is going on. You'll cry. Rose Carlyle's The Girl in the Mirror (Allen & Unwin, $29.99) is great escapist fun, with a twisty ending. Michael Robotham never ceases to entertain and his latest When She Was Good (Hachette, $32.99) is a cracker. A Year of Simple Family Food, by Julia Busuttil Nishimura (Plum, $39) might be the cookbook to get you through the next 12 months if needed. Think Japanese braised pork or a simple butter cake with raspberries.
Cooking
It's time to calm down, people. Quarantine cooking is not a competition. It's about nurturing yourself and your family at the end of the day. Or the beginning of the day. Haven't breakfasts become a little more interesting now there's no need for the commute? But slow down. Indeed indulge in some slow cooking. Put a lamb shoulder in the slow cooker, let a pot of soup bubble away on the stove all afternoon. And there's the trick. Make enough for too many people. Leftovers are your friend for those days where you can't even think about cooking. And that's happening more regularly now too. And for days where inspiration strikes, reimagine those leftovers. And bake. Nothing is more lovely than cake.
And we need lots of lovely.