How are we all doing?

How are you doing? It’s a simple question that takes only seconds to ask, and can make the world of difference. We have been in an on/off lockdown now for around 10 whole months, and it can be very easy to feel a bit lost, or unsure about how you’re feeling. Today’s blog is going to look at checking in with people, and why it is so crucial that we do so, especially in these uncertain times.

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

We in the United Kingdom have been in and out of lockdown for the past 10 months now, and it has affected each and every one of our lives. The way in which we work, socialise, shop and essentially how we live, have all had to altered to help contain the deadly COVID-19 virus. What we thought was only going to be a month-long lockdown, quickly grew to 2 months, then 3, and before we know it we are approaching February 2021, and are still in lockdown.

I’ll be honest, I have found this most recent lockdown the most difficult so far. The weather is so much colder outside, it’s wetter and it is a lot darker. Back in the first lockdown, after I finished work, I would be able to go for a nice long walk to chill out and unwind, something that has proven to be a lot more difficult in the current climate.

This most recent lockdown does feel like a never-ending “Groundhog Day”, and it can be so easy to feel drained and demotivated. There is hope coming in the form of mass vaccinations and stuff like that, so hopefully a finish line will emerge somewhere on the horizon soon, and we can slowly start to return to “normal”, or as close to it as we can get.

I talk a lot on this page, I write blogs, I share stories and I transform my thoughts into posts. I create the content for this page, but without all of you, my readers, I would be nowhere near where I am today. It is very simple to get swept up in the 100mph non-stop journey that is life, but it is always good to take a couple of minutes out of your day to firstly see how you are doing, and the secondly to check up on others.

This is a topic that I have spoken about time and time again here on this page, but that is just because of how important it truly is. Going through life at the minute is very difficult, even more so by yourself, and you can never know the difference that a quick message can have on somebody’s life.

In spirit of this, I am going to make today’s blog a little bit shorter than I usually do, however, I want to offer up a challenge to all those who would be interested. I want you to spend a couple of minutes here and there today, having a chat or catch-up with some family/friends. It can be something as easy as a “Hey, how are you?” or it can be a lot more, the choice is yours!

Thank you all for reading today’s blog! I hope you all have a great day!

One last question, how are you doing? Are you feeling okay? If you do ever need any help or support, please do know that I’m always around! Things are very tough currently, you do not have to go through it alone!

James Sweeney