tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43688302873637788632024-03-07T06:02:49.634+00:00earth to taliaearth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-8080301029384047242023-02-13T19:35:00.009+00:002023-02-13T19:54:34.124+00:00(Re)-Introducing Myself<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When I <a href="https://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2015/11/hello-world_27.html" target="_blank">first introduced myself</a> on this blog in 2015, I was a 19-year-old Creative Writing student from South Wales. </span></span></p><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"ci816","text":"When I first introduced myself on this blog in 2015, I was a 19-year-old creative writing student from South Wales. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8rp51","text":"\nI’m now a 26-year-old creative writing graduate from South Wales – and a few other things have changed, as well.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4m9k0","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"esv7o","text":"Shortly after graduating in 2017 I posted about my scoliosis, which was causing me chronic back pain. That same month, I had scoliosis surgery – and I was left with debilitating chronic pain in the lower left side of my body, chronic tachycardia, a heart murmur, respiratory issues, and dramatically fluctuating blood pressure. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhl2s","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3rbia","text":"I slowly but surely came to the realisation that I was never going to make a full “recovery”, and mentally grappled with labelling myself as “disabled”. Sometimes it feels like my health completely defines me, but of course there’s a lot more to me than my diagnoses.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7of9p","text":"[Picture with stick and quote]","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3dtf0","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9cr63","text":"I’m still as obsessed with cats (particularly my own) as I was when I was 19. I’ve not put down the eyeliner, either – no matter how much Gen-Z insist that it’s not trendy anymore. I’m still a massive daydreamer, and I still fall head-over-heels in love with fictional characters (see: Robin Buckley and Maeve Wiley). My habit of binge-watching YouTube videos hasn’t continued, but it has been replaced by an avid love of podcasts.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":385,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhe78","text":"I wish I could say that life post-university has been really exciting, but I don’t have anything major to report. I’ve made friends and lost friends. I’ve celebrated getting promotions and cried over making mistakes. I’ve wondered whether I’m aromantic, had my first love, subsequently realised that I’m not aromantic, and had my first heartbreak. I’ve seen four more therapists and four more physiotherapists (and I think I’m finally getting somewhere?). I’ve fallen in love with my queerness and I’ve come out to my family. I’ve experienced some very high highs and I’ve lived through some really low lows. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":304,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":409,"length":46,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"se5g","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"amaqe","text":"Because of my health, writing and other hobbies became less of a priority – but I’d like to change that this year. In the last five years, I’ve had more medical appointments, seen more health professionals and trialled more medications than I can count. I’ve been working in social media and communications since my surgery, and the switch to home-working has been hugely beneficial. I’m still living with my parents for now, while I try to figure out how the hell to balance chronic illness with independence.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blm3i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"d3uat","text":"In all honesty, life since graduation hasn’t gone how I expected. And although I’m writing this post to (re-)introduce myself, I think, ultimately, I’m still figuring out who I am. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ko20","text":"I’m learning to be okay with that, though. I know I’m not alone.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bjn63-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bjn63-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bjn63-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’m now a 26-year-old Creative Writing graduate from South Wales – and a few other things have changed, as well.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="c6j2l-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="c6j2l-0-0"><span data-offset-key="c6j2l-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2jq68-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2jq68-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2jq68-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Shortly after graduating in 2017, I <a href="https://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2017/10/scoliosis-and-me.html" target="_blank">posted about my scoliosis</a>. That same month, I had scoliosis surgery, and was left with debilitating chronic pain in the lower left side of my body, chronic tachycardia, a heart murmur, respiratory issues, and dramatically fluctuating blood pressure. </span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3834p-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3834p-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3834p-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5a87k-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5a87k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5a87k-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I slowly but surely came to the realisation that I was never going to make a full 'recovery', and mentally <a href="https://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-year-new-me.html" target="_blank">grappled with labelling myself as 'disabled'</a>. There are times when it feels like my health completely defines me, but of course there’s a lot more to me than my diagnoses.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="64c8i-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZiEnLAJKEzbZdgeZV0MnGoEtNl_Mael8_xVqQjL2437ZR9F_zXiBZPDeBrA2WgzVZPufcrCzIiyKCQKn6j7vBRjWinsWKV0BhQ1c7pKzMAJcXCyQR8bnNHgCAUqEZ9xl5njUCWNbjpQjYHjeSOTjoGyyIkJquNSGIj42WX4WJgBOZbmnJQMU7Jzu/s1350/Black%20Beige%20Minimalist%20Life%20Is%20a%20Story%20Advice%20Instagram%20Post%20Portrait.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo of me with my walking stick with a quote from a previous blog post overlapping it, which reads: "I struggle with the word 'disability' sometimes – but not because I think it’s a bad word. I often don’t feel “disabled enough” to call my difficulties 'disabilities'. I have what's known as a dynamic disability. In other words, my ability fluctuates."" border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZiEnLAJKEzbZdgeZV0MnGoEtNl_Mael8_xVqQjL2437ZR9F_zXiBZPDeBrA2WgzVZPufcrCzIiyKCQKn6j7vBRjWinsWKV0BhQ1c7pKzMAJcXCyQR8bnNHgCAUqEZ9xl5njUCWNbjpQjYHjeSOTjoGyyIkJquNSGIj42WX4WJgBOZbmnJQMU7Jzu/s16000/Black%20Beige%20Minimalist%20Life%20Is%20a%20Story%20Advice%20Instagram%20Post%20Portrait.png" title="Disability" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0">I’m still as obsessed with cats (particularly my own) as I was when I was 19. I’ve not put down the eyeliner, either – no matter how much Gen-Z insists that it’s not trendy anymore. I’m still a massive daydreamer, and I still fall head-over-heels in love with fictional characters (see: Robin Buckley and Maeve Wiley). My habit of binge-watching YouTube videos hasn’t continued, but it </span><span data-offset-key="6qo54-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">has</span><span data-offset-key="6qo54-0-2"> been replaced by an avid love of podcasts.</span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6qo54-0-2"><br /></span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflYe2XNRwF_EbV56iNkDr0zVKl_J6O5FhLda7WLD5xQHMyZ_KIyJzOXWqQ_3LjH6sK77aK-PAsaLxBVxZ_pBR2hslSdzAbCE1Owdmto6u45otRfTTijgftv89Avf2_n26CXzpRBLSZIxxKio0a9Af4lWyyQuGM4wN17cY0jHbhjlK9H90H_uNsWcq/s2030/329984988_505847105039313_7152201414164363215_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A photo of my laptop with my first ever blog post open on the screen, which reads: "Hi, stranger! Nice to meet you. I’m Talia Grace: a self-confessed crazy cat lady from South Wales. So, a little bit about myself... I'm a 19-year-old creative writing student and a total eyeliner addict. When I’m not spending my time daydreaming, you'll probably find me crying over fictional characters or watching YouTube videos of kittens. I’ve been wanting to take up blogging for a while now, but my final push didn’t come until quite recently. One of my university assignments actually requires me to write a blog post, so I decided I ought to finally take the plunge and set up my own blog! Come and join me on this little adventure. It’ll be fun – I promise! Talk to you soon! Love, Talia Grace xoxo"" border="0" data-original-height="1765" data-original-width="2030" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflYe2XNRwF_EbV56iNkDr0zVKl_J6O5FhLda7WLD5xQHMyZ_KIyJzOXWqQ_3LjH6sK77aK-PAsaLxBVxZ_pBR2hslSdzAbCE1Owdmto6u45otRfTTijgftv89Avf2_n26CXzpRBLSZIxxKio0a9Af4lWyyQuGM4wN17cY0jHbhjlK9H90H_uNsWcq/s16000/329984988_505847105039313_7152201414164363215_n.jpeg" title="About Me" /></a></div></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><br /></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qo54-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6qo54-0-2"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0" style="font-family: Times;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0">I wish I could say that life post-university has been really exciting, but I don’t have anything too major to report. I’ve made friends and lost friends. </span></span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0" style="font-family: arial;">I’ve wondered whether I’m aromantic, had my first love, subsequently realised that I’m </span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-1" style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;">not</span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-2" style="font-family: arial;"> aromantic, and had my first heartbreak. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0">I’ve celebrated getting promotions and cried over making mistakes. </span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-2">I’ve seen four more therapists and four more physiotherapists</span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-3" style="font-style: italic;"> (and I think I’m finally getting somewhere?).</span><span data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-4"> I’ve fallen in love with my queerness and come out to my family. I’ve experienced some very high highs and lived through some really low lows. </span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e8tmg-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the last five years, I’ve had more medical appointments, seen more health professionals and trialled more medications than I can count. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Because of my health, writing and other hobbies became less of a priority – but I’d like to change that this year. I’ve been working in social media and communications since my surgery, and the switch to home-working has been hugely beneficial. I’m still living with my parents for now, while I try to figure out how the hell to balance chronic illness with independence.</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4ebca-0-0" style="font-family: Times;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4ebca-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4ebca-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1judm-0-0" style="font-family: Times;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1judm-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1judm-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In all honesty, life since graduation hasn’t gone how I expected. And although I’m writing this post to (re-)introduce myself, I think, ultimately, I’m still figuring out who I am.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0" style="font-family: Times;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’m learning to be okay with that, though. I know I’m not alone.</span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0" style="font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0" style="font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5pkmd-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUq1YjHm8ZIaOS45nmzA2k4Sjfs0W6UZNoJTMmJ2AchymgTvrI3XRbvtsV-LcsomFa-gqCqG8rVcC76FfGQGvQASx902e2mWOT0gMS11VskX6fPK9TeK88oFOIGUfyhJ-EoKMlH3mOBh5BcbcodxfdNcy665_k6dHdU5j_2R6zGiS4t0vD1f-nhNY/s200/talia%20grace%20xoxo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="106" data-original-width="200" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUq1YjHm8ZIaOS45nmzA2k4Sjfs0W6UZNoJTMmJ2AchymgTvrI3XRbvtsV-LcsomFa-gqCqG8rVcC76FfGQGvQASx902e2mWOT0gMS11VskX6fPK9TeK88oFOIGUfyhJ-EoKMlH3mOBh5BcbcodxfdNcy665_k6dHdU5j_2R6zGiS4t0vD1f-nhNY/s1600/talia%20grace%20xoxo.png" width="200" /></a></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/earthtotalia/" style="color: rgb(254, 136, 167) !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">facebook</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> / </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/earth-to-talia-14573317" style="color: rgb(254, 136, 167) !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">bloglovin</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> / </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://twitter.com/eartht0talia" style="color: rgb(254, 136, 167) !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a> </span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;">/ </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b style="color: #954f72;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://instagram.com/earthtotalia" style="color: rgb(254, 136, 167) !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">instagram</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b></div></span></span></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></div>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-78634836181898305922021-01-17T16:00:00.010+00:002023-01-30T16:38:54.540+00:0010 Tips to Cope in Lockdown<p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMkaQMp6v1AmIKoJa2i-u7352O2Ghj_Bw-diZlcJLUWxtOxljqZEggucyKVGS-6djqQB_1HS3qRY3KkDV_TwW_7Kv4_fvMZyu1NabV9chSHx2jrOwaHCiOx2_jklFoI3QcJMCkXEypY/s1880/How+to+Cope+in+Lockdown2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="1880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMkaQMp6v1AmIKoJa2i-u7352O2Ghj_Bw-diZlcJLUWxtOxljqZEggucyKVGS-6djqQB_1HS3qRY3KkDV_TwW_7Kv4_fvMZyu1NabV9chSHx2jrOwaHCiOx2_jklFoI3QcJMCkXEypY/s16000/How+to+Cope+in+Lockdown2.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"apus3","text":"1. Plan a routine – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"bf8am","text":"2. Try to maintain some balance. Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"9s0qd","text":"3. In other words, take some me-time! I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and make! time! for! those! things! It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":19,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":299,"length":32,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"8llvn","text":"4. Stay connected online. When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"2b7l2","text":"5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even more organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":46,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"eqnsu","text":"6. Make “ta-da” lists at the end of each day. This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":29,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"e7f6a","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"6enh2","text":"7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day. Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. Seriously. You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":104,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":177,"length":11,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"at6jm","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"bb8c0","text":"8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"h010","text":"9. Focus on the things you CAN control. Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you do have power over. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":39,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":152,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"f62q2","text":"10. Remember: You’ve got this. And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however you need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":197,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><br /></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5c93k-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5c93k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5c93k-0-3"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5c93k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5c93k-0-3"><br data-text="true" /></span></div><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"6ekkc","text":"1. Plan a routine – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":490,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1tamb","text":"2. Try to maintain some balance. Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":223,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"9of9p","text":"3. In other words, take some me-time! I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and make! time! for! those! things! It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":19,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":401,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":299,"length":32,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"bd7qa","text":"4. Stay connected online. When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":395,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"9h3m3","text":"5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even more organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":46,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":383,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"5jr4i","text":"6. Make “ta-da” lists at the end of each day. This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":386,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":29,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"5lpc1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"dt0c","text":"7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day. Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. Seriously. You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":104,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":279,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":177,"length":11,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"9g8g1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"4juad","text":"8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":316,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"b7smm","text":"9. Focus on the things you CAN control. Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you do have power over. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":39,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":173,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":152,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"6id0h","text":"10. Remember: You’ve got this. And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however you need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":278,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"},{"offset":197,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"e5peg","text":"1. Plan a routine – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":490,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1pks6","text":"2. Try to maintain some balance. Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":223,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"cgvee","text":"3. In other words, take some me-time! I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and make! time! for! those! things! It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":19,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":401,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":299,"length":32,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"96g92","text":"4. Stay connected online. When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":395,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"40a0k","text":"5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even more organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":46,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":383,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"3btqf","text":"6. Make “ta-da” lists at the end of each day. This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":386,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":29,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"e298b","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"fsuko","text":"7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day. Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. Seriously. You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":104,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":279,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":177,"length":11,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1la78","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"5r72h","text":"8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":316,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"76v4a","text":"9. Focus on the things you CAN control. Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you do have power over. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":39,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":173,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":152,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"8k863","text":"10. Remember: You’ve got this. And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however you need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":278,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":197,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"e5peg","text":"1. Plan a routine – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":490,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1pks6","text":"2. Try to maintain some balance. Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":223,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"cgvee","text":"3. In other words, take some me-time! I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and make! time! for! those! things! It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":19,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":401,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":299,"length":32,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"96g92","text":"4. Stay connected online. When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":395,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"40a0k","text":"5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even more organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":46,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":383,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"3btqf","text":"6. Make “ta-da” lists at the end of each day. This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":386,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":29,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"e298b","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"fsuko","text":"7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day. Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. Seriously. You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":104,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":279,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":177,"length":11,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1la78","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"5r72h","text":"8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":316,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"76v4a","text":"9. Focus on the things you CAN control. Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you do have power over. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":39,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":173,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":152,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"8k863","text":"10. Remember: You’ve got this. And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however you need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":278,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":197,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="background-color: white; color: #131313; font-size: 12px;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"7f36o","text":"1. Plan a routine – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":490,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"ephjd","text":"2. Try to maintain some balance. Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":223,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"99apu","text":"3. In other words, take some me-time! I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and make! time! for! those! things! It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":19,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":401,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":299,"length":32,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"50s7c","text":"4. Stay connected online. When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":395,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"2s615","text":"5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even more organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":46,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":383,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"l2ka","text":"6. Make “ta-da” lists at the end of each day. This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":386,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":29,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"5r896","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"f2a5v","text":"7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day. Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. Seriously. You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":104,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":279,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":177,"length":11,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"6d00h","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"fnqri","text":"8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":316,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"1qfpr","text":"9. Focus on the things you CAN control. Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you do have power over. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":39,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":173,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":152,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}},{"key":"3m87h","text":"10. Remember: You’ve got this. And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however you need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":278,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"17px\"}"},{"offset":197,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"left","dynamicStyles":{}}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">1. Plan a routine</span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;"> – but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to it. When so much feels out of our control, having a routine can help our days feel like they still have some kind of order to them. If you're working from home, work out a basic structure for your mornings, afternoons and evenings. Make sure that you're not working too much, for too long, or forgetting to take breaks – and don't forget to schedule some enjoyable activities into your days and weeks, too!
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="emov8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="emov8-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="emov8-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">2. Try to maintain some balance.</span><span data-offset-key="emov8-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;"> Not having a social life to counterbalance your work life is mentally tough. Avoid burnout by trying to find balance elsewhere – for example, by taking part in hobbies or treating yourself.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">3. </span><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;">In other words, </span><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">take some me-time!</span><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;"> I know it’s hard when you’re limited in what you can do, but spending all of your time working or doom-scrolling on social media will suck the life out of you. Make a list of the things you enjoy doing (taking government guidelines into account, of course) and </span><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-4" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic;">make! time! for! those! things! </span><span data-offset-key="1s7nq-0-5" style="font-size: 17px;">It'll give you something to look forward to and keep your spirits up.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foscm-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foscm-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="foscm-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">4. Stay connected online.</span><span data-offset-key="foscm-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;"> When you can, that is. Don’t put pressure on yourself to constantly be available if you can’t be (whether that’s because you’re too busy, too tired, or just too deflated). But if you’re feeling lonely, reach out – whether that’s via video call or just with a simple message. Most of your loved ones are probably feeling the same way, so they’ll be glad to talk to you.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cr63u-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cr63u-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="cr63u-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">5. Make to-do lists at the start of each day. </span><span data-offset-key="cr63u-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;">With the world so upside-down and jumbled, I find that my brain often ends up pretty jumbled too. To-do lists will help you to keep on top of things and avoid getting overwhelmed when trying to remember it all. If you want to be even </span><span data-offset-key="cr63u-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic;">more</span><span data-offset-key="cr63u-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;"> organised, listing tasks in order of priority is something that always helps me to stay on track.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1ki20-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1ki20-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="1ki20-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">6. Make “ta-da” lists at the </span><span data-offset-key="1ki20-0-1" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">end</span><span data-offset-key="1ki20-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;"> of each day.</span><span data-offset-key="1ki20-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;"> This is a list of all of the things that you’ve achieved in your day. These things don’t have to be work tasks or typically “productive” activities – they could be as simple as eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, or treating yourself to some me-time. Celebrating your achievements is just as important as setting yourself goals!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6qmdn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6qmdn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6qmdn-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="47d64-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="47d64-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="47d64-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">7. DON’T beat yourself up if there are times that you feel like you “haven’t achieved much” in your day.</span><span data-offset-key="47d64-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;"> Just making it through a crappy day is a massive achievement in itself. </span><span data-offset-key="47d64-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic;">Seriously. </span><span data-offset-key="47d64-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;">You’ve been living through a crisis for almost a year now. Give yourself a pat on the back.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="30ts8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="30ts8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="30ts8-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5gbie-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5gbie-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="5gbie-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">8. Take a step back from focusing on the things you can’t control. </span><span data-offset-key="5gbie-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;">Yes, I’m talking about politics and pandemics. If reading negative headlines and online debates is affecting your mental health, protect your emotional energy by trying to avoid them as much as possible. The block and mute buttons are your friends.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7445o-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7445o-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="7445o-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">9. Focus on the things you CAN control.</span><span data-offset-key="7445o-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;"> Try to work on them little by little. When you’re feeling powerless, it’s important to find the things that you </span><span data-offset-key="7445o-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic;">do</span><span data-offset-key="7445o-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;"> have power over.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J _9Gldl public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cng2t-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cng2t-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="cng2t-0-0" style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">10. Remember: You’ve got this. </span><span data-offset-key="cng2t-0-1" style="font-size: 17px;">And on the days that it feels like you haven’t got this, that’s okay too. These are just tips to help you if and when you feel like they’ll help. Handle this however </span><span data-offset-key="cng2t-0-2" style="font-size: 17px; font-style: italic;">you</span><span data-offset-key="cng2t-0-3" style="font-size: 17px;"> need to handle this, and know that however you’re feeling or coping is valid.</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5c93k-0-3" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ94KurIt6KLl1A_i5wyImej8u9kjh-l4gsQvbGEwEAMJhFnmKvMV3fAsLBaEhYSXANFAxVA_EQB9VSo9o-4S9-Fkt7rLEDyMWEV5SxGCaObYXO96dWmSqR5D5CTcJR_N4Xsrob8eXnxw/s1300/pexels-photo-5546864.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="867" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ94KurIt6KLl1A_i5wyImej8u9kjh-l4gsQvbGEwEAMJhFnmKvMV3fAsLBaEhYSXANFAxVA_EQB9VSo9o-4S9-Fkt7rLEDyMWEV5SxGCaObYXO96dWmSqR5D5CTcJR_N4Xsrob8eXnxw/s16000/pexels-photo-5546864.jpeg" /></span></a></div></div></div></div></div><p></p>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-9279750152485168342021-01-10T15:00:00.020+00:002023-02-13T18:31:43.576+00:00New Year, New Me(-ish)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlv6t4CMZdIBOh2EULBdYc7LfvBbrAB1eVNPt8SvUi0SL_0Mri3JG5hJIWfw9OXqw0YLPICHvGLDGcovNAKEGt4I4NfYZ1OpGFhyphenhyphen7fO4LvhaVxqT7Oxpr_eZ2UEIxCvkvkjflsl41KYo/s2048/New+Year%252C+New+me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlv6t4CMZdIBOh2EULBdYc7LfvBbrAB1eVNPt8SvUi0SL_0Mri3JG5hJIWfw9OXqw0YLPICHvGLDGcovNAKEGt4I4NfYZ1OpGFhyphenhyphen7fO4LvhaVxqT7Oxpr_eZ2UEIxCvkvkjflsl41KYo/s16000/New+Year%252C+New+me.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="5n1kf" data-offset-key="aa6og-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="aa6og-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"4vs0o","text":"Guess who got a walking stick?! (Spoiler alert: it's me.)\n\nFor a long time, I was scared that getting a stick would mean I’m “letting my disability win” – but then I realised just how ridiculous that is. I would never think that of anybody else, so why would I believe that about myself? By getting a stick, I’m doing the OPPOSITE of letting my disability \"win\". Mobility aids are empowering. They don’t make you more disabled; they make you more able. And although I know my disability doesn’t make me a lesser person, living a life with limits is, undeniably, pretty hard sometimes. This stick will help me break down some of those barriers. It doesn’t change who I am. In fact, it gives me back some of the freedom and independence that I used to have.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":755,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":32,"length":25,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":447,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"emo38","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5cv67","text":"I should admit that I struggle with the word “disability” sometimes – but not because I think it’s a bad word. I don’t think it’s restrictive; I think it’s freeing. Acknowledging that you have certain limitations allows you to get the support that you need to live your life with less limits.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":293,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4qf77","text":"My struggle with the word “disability” is that I often don’t feel “disabled enough” to call my difficulties disabilities, to be a valid member of the disability community, or to use mobility aids. I have what's known as a dynamic disability. In other words, my ability fluctuates. There are days where I can function with a lot less trouble. It might be tougher, more painful and put more strain on my body than the average person’s, but to an outsider, I look fine. But there are also days where I struggle to get out of bed, my legs won’t co-operate, I can’t keep up with anybody... Sometimes, I lose my stamina altogether. I can’t walk for as long as I used to, or as easily, quickly or strongly. So why not use some extra help when I need it? Most people with mobility aids don’t need them ALL the time, but that doesn’t make the times that they DO need them any less valid.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":879,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":222,"length":19,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":222,"length":18,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"eijpf","text":"After one tricky day out too many, I finally decided to get myself a cool, floral walking stick from WalkingSticks.co.uk. (Sticks can be an aid AND a cute accessory, after all – right?!) I won’t use it all the time and I don’t know whether there’ll come a time when I don’t need it anymore, because I don’t know what the future holds for me. But for now, I know that – thanks to my stick – my future holds less difficulties and more freedom… and I’m SO excited about that.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":472,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":101,"length":19,"key":1}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/927975015248516834?hl=en#"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/927975015248516834?hl=en#"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"bks03","text":"Guess who got a walking stick?! (Spoiler alert: it's me.) ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":32,"length":25,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fi69h","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"behg9","text":"For a long time, I was scared that getting a stick would mean I’m “letting my disability win” – but then I realised just how ridiculous that is. I would never think that of anybody else, so why would I believe that about myself? By getting a stick, I’m doing the OPPOSITE of letting my disability \"win\". Mobility aids are empowering. They don’t make you more disabled; they make you more able. And although I know my disability doesn’t make me a lesser person, living a life with limits is, undeniably, pretty hard at times. This stick will help me break down some of those barriers. It doesn’t change who I am. In fact, it gives me back some of the freedom and independence that I used to have.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":388,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"98agf","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"cgcff","text":"I should admit that I struggle with the word “disability” sometimes – but not because I think it’s a bad word. I don’t think it’s restrictive; I think it’s freeing. Acknowledging that you have certain limitations allows you to get the support that you need to live your life with less limits. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7uoqc","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bpbn2","text":"My struggle with the word “disability” is that I often don’t feel “disabled enough” to call my difficulties disabilities, to be a valid member of the disability community, or to use mobility aids. I have what's known as a dynamic disability. In other words, my ability fluctuates. There are days where I can function with a lot less trouble. It might be tougher, more painful and put more strain on my body than the average person’s, but to an outsider, I look fine. But there are also days where I struggle to get out of bed, my legs won’t co-operate, I can’t keep up with anybody... Sometimes, I lose my stamina altogether. I can’t walk for as long as I used to, or as easily, quickly or strongly. So why not use some extra help when I need it? Many people with mobility aids don’t need them all the time, but that doesn’t make the times that they do need them any less valid. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":222,"length":19,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":794,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":850,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":222,"length":18,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"26lld","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2bvb5","text":"After one tricky day out too many, I finally decided to get myself a cool, floral walking stick from WalkingSticks.co.uk. (Sticks can be an aid AND a cute accessory, after all – right?!) I won’t use it all the time and I don’t know whether there’ll come a time when I don’t need it anymore, because I don’t know what the future holds for me. But for now, I know that – thanks to my stick – my future holds less difficulties and more freedom… and I’m SO excited about that.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":101,"length":19,"key":1}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://disabilityunit.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/17/living-with-non-visible-disabilities/#:~:text=Also%2C%20some%20people%20with%20non,not%20feel%20they%20need%20to."}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"http://walkingsticks.co.uk/"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"bks03","text":"Guess who got a walking stick?! (Spoiler alert: it's me.) ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":32,"length":25,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fi69h","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"behg9","text":"For a long time, I was scared that getting a stick would mean I’m “letting my disability win” – but then I realised just how ridiculous that is. I would never think that of anybody else, so why would I believe that about myself? By getting a stick, I’m doing the OPPOSITE of letting my disability \"win\". Mobility aids are empowering. They don’t make you more disabled; they make you more able. And although I know my disability doesn’t make me a lesser person, living a life with limits is, undeniably, pretty hard at times. This stick will help me break down some of those barriers. It doesn’t change who I am. In fact, it gives me back some of the freedom and independence that I used to have.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":388,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"98agf","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"cgcff","text":"I should admit that I struggle with the word “disability” sometimes – but not because I think it’s a bad word. I don’t think it’s restrictive; I think it’s freeing. Acknowledging that you have certain limitations allows you to get the support that you need to live your life with less limits. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":280,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7uoqc","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bpbn2","text":"My struggle with the word “disability” is that I often don’t feel “disabled enough” to call my difficulties disabilities, to be a valid member of the disability community, or to use mobility aids. I have what's known as a dynamic disability. In other words, my ability fluctuates. There are days where I can function with a lot less trouble. It might be tougher, more painful and put more strain on my body than the average person’s, but to an outsider, I look fine. But there are also days where I struggle to get out of bed, my legs won’t co-operate, I can’t keep up with anybody... Sometimes, I lose my stamina altogether. I can’t walk for as long as I used to, or as easily, quickly or strongly. So why not use some extra help when I need it? Many people with mobility aids don’t need them all the time, but that doesn’t make the times that they do need them any less valid. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":222,"length":19,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":794,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":850,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":222,"length":18,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"26lld","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2bvb5","text":"After one tricky day out too many, I finally decided to get myself a cool, floral walking stick from WalkingSticks.co.uk. (Sticks can be an aid AND a cute accessory, after all – right?!) I won’t use it all the time and I don’t know whether there’ll come a time when I don’t need it anymore, because I don’t know what the future holds for me. But for now, I know that – thanks to my stick – my future holds less difficulties and more freedom… and I’m SO excited about that.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":101,"length":19,"key":1}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://disabilityunit.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/17/living-with-non-visible-disabilities/#:~:text=Also%2C%20some%20people%20with%20non,not%20feel%20they%20need%20to."}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"http://walkingsticks.co.uk/"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0">Guess who got a walking stick?! </span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">(Spoiler alert: it's me.)</span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-2"> </span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2di0u-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2di0u-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2di0u-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7i70p-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7i70p-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="7i70p-0-0">For a long time, I was scared that getting a stick would mean I’m “letting my disability win” – but then I realised just how ridiculous that is. I would never think that of anybody else, so why would I believe that about myself? By getting a stick, I’m doing the *opposite* of letting my disability "win". Mobility aids are empowering. They don’t make you more disabled; they make you more </span><span data-offset-key="7i70p-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">able</span><span data-offset-key="7i70p-0-2">. And although I know my disability doesn’t make me a lesser person, living a life with limits is, undeniably, pretty hard at times. This stick will help me break down some of those barriers. It doesn’t change who I am. In fact, it gives me back some of the freedom and independence that I used to have.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8t5ph-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8t5ph-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8t5ph-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6ccsd-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6ccsd-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6ccsd-0-0">I should admit that I struggle with the word 'disability' sometimes – but not because I think it’s a bad word. I don’t think it’s restrictive; I think it’s freeing. Acknowledging that you have certain limitations allows you to get the support that you need to live your life with </span><span data-offset-key="6ccsd-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">less</span><span data-offset-key="6ccsd-0-2"> limits. </span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9iu0p-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9iu0p-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9iu0p-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="eeb8c-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="eeb8c-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-0-0">My struggle with the word 'disability' is that I often don’t feel “disabled enough” to call my difficulties 'disabilities', to be a valid member of the disability community, or to use mobility aids. I have what's known as a </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://disabilityunit.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/17/living-with-non-visible-disabilities/#:~:text=Also%2C%20some%20people%20with%20non,not%20feel%20they%20need%20to" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-1-0" style="font-weight: bold;">dynamic disability</span></a><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-0" style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-1"> In other words, my ability fluctuates. There are days where I can function with a lot less trouble. It might be tougher, more painful and put more strain on my body than the average person’s, but to an outsider, I look fine. But there are also days where I struggle to get out of bed, my legs won’t co-operate, I can’t keep up with anybody... Sometimes, I lose my stamina altogether. I can’t walk for as long as I used to, or as easily, quickly or strongly. So why not use some extra help when I need it? Many people with mobility aids don’t need them </span><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-2" style="font-style: italic;">all</span><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-3"> the time, but that doesn’t make the times that they </span><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-4" style="font-style: italic;">do</span><span data-offset-key="eeb8c-2-5"> need them any less valid. </span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="citp2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="citp2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="citp2-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="75rrs-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="75rrs-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="75rrs-0-0">After one tricky day out too many, I finally decided to get myself a cool, floral walking stick from </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="http://walkingsticks.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="75rrs-1-0">WalkingSticks.co.uk</span></a><span data-offset-key="75rrs-2-0">. (Sticks can be an aid AND a cute accessory, after all – right?!) I won’t use it all the time and I don’t know whether there’ll come a time when I don’t need it anymore, because I don’t know what the future holds for me. But for now, I know that – thanks to my stick – my future holds less difficulties and more freedom… and I’m SO excited about that.</span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="75rrs-0-0" style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-offset-key="75rrs-2-0"><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="arjlt-0-0" style="font-size: 15px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="5n1kf" data-offset-key="bkqfq-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bkqfq-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="bkqfq-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCpXAF_JwzaPUHPdSE1kmYxWtPEKo3gYNztJvlvYGr_IEOljSkoJb6ZHLpgHUmdFixp3TZ1dGwDG3hY8VyXBXHt-AmsN1U42FP9WenCol7u9oC7_sY0ffWdyDKo-_NZarNfdFi6KSHGA/s1600/talia+grace+xoxo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="106" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCpXAF_JwzaPUHPdSE1kmYxWtPEKo3gYNztJvlvYGr_IEOljSkoJb6ZHLpgHUmdFixp3TZ1dGwDG3hY8VyXBXHt-AmsN1U42FP9WenCol7u9oC7_sY0ffWdyDKo-_NZarNfdFi6KSHGA/s1600/talia+grace+xoxo.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #ff81a8; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/earthtotalia/" target="_blank">facebook</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> / </span></b><span style="color: #ff81a8; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/earth-to-talia-14573317" target="_blank">bloglovin</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> / </span></b><span style="color: #ff81a8; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://twitter.com/eartht0talia" target="_blank">twitter</a> </span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;">/ </span></b><span style="color: #ff81a8; font-size: 11pt;"><b style="color: #954f72;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://instagram.com/earthtotalia" target="_blank">instagram</a></span></b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #ff81a8; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b></div></div></div></span></div></div>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-22939849500771564492020-04-26T17:30:00.004+01:002023-01-30T16:47:44.684+00:00A Long-Overdue Surgery Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi3oqm2M0kz_vli5eVZekxp7zEfWn9lUAps0hgt3tEvrq12YmA2Gx7EmRBIY_gO-chxuuqnG1ZbxSD7anfIRDacNzjmjuXKorKb7mK6G2c3DCCq5l05K0nuYVioq97nILOK-81_6sdpA/s1600/pexels-photo-3683047.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi3oqm2M0kz_vli5eVZekxp7zEfWn9lUAps0hgt3tEvrq12YmA2Gx7EmRBIY_gO-chxuuqnG1ZbxSD7anfIRDacNzjmjuXKorKb7mK6G2c3DCCq5l05K0nuYVioq97nILOK-81_6sdpA/s1600/pexels-photo-3683047.png" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"dq9at","text":"If you follow me online or have read my blog before, you might already know that I had major spine surgery at the end of 2017. Before the operation, I wrote a blog post explaining my situation here, but I’ve not posted much about it since. Truth be told, I was hoping that I could come back in 6 to 12 months saying that the surgery was a success and that I’d recovered well. But unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. Not only did I not get better, but I ended up getting much worse.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":421,"length":65,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":193,"length":4,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"3t6kh","text":"I always knew that this was a risk. I’d read all the horror stories. In fact, they terrified me so much that I very nearly didn’t go ahead with the operation at all. But I guess I just had hope. Hope that I’d be one of the lucky ones.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brgfm","text":"It was a hope that didn’t come true, though – and now I have to work on coming to terms with that.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ckn22","text":"My weeks are split between “good days” (2-4 on the pain scale), “okay days” (4-6 on the pain scale) and “bad days” (7-9 on the pain scale).\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3ic2s","text":"On a good day, I can get on with most things and do a decent amount of walking. I’m usually quite a bit slower than most people and it’s hard, but I can do it. (I’ll normally crash afterwards from exhaustion though, and will probably be in pain for a few days after. It’s kind of like a full-body hangover.)\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bthlm","text":"On a bad day, getting out of bed is a huge struggle. Walking and standing is absolute agony. It’s hard to get even the most basic of tasks done; I’ll often skip meals to avoid cooking; I hobble around with a limp any time I am on my feet; and I’m constantly exhausted. I can’t even settle into a comfortable position in bed, I can’t concentrate on anything like a TV show to distract myself, and I certainly can’t get off to sleep to nap the pain away.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":224,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6n7a9","text":"Ironically, the pain isn’t in my spine, but instead is in my left leg and foot. Pin-pointing the issue has been a hell of an ordeal in itself, though. Recovery from major spinal fusion surgery is messy and scary and uncertain. The recovery can take one to two years in total, so at first, it’s hard to know which symptoms you should even worry about, or what could be causing them.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":79,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"b8mdg","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9decg","text":"Having my spine moved meant that my hips, legs, and – well, basically the entire alignment of my body – was also moved, so there was a lot to adjust to. When I started learning to walk again, I noticed a problem pretty much straight away. I walked with a limp in my left leg, my left foot would click every time I took a step, and they'd get sore and tired very quickly. But my entire body was in pain and experiencing weird sensations and pains at that point – that’s just a standard part of the recovery process... So, if I’m honest, I didn’t think much of it at all.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/2293984950077156449?hl=en#"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"5uv5d","text":"If you follow me online or have read my blog before, you might already know that I had major spine surgery at the end of 2017. Before the operation, I wrote a blog post explaining my situation here, but I’ve not posted much about it since. Truth be told, I was hoping that I could come back in 6 to 12 months saying that the surgery was a success and that I’d recovered well. But unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. Not only did I not get better, but I ended up getting much worse.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":487,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":421,"length":65,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":193,"length":4,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"dik4v","text":"I always knew that this was a risk. I’d read all the horror stories. In fact, they terrified me so much that I very nearly didn’t go ahead with the operation at all. But I guess I just had hope. Hope that I’d be one of the lucky ones.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":235,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"605r3","text":"It was a hope that didn’t come true, though – and now I have to work on coming to terms with that.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":99,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e7m24","text":"My weeks are split between “good days” (2-4 on the pain scale), “okay days” (4-6 on the pain scale) and “bad days” (7-9 on the pain scale).\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":140,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6dm9h","text":"On a good day, I can get on with most things and do a decent amount of walking. I’m usually quite a bit slower than most people and it’s hard, but I can do it. (I’ll normally crash afterwards from exhaustion though, and will probably be in pain for a few days after. It’s kind of like a full-body hangover.)\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":308,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1nk4r","text":"On a bad day, getting out of bed is a huge struggle. Walking and standing is absolute agony. It’s hard to get even the most basic of tasks done; I’ll often skip meals to avoid cooking; I hobble around with a limp any time I am on my feet; and I’m constantly exhausted. I can’t even settle into a comfortable position in bed, I can’t concentrate on anything like a TV show to distract myself, and I certainly can’t get off to sleep to nap the pain away.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":453,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":224,"length":2,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9jq71","text":"Ironically, the pain isn’t in my spine, but instead is in my left leg and foot. Pin-pointing the issue has been a hell of an ordeal in itself, though. Recovery from major spinal fusion surgery is messy and scary and uncertain. The recovery can take one to two years in total, so at first, it’s hard to know which symptoms you should even worry about, or what could be causing them.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":79,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":381,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"l7ed","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"50a27","text":"Having my spine moved meant that my hips, legs, and – well, basically the entire alignment of my body – was also moved, so there was a lot to adjust to. When I started learning to walk again, I noticed a problem pretty much straight away. I walked with a limp in my left leg, my left foot would click every time I took a step, and they'd get sore and tired very quickly. But my entire body was in pain and experiencing weird sensations and pains at that point – that’s just a standard part of the recovery process... So, if I’m honest, I didn’t think much of it at all.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":569,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/2293984950077156449?hl=en#"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0">If you follow me online or have read my blog before, you might already know that I had major spine surgery at the end of 2017. Before the operation, I wrote a blog post explaining my situation </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/2293984950077156449?hl=en#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-2-0">, but I’ve not posted much about it since. Truth be told, I was hoping that I could come back in 6 to 12 months saying that the surgery was a success and that I’d recovered well. But unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. </span><span data-offset-key="foo-2-1" style="font-weight: bold;">Not only did I not get better, but I ended up getting much worse.</span><span data-offset-key="foo-2-2">
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fsbla-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fsbla-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fsbla-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I always knew that this was a risk. I’d read all the horror stories. In fact, they terrified me so much that I very nearly didn’t go ahead with the operation at all. But I guess I just had hope. Hope that I’d be one of the lucky ones.
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e4nes-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e4nes-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e4nes-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was a hope that didn’t come true, though – and now I have to work on coming to terms with that.
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="12c19-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="12c19-0-0"><span data-offset-key="12c19-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My weeks are split between “good days” (2-4 on the pain scale), “okay days” (4-6 on the pain scale) and “bad days” (7-9 on the pain scale).
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3chl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3chl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3chl-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On a good day, I can get on with most things and do a decent amount of walking. I’m usually quite a bit slower than most people and it’s hard, but I can do it. (I’ll normally crash afterwards from exhaustion though, and will probably be in pain for a few days after. It’s kind of like a full-body hangover.)
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cu8ml-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cu8ml-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="cu8ml-0-0">On a bad day, getting out of bed is a huge struggle. Walking and standing is absolute agony. It’s hard to get even the most basic of tasks done; I’ll often skip meals to avoid cooking; I hobble around with a limp any time I </span><span data-offset-key="cu8ml-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">am</span><span data-offset-key="cu8ml-0-2"> on my feet; and I’m constantly exhausted. I can’t even settle into a comfortable position in bed, I can’t concentrate on anything like a TV show to distract myself, and I certainly can’t get off to sleep to nap the pain away.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3tqa0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3tqa0-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="3tqa0-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Ironically, the pain isn’t in my spine, but instead is in my left leg and foot.</span><span data-offset-key="3tqa0-0-1"> Pin-pointing the issue has been a hell of an ordeal in itself, though. Recovery from major spinal fusion surgery is messy and scary and uncertain. The recovery can take one to two years in total, so at first, it’s hard to know which symptoms you should even worry about, or what could be causing them.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="53j33-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="53j33-0-0"><span data-offset-key="53j33-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2m67o-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2m67o-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2m67o-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Having my spine moved meant that my hips, legs, and – well, basically the entire alignment of my body – was also moved, so there was a lot to adjust to. When I started learning to walk again, I noticed a problem pretty much straight away. I walked with a limp in my left leg, my left foot would click every time I took a step, and they'd get sore and tired very quickly. But my entire body was in pain and experiencing weird sensations and pains at that point – that’s just a standard part of the recovery process... So, if I’m honest, I didn’t think much of it at all.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcRKsE7fzJiRd0euhjiMKGIKUmEthkp0_uasjOd92YAHi0FTdltNgQeg-JxVf3xVL8uxooKnUgLcNVbNWRnBug8uvaCd1pKr2im6g40SYGrX3F3yX_1xbl0F6X-duCRuMzLh7A5r0iak/s1600/32696407_10214504928451079_7594937170851266560_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="918" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcRKsE7fzJiRd0euhjiMKGIKUmEthkp0_uasjOd92YAHi0FTdltNgQeg-JxVf3xVL8uxooKnUgLcNVbNWRnBug8uvaCd1pKr2im6g40SYGrX3F3yX_1xbl0F6X-duCRuMzLh7A5r0iak/s1600/32696407_10214504928451079_7594937170851266560_n.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"masa","text":"However, as I recovered more and the pain in my body lessened, I noticed that the problems with my leg and foot stuck around. Unfortunately, though, figuring out what the problem actually is has been a huge struggle.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":216,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":125,"length":91,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":187,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"738nc","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4hi0m","text":"After spinal fusion surgery, you’re supposed to have four follow-up appointments:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":81,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"251b0","text":"• a 3-month follow-up","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":1,"length":1,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dtnpr","text":"• a 6-month follow-up","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":1,"length":1,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1bk8a","text":"• a 1-year follow-up","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhbcm","text":"• a 2-year follow-up\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"32knt","text":"Because I was still very much in the recovery period for my first two follow-up appointments, the specialists told me to just keep an eye on the pain and see how I was doing by my 1-year follow-up appointment. He thought the pain may well go away when my body fully recovered.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":276,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ghh3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"86jqn","text":"It didn’t, though. In fact, it just continued to get worse.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":59,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"atupm","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5mo9g","text":"Despite endless chasing up with the hospital, I didn’t get my 1-year follow-up appointment until I was 2 whole years post-op (last October). By this time, my leg was causing me so much pain that I’d genuinely consider getting it amputated if somebody offered. I was referred for a CT scan to check whether the metal hardware in my back was compressing any nerves, and am now on the waiting list for a couple of other tests. I also had my body assessed by an osteopath this year, after my specialist told me it would be safe to see one as long as they were gentle.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":563,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4q3c5","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5ipou","text":"The osteopath found that there is a lot wrong with my left leg and foot, as well as the left side of my pelvis. The weight-bearing parts of my body have been hugely affected by everything being realigned, which is why it hurts so much to sit, walk, or stand. I have a lot of tightness in those areas, and the problems she found with my body are essentially problems typically found in athletes, because basic things like walking and standing put my body under the same strain as a normal person would be under from doing intense physical activity.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":548,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":34,"length":6,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":112,"length":1,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6maeo","text":"I finally received one diagnosis, too – a foot condition called plantar fasciitis. Left untreated, this can get severe, chronic, disabling and cause further complications, which explains why my pain and difficulties have consistently gotten worse over the months/years.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":269,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":64,"length":17,"key":0},{"offset":112,"length":58,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"3ubaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"80fnl","text":"Of course, I wish with every fibre of my (dysfunctional) being that this was a positive update. I wish I could say that I had the surgery, recovered, and it’s all over. But this is my life now, and I’m starting to try and accept that.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":235,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":173,"length":61,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"876hg","text":"The physical pain and difficulties have also obviously caused a lot of emotional pain and difficulty, but I’ve started therapy this year to try and work through everything as best I can. Writing has always been something I’ve done to process what I’m going through, but:\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":271,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fgjgn","text":"1. This has taken a long time to start accepting (or even understanding, given how long it’s taken/is taking to get answers)\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":125,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ajp0t","text":"2. Writing as a hobby has fallen by the wayside a lot since my operation, because finding the physical and mental energy to sit and write something is a lot trickier\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":166,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"56uku","text":"I really do want to start blogging more about my experience with everything, though – mentally and physically – to process, to offer some insight into life with chronic pain/health problems, and maybe even to help someone feel less alone if they’re going through something similar.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":282,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":95,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"800p8","text":"Writing has always been my outlet, and I think I need it now more than ever.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":76,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":77,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3fdib","text":"I hope you’re all safe and well.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"52cm9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c450p","text":"Love,","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":5,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/2293984950077156449?hl=en#"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4368830287363778863/2293984950077156449?hl=en#"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0">However, as I recovered more and the pain in my body lessened, I noticed that the problems with my leg and foot stuck around.</span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1">Unfortunately, though, figuring out what the problem actually</span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-2" style="font-style: italic;"> is</span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-3"> has been a huge struggle.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1d8sq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1d8sq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1d8sq-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4vrf1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4vrf1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4vrf1-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After spinal fusion surgery, you’re supposed to have four follow-up appointments:</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dbvir-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dbvir-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="dbvir-0-0">•</span><span data-offset-key="dbvir-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span data-offset-key="dbvir-0-2">a 3-month follow-up</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cbbdm-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cbbdm-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="cbbdm-0-0">•</span><span data-offset-key="cbbdm-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span data-offset-key="cbbdm-0-2">a 6-month follow-up</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fmlrh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fmlrh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fmlrh-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">• a 1-year follow-up</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bf9d9-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bf9d9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bf9d9-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">• a 2-year follow-up
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d5j78-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d5j78-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d5j78-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Because I was still very much in the recovery period for my first two follow-up appointments, the specialists told me to just keep an eye on the pain and see how I was doing by my 1-year follow-up appointment. He thought the pain may well go away when my body fully recovered.</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="14f43-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="14f43-0-0"><span data-offset-key="14f43-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="a80ke-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a80ke-0-0"><span data-offset-key="a80ke-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It didn’t, though. In fact, it just continued to get worse.</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1unml-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1unml-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1unml-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fjjmm-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fjjmm-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fjjmm-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Despite endless chasing up with the hospital, I didn’t get my 1-year follow-up appointment until I was 2 whole years post-op (last October). By this time, my leg was causing me so much pain that I’d genuinely consider getting it amputated if somebody offered. I was referred for a CT scan to check whether the metal hardware in my back was compressing any nerves, and am now on the waiting list for a couple of other tests. I also had my body assessed by an osteopath this year, after my specialist told me it would be safe to see one as long as they were gentle.</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1vqoh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1vqoh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1vqoh-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="68htv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="68htv-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="68htv-0-0">The osteopath found that there is </span><span data-offset-key="68htv-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">a lot </span><span data-offset-key="68htv-0-2">wrong with my left leg and foot, as well as the left side of my pelvis. </span><span data-offset-key="68htv-0-3" style="font-weight: bold;">T</span><span data-offset-key="68htv-0-4">he weight-bearing parts of my body have been hugely affected by everything being realigned, which is why it hurts so much to sit, walk, or stand. I have a lot of tightness in those areas, and the problems she found with my body are essentially problems typically found in athletes, because basic things like walking and standing put my body under the same strain as a normal person would be under from doing intense physical activity.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9optt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9optt-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="9optt-0-0">I finally received one diagnosis, too – a foot condition called </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.painscience.com/tutorials/plantar-fasciitis.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9optt-1-0">plantar fasciitis</span></a><span data-offset-key="9optt-2-0">. Left untreated, this can get </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://heelthatpain.com/untreated-plantar-fasciitis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9optt-3-0">severe, chronic, disabling and cause further complications</span></a><span data-offset-key="9optt-4-0">, which explains why my pain and difficulties have consistently gotten worse over the months/years.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2fbnl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2fbnl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2fbnl-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="q2p7-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="q2p7-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="q2p7-0-0">Of course, I wish with every fibre of my (dysfunctional) being that this was a positive update. I wish I could say that I had the surgery, recovered, and it’s all over. But </span><span data-offset-key="q2p7-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;">this is my life now, and I’m starting to try and accept that.</span><span data-offset-key="q2p7-0-2">
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1au3t-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1au3t-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1au3t-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The physical pain and difficulties have also obviously caused a lot of emotional pain and difficulty, but I’ve started therapy this year to try and work through everything as best I can. Writing has always been something I’ve done to process what I’m going through, but:
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cu6p-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cu6p-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cu6p-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. This has taken a long time to start accepting (or even understanding, given how long it’s taken/is taking to get answers)
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2hisf-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2hisf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2hisf-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. Writing as a hobby has fallen by the wayside a lot since my operation, because finding the physical and mental energy to sit and write something is a lot trickier
</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3clc0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3clc0-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="3clc0-0-0">I really do want to start blogging more about my experience with everything, though – mentally </span><span data-offset-key="3clc0-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">and</span><span data-offset-key="3clc0-0-2"> physically – to process, to offer some insight into life with chronic pain/health problems, and maybe even to help someone feel less alone if they’re going through something similar.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="a9hp2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a9hp2-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="a9hp2-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Writing has always been my outlet, and I think I need it now more than ever.</span><span data-offset-key="a9hp2-0-1">
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="68cq9-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="68cq9-0-0" style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="68cq9-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I hope you’re all safe and well.</span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8tl6d-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8tl6d-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8tl6d-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="f5sr6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f5sr6-0-0" style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="f5sr6-0-0" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Love,</span></div></div></div></div>
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earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-53061710325042359572020-03-27T15:45:00.002+00:002023-01-30T16:49:35.468+00:00Apps & Sites to Check Out During Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmximQg5BX2Jwk5jIEfxX4MpTOA5znpyltPk97z1XNusVoL8mrMlT844579XIS6-w47W0SNJtenQVlYozMHjhlgg2dwNBrn0THgF0gaZiSwQlX88KOQclxoD4LvmWG75lZ-ir0FcCgW0/s1600/pexels-photo-3758823.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmximQg5BX2Jwk5jIEfxX4MpTOA5znpyltPk97z1XNusVoL8mrMlT844579XIS6-w47W0SNJtenQVlYozMHjhlgg2dwNBrn0THgF0gaZiSwQlX88KOQclxoD4LvmWG75lZ-ir0FcCgW0/s1600/pexels-photo-3758823.png" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"b759r","text":"1. To keep in touch with loved ones, make sure you have Skype, Zoom, Discord or Google Hangouts downloaded for video chats. Zoom in particular has grown hugely in popularity during this pandemic, racking up almost 20 million new mobile users in the last week alone. (…I guess you could say that a virus made it go viral?)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":321,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":321,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":111,"length":11,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":266,"length":55,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":56,"length":5,"key":0},{"offset":63,"length":4,"key":1},{"offset":69,"length":7,"key":2},{"offset":80,"length":15,"key":3},{"offset":124,"length":4,"key":4}],"data":{}},{"key":"brdu7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4kpk8","text":"2. Another video chat platform that’s soared to the top of the charts is an app called Houseparty. This has the added feature of fun party games that everybody in the chat can compete in on their device, making it perfect for a weekend hangout.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":245,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":245,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":129,"length":15,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":87,"length":10,"key":5}],"data":{}},{"key":"flj1a","text":"3. If (virtual) movie nights are more your thing, Netflix Party syncs up video play for you and your friends, and provides an added group chat function so you can all watch and chat along together.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":197,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":197,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":6,"length":22,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":50,"length":13,"key":6}],"data":{}},{"key":"93i9c","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bb611","text":"4. Over on Twitter, comedian and Taskmaster co-host Alex Horne is running the #HomeTasking challenge. Throughout each week, he’ll be setting three new challenges for anybody on Twitter to take part in from home. The top 5 entries for each task are rewarded points by “the Taskmaster” (comedian Greg Davies), and they then get placed on a leader board.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":352,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":352,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":33,"length":10,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":52,"length":48,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":8,"length":10,"key":7}],"data":{}},{"key":"foj51","text":"5. Speaking of celebs, Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski is currently posting daily Instagram episodes of his quarantine cooking series, Quar Eye. If you’re into cooking then his recipes are something fun to try yourself – but even if you’re not, it’s worth watching just to see his beautiful face.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":292,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":292,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":23,"length":9,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":131,"length":9,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":35,"length":94,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":78,"length":10,"style":"{\"FG\":\"#954f72\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":78,"length":9,"key":8}],"data":{}},{"key":"34t9a","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9kcjc","text":"6. On the topic of Instagram, Brian May has started giving guitar tutorials for some of Queen’s biggest classics via IGTV.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":122,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":122,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":30,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":117,"length":4,"key":9}],"data":{}},{"key":"6rm27","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"d0b3u","text":"7. Budding musicians can also make the most of Fender’s offer for three months of free online guitar, bass or ukulele lessons here.\n\n8. If dancing's more your style, dance troup and Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity are offering their online dance classes for free until the start of May, with classes ranging from beginner to advanced levels.\n\n9. You can also keep fit with TV presenter Davina McCall, who's offering a 30-day free membership to her online gym, which hosts hundreds of workouts; yoga, dance and Pilates tutorials; as well as a number of wellbeing articles and healthy recipes.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":599,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":599,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":82,"length":49,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":240,"length":20,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":425,"length":40,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":182,"length":20,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":126,"length":4,"key":10},{"offset":240,"length":20,"key":11},{"offset":455,"length":10,"key":12}],"data":{}},{"key":"29jih","text":"10. Bored out of your mind? Then you need the Bored Button! Every time you press the button, you’ll be taken to a random, fun and interesting web page.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":152,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":152,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":114,"length":37,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":46,"length":12,"key":13}],"data":{}},{"key":"884s6","text":"11. When you’re being inundated with depressing news, it’s important to balance it out with some feel-good stories. Luckily for us, The Office's Josh Krasinski has launched a YouTube channel, \"SomeGoodNews\", dedicated solely to – you guessed it – reporting good news\n\n12. For more, you can find daily good news stories over on Positive News, the Good News Network, or the Reddit thread, Uplifting News.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":402,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":402,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":97,"length":19,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":295,"length":23,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":132,"length":10,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":228,"length":1,"style":"{\"FG\":\"#3c4043\"}"},{"offset":245,"length":1,"style":"{\"FG\":\"#3c4043\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":175,"length":15,"key":14},{"offset":327,"length":13,"key":15},{"offset":346,"length":17,"key":16},{"offset":387,"length":14,"key":17}],"data":{}},{"key":"6929l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7viqb","text":"13. If you're feeling overwhelmed, one of my favourite mental health apps, Sanvello, is providing their premium service for free during the COVID-19 crisis. The app has a huge number of brilliant features, including daily health and mood tracking, goal setting, coping techniques, wellbeing assessments, and master classes in meditation and journalling.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":353,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":353,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":35,"length":48,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":75,"length":8,"key":18}],"data":{}},{"key":"3uhb2","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9b7lj","text":"14. Another excellent mental health app, Calm, has just released a compilation of free coping resources to help people through the pandemic. The app itself has a variety of free and premium features, such as meditation programmes, relaxing music, and soothing audio sleep stories read by the likes of Stephen Fry and Matthew McConaughey.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":338,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":338,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":82,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":41,"length":4,"key":19},{"offset":82,"length":21,"key":20}],"data":{}},{"key":"7s8ij","text":"15. Streaming sites are perhaps an obvious choice to mention, but Disney+ dropped on the first day of lockdown and is packed with classic Disney and Pixar content, as well as Disney-owned franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and even The Simpsons. You may just be surprised to discover how many shows and movies Disney actually owns, so take a look at this list if you’re curious about what’s on offer. The service costs £5.99 per month or £59.99 for the year, or you can sign up here for a free 7-day trial.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":507,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":507,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":66,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":212,"length":9,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":232,"length":12,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":66,"length":7,"key":21},{"offset":350,"length":9,"key":22},{"offset":478,"length":4,"key":23}],"data":{}},{"key":"bjbi2","text":"16. It’s not just films and TV shows that you can stream online, either. WhatsOnStage have compiled a list of all of the musicals, dance shows and theatre productions that you can now watch for free from your device.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":216,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":216,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":73,"length":13,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":121,"length":45,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":100,"length":6,"key":24}],"data":{}},{"key":"1qdg3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6m2r3","text":"17. And after paying a virtual visit to the theatre, take a virtual tour around a museum, zoo, aquarium or theme park by checking out Good House Keeping’s list of the very best here. (Now – if you’ll excuse me – I’m off to Disney World!)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":237,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":0,"length":237,"style":"{\"BG\":\"#ffffff\"}"},{"offset":58,"length":59,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":134,"length":18,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":188,"length":1,"style":"{\"FG\":\"#3c4043\"}"},{"offset":210,"length":1,"style":"{\"FG\":\"#3c4043\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":177,"length":4,"key":25},{"offset":223,"length":12,"key":26}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.skype.com/en/"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://zoom.us/"}},"2":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://discordapp.com/"}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://hangouts.google.com/"}},"4":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://zoom.us/"}},"5":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://houseparty.com/"}},"6":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.netflixparty.com/"}},"7":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://twitter.com/AlexHorne"}},"8":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"http://instagram.com/antoni"}},"9":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/brianmayforreal/?utm_source=ig_embed"}},"10":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://try.fender.com/play/playthrough/"}},"11":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://20dv.co.uk/how_it_works"}},"12":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://ownyourgoalsdavina.com/"}},"13":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.boredbutton.com/"}},"14":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug/videos"}},"15":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.positive.news/"}},"16":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/"}},"17":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/"}},"18":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/pacifica-anxiety-stress-depression/id922968861"}},"19":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.calm.com/?url=https://www.calm.com/&pid=google&af_channel=g&af_c_id=6459091396&af_adset_id=81030214447&af_ad_id=378985127429&af_sub_siteid=&af_keyword=calm%20app&af_sub3=e&af_sub4=Cj0KCQjwyPbzBRDsARIsAFh15Jb6iZioBw7A3ituO0W6YUNsLzWvD7krqZZJp0Hf8arO4rarJIqpWssaAs0oEALw_wcB&af_sub5=&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=6459091396+81030214447+378985127429&utm_content=homepage&utm_term=calm%20app&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyPbzBRDsARIsAFh15Jb6iZioBw7A3ituO0W6YUNsLzWvD7krqZZJp0Hf8arO4rarJIqpWssaAs0oEALw_wcB"}},"20":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath"}},"21":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/welcome?cid=DSS-Search-Google-71700000064847253-&s_kwcid=AL!8468!3!426936657248!b!!g!!%2Bdisney%2B&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpfHzBRCiARIsAHHzyZrPn1CgT1lAq3bRruYiHBBA--joTbqEv_K1YnljASg9Z1et-HqhZscaAkb2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds"}},"22":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/disney-plus-uks-huge-launch-line-up-revealed-from-star-wars-to-the-mcu"}},"23":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/welcome?cid=DSS-Search-Google-71700000064847253-&s_kwcid=AL!8468!3!426936657248!b!!g!!%2Bdisney%2B&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpfHzBRCiARIsAHHzyZrPn1CgT1lAq3bRruYiHBBA--joTbqEv_K1YnljASg9Z1et-HqhZscaAkb2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds"}},"24":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/stage-shows-musicals-opera-free-stream-online_51198.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=24march2020"}},"25":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/travel/a31784720/best-virtual-tours/"}},"26":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/03/disney-parks-launches-first-ever-360-degree-panoramas-on-google-street-view/"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">1. To keep in touch with loved ones, make sure you have </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.skype.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Skype</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://zoom.us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-3-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Zoom</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://discordapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-5-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Discord</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-6-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> or </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://hangouts.google.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-7-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Google Hangouts</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-8-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> downloaded for </span></span><span data-offset-key="foo-8-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">video chats</span></span><span data-offset-key="foo-8-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">. </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://zoom.us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-9-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Zoom</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-10-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> in particular has grown hugely in popularity during this pandemic, racking up almost 20 million new mobile users in the last week alone. </span></span><span data-offset-key="foo-10-1" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">(…I guess you could say that a virus made it go viral?)</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6sd21-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6sd21-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6sd21-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5j4m8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5j4m8-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5j4m8-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">2. Another video chat platform that’s soared to the top of the charts is an app called </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://houseparty.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5j4m8-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Houseparty</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="5j4m8-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">. This has the added feature of </span></span><span data-offset-key="5j4m8-2-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">fun party games</span></span><span data-offset-key="5j4m8-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> that everybody in the chat can compete in on their device, making it perfect for a weekend hangout.
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="emijb-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="emijb-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="emijb-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">3. If </span></span><span data-offset-key="emijb-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">(virtual) movie nights</span></span><span data-offset-key="emijb-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> are more your thing, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.netflixparty.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="emijb-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Netflix Party</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="emijb-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> syncs up video play for you and your friends, and provides an added group chat function so you can all watch and chat along together.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="19orv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="19orv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="19orv-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="afvdo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="afvdo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="afvdo-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">4. Over </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://twitter.com/AlexHorne" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="afvdo-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">on Twitter</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="afvdo-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, comedian and </span></span><span data-offset-key="afvdo-2-1" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Taskmaster</span></span><span data-offset-key="afvdo-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> co-host </span></span><span data-offset-key="afvdo-2-3" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Alex Horne is running the </span></span><a class="_1SmKK" href="https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/5eac045f-9cf6-44b9-a634-1f0f8b394186/blog/posts/search/.hash.hometasking?referralInfo=sidebar" target="_self"><span data-offset-key="afvdo-3-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">#HomeTasking</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="afvdo-4-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true"> challenge</span></span><span data-offset-key="afvdo-4-1" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">. Throughout each week, he’ll be setting three new challenges for anybody on Twitter to take part in from home. The top 5 entries for each task are rewarded points by “the Taskmaster” (comedian Greg Davies), and they then get placed on a leader board.
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="229bt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="229bt-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="229bt-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">5. Speaking of celebs, </span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Queer Eye</span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">’s </span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-0-3" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Antoni Porowski is currently posting daily </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="http://instagram.com/antoni" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="229bt-1-0" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Instagram</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="229bt-2-0" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true"> </span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-2-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">episodes of his quarantine cooking series</span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, </span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-2-3" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Quar Eye.</span></span><span data-offset-key="229bt-2-4" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> If you’re into cooking then his recipes are something fun to try yourself – and even if you’re not, it’s worth tuning in just to see his beautiful face.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cb64b-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cb64b-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cb64b-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="478gf-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="478gf-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="478gf-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">6. On the topic of Instagram, </span></span><span data-offset-key="478gf-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Brian May has started giving guitar tutorials</span></span><span data-offset-key="478gf-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> for some of Queen’s biggest classics via </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.instagram.com/brianmayforreal/?utm_source=ig_embed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="478gf-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">IGTV</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="478gf-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="81p0k-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="81p0k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="81p0k-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="eu50g-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="eu50g-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="eu50g-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">7. Budding musicians can also make the most of Fender’s offer for three months of </span></span><span data-offset-key="eu50g-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">free online guitar, bass or ukulele lessons </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://try.fender.com/play/playthrough/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="eu50g-1-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">here</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="eu50g-2-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">.</span></span><span data-offset-key="eu50g-2-1" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">
8. If dancing's more your style, dance troup and </span></span><span data-offset-key="eu50g-2-2" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Britain's Got Talent</span></span><span data-offset-key="eu50g-2-3" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> winners Diversity are offering their </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://20dv.co.uk/how_it_works" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="eu50g-3-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">online dance classes</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="eu50g-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> for free until the start of May, with classes ranging from beginner to advanced levels.
9. You can also keep fit with TV presenter Davina McCall, who's offering a </span></span><span data-offset-key="eu50g-4-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">30-day free membership to her </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://ownyourgoalsdavina.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="eu50g-5-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">online gym</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="eu50g-6-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, which hosts hundreds of workouts; yoga, dance and Pilates tutorials; as well as a number of wellbeing articles and healthy recipes.
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dm1ld-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dm1ld-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="dm1ld-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">10. Bored out of your mind? Then you need the </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.boredbutton.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dm1ld-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Bored Button</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="dm1ld-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">! Every time you press the button, you’ll be taken to a </span></span><span data-offset-key="dm1ld-2-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">random, fun and interesting web page.</span></span><span data-offset-key="dm1ld-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="61q9q-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="61q9q-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="61q9q-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">11. When you’re being inundated with depressing news, it’s important to balance it out with some </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">feel-good stories. </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Luckily for us, </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-0-3" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">The Office</span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-0-4" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">'s Josh Krasinski has launched a </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="61q9q-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">YouTube channel</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, "SomeGoodNews", dedicated solely to </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-1" style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043;"><span data-text="true">–</span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> you guessed it </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-3" style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043;"><span data-text="true">–</span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-4" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> reporting good news.
12. For more, you can find </span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-5" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">daily good news stories</span></span><span data-offset-key="61q9q-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> over on </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.positive.news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="61q9q-3-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Positive News</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="61q9q-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, the </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="61q9q-5-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Good News Network</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="61q9q-6-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, or the Reddit thread, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="61q9q-7-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Uplifting News</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="61q9q-8-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8uoga-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8uoga-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8uoga-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5trf-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5trf-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5trf-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">13. If you're feeling overwhelmed, </span></span><span data-offset-key="5trf-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">one of my favourite mental health apps, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/pacifica-anxiety-stress-depression/id922968861" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5trf-1-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Sanvello</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="5trf-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, is providing their premium service for free during the COVID-19 crisis. The app has a huge number of brilliant features, including daily health and mood tracking, goal setting, coping techniques, wellbeing assessments, and master classes in meditation and journalling.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="f76qg-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f76qg-0-0"><span data-offset-key="f76qg-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="74net-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="74net-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="74net-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">14. Another excellent mental health app, </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.calm.com/?url=https://www.calm.com/&pid=google&af_channel=g&af_c_id=6459091396&af_adset_id=81030214447&af_ad_id=378985127429&af_sub_siteid=&af_keyword=calm%20app&af_sub3=e&af_sub4=Cj0KCQjwyPbzBRDsARIsAFh15Jb6iZioBw7A3ituO0W6YUNsLzWvD7krqZZJp0Hf8arO4rarJIqpWssaAs0oEALw_wcB&af_sub5=&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=6459091396+81030214447+378985127429&utm_content=homepage&utm_term=calm%20app&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyPbzBRDsARIsAFh15Jb6iZioBw7A3ituO0W6YUNsLzWvD7krqZZJp0Hf8arO4rarJIqpWssaAs0oEALw_wcB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="74net-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Calm</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="74net-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, has just released a compilation of </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="74net-3-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">free coping resources</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="74net-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> to help people through the pandemic. The app itself has a variety of free and premium features, such as meditation programmes, relaxing music, and soothing audio sleep stories read by the likes of Stephen Fry and Matthew McConaughey.
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8sj1u-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8sj1u-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">15. Streaming sites are perhaps an obvious choice to mention, but </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/welcome?cid=DSS-Search-Google-71700000064847253-&s_kwcid=AL!8468!3!426936657248!b!!g!!%2Bdisney%2B&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpfHzBRCiARIsAHHzyZrPn1CgT1lAq3bRruYiHBBA--joTbqEv_K1YnljASg9Z1et-HqhZscaAkb2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-1-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">Disney+</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-0" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true"> dropped on the first day of lockdown </span></span><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-1" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">and is packed with classic Disney and Pixar content, as well as Disney-owned franchises like Marvel, </span></span><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-2" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Star Wars</span></span><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-3" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">, and even </span></span><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-4" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">The Simpsons</span></span><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-2-5" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">. You may just be surprised to discover how many shows and movies Disney actually owns, so take a look at </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/disney-plus-uks-huge-launch-line-up-revealed-from-star-wars-to-the-mcu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-3-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">this list</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> if you’re curious about what’s on offer. The service costs £5.99 per month or £59.99 for the year, or you can sign up </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/welcome?cid=DSS-Search-Google-71700000064847253-&s_kwcid=AL!8468!3!426936657248!b!!g!!%2Bdisney%2B&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpfHzBRCiARIsAHHzyZrPn1CgT1lAq3bRruYiHBBA--joTbqEv_K1YnljASg9Z1et-HqhZscaAkb2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-5-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">here</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="8sj1u-6-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> for a free 7-day trial.
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8d44f-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8d44f-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="8d44f-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">16. It’s not just films and TV shows that you can stream online, either. </span></span><span data-offset-key="8d44f-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">WhatsOnStage </span></span><span data-offset-key="8d44f-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">have compiled </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/stage-shows-musicals-opera-free-stream-online_51198.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=24march2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="8d44f-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">a list</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="8d44f-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> of all of the </span></span><span data-offset-key="8d44f-2-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">musicals, dance shows and theatre productions</span></span><span data-offset-key="8d44f-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> that you can now watch for free from your device.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e3r22-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e3r22-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e3r22-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2d200-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2d200-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="2d200-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">17. And after paying a virtual visit to the theatre, take </span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-0-1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><span data-text="true">a virtual tour around a museum, zoo, aquarium or theme park</span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-0-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> by checking out </span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-0-3" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"><span data-text="true">Good House Keeping</span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-0-4" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">’s list of the very best </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/travel/a31784720/best-virtual-tours/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="2d200-1-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">here</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="2d200-2-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">. (Now,</span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-2-2" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> if you’ll excuse me,</span></span><span data-offset-key="2d200-2-4" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true"> I’m off to </span></span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/03/disney-parks-launches-first-ever-360-degree-panoramas-on-google-street-view/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="2d200-3-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">Disney World</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="2d200-4-0" style="background-color: white;"><span data-text="true">!)</span></span></span></div></div></div></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "american typewriter" , serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 32px;">For the kids<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"3lfku","text":"If you’re at home with children, there’s also plenty available online to keep them both entertained and educated. \n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":115,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6d55h","text":"1. Fitness coach Joe Wicks (AKA The Body Coach) is running free P.E. lessons on his YouTube channel, which go live at 9am each weekday, but can be watched at any time. Although they’re aimed at kids, you’ll probably find that they’re fun for all ages!\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":252,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":17,"length":59,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":84,"length":15,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"f9d8l","text":"2. If you need help teaching your child maths, former Countdown host and maths guru Carol Vorderman has come to the rescue! While schools are closed, she’s offering free access to her online maths school, The Maths Factor, aimed at children aged 4 to 11.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":254,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":54,"length":9,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":165,"length":38,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":205,"length":16,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"7nmjh","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5ajff","text":"3. For music lessons, former Hear’Say singer and classically trained musician Myleene Klass has launched her free online “Music Klass”. Subscribe to her YouTube for two classes at 10am on Monday and Friday, plus a lullaby session on Wednesday evenings.\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":253,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":78,"length":58,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":149,"length":11,"key":2}],"data":{}},{"key":"7r67a","text":"4. Meanwhile, comedian and beloved children’s author David Walliams is releasing a free audio story daily for the next 30 days. Click to listen here and check back for more every morning at 11am.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":195,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":53,"length":75,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":144,"length":4,"key":3}],"data":{}},{"key":"4ff7q","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5rpu4","text":"5. Until the end of June, Minecraft are offering 12 free interactive digital lessons, which include creative writing tasks, coding puzzles and building challenges, as well as virtual tours of historic sites and the International Space Station. From renewable energy to marine biology to Greek history, you can check out everything their Education Collection offers here. Minecraft: Education Edition is available for download here.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":431,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":26,"length":58,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":371,"length":28,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":365,"length":4,"key":4},{"offset":426,"length":4,"key":5}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.themathsfactor.com/"}},"2":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhSUrNSqx77FCBs5SslcWg"}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/"}},"4":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/marketplace/education"}},"5":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://education.minecraft.net/"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you’re at home with children, there’s also plenty available online to keep them both entertained and educated.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="93tcq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="93tcq-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="93tcq-0-0">1. Fitness coach </span><span data-offset-key="93tcq-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;">Joe Wicks (AKA The Body Coach) is running free P.E. lessons</span><span data-offset-key="93tcq-0-2"> on his </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="93tcq-1-0">YouTube channel</span></a><span data-offset-key="93tcq-2-0">, which go live at 9am each weekday, but can be watched at any time. Although they’re aimed at kids, you’ll probably find that they’re fun for all ages!
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6p113-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6p113-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6p113-0-0">2. If you need help teaching your child maths, former </span><span data-offset-key="6p113-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">Countdown</span><span data-offset-key="6p113-0-2"> host and maths guru Carol Vorderman has come to the rescue! While schools are closed, she’s offering </span><span data-offset-key="6p113-0-3" style="font-weight: bold;">free access to her online maths school</span><span data-offset-key="6p113-0-4">, </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.themathsfactor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="6p113-1-0">The Maths Factor</span></a><span data-offset-key="6p113-2-0">, aimed at children aged 4 to 11.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ci4ht-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ci4ht-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ci4ht-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9tca0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9tca0-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="9tca0-0-0">3. For music lessons, former Hear’Say singer and classically trained musician </span><span data-offset-key="9tca0-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;">Myleene Klass has launched her free online “Music Klass”. </span><span data-offset-key="9tca0-0-2">Subscribe to </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhSUrNSqx77FCBs5SslcWg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9tca0-1-0">her YouTube</span></a><span data-offset-key="9tca0-2-0"> for two classes at 10am on Monday and Friday, plus a lullaby session on Wednesday evenings.
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dp3r2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dp3r2-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="dp3r2-0-0">4. Meanwhile, comedian and beloved children’s author </span><span data-offset-key="dp3r2-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;">David Walliams is releasing a free audio story daily for the next 30 days. </span><span data-offset-key="dp3r2-0-2">Click to listen </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dp3r2-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="dp3r2-2-0"> and check back for more every morning at 11am.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9b264-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9b264-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9b264-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5046m-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5046m-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5046m-0-0">5. Until the end of June, </span><span data-offset-key="5046m-0-1" style="font-weight: bold;">Minecraft are offering 12 free interactive digital lessons</span><span data-offset-key="5046m-0-2">, which include creative writing tasks, coding puzzles and building challenges, as well as virtual tours of historic sites and the International Space Station. From renewable energy to marine biology to Greek history, you can check out everything their Education Collection offers </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/marketplace/education" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5046m-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="5046m-2-0">. </span><span data-offset-key="5046m-2-1" style="font-style: italic;">Minecraft: Education Edition</span><span data-offset-key="5046m-2-2"> is available for download </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://education.minecraft.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5046m-3-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="5046m-4-0">.</span></span></div></div></div></div>
earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-89196080725119000432020-03-26T18:18:00.006+00:002023-01-30T16:50:18.940+00:0061 Things to do During Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"88hbc","text":"1. Do all of the chores that you usually put off! (Go on, you know you want to.)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":50,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":80,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5sh52","text":"2. Make a list of films you’ve been wanting to watch and make your way through them","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":83,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":83,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"67iin","text":"3. Do the same for books! ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":26,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":26,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5mrbe","text":"4. TV shows, too. If you’re having trouble deciding which one to pick first, put the titles in a jar and take them out one by one.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":130,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fkoq7","text":"5. Bake. (Just make sure you get all of the ingredients in your weekly shop!)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":9,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":77,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"al6sa","text":"6. Cook your favourite recipes","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"52vbk","text":"7. Learn new recipes. Missing your favourite restaurant or takeaway? See if you can learn how to make your fave meals of theirs from home!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":22,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":138,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"},{"offset":9,"length":3,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3ampj","text":"8. Learn a new language. Give Duolingo a try!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":45,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":30,"length":8,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"4lqki","text":"9. Make playlists. A lockdown playlist, a spring/summer playlist, a throwback playlist, a cheer-up playlist… (You can find my own cheer-up playlist here.)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":154,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":148,"length":4,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"d88gp","text":"10. Invite the other members of your household to a movie marathon with snacks. Or just do it solo! (Just be careful not to eat all of your quarantine snacks in one go!)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":80,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":169,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1phph","text":"11. Got a garden? Eat outside!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1uach","text":"12. Better yet, have a barbecue!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":32,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bot7d","text":"13. Have a picnic in your garden or living room","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":47,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":47,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2sp3l","text":"14. Host a D.I.Y afternoon tea","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":30,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"938mi","text":"15. Build a fort","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":16,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":16,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ffsf","text":"16. Make some post-pandemic travel plans! With pubs, clubs and clothes shops shut, now is the perfect time to start saving up all of those pennies that you'd usually be spending!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":42,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":178,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ff6f","text":"17. Have virtual get-togethers. Gather your friends on Zoom or Discord for a virtual movie-night, pub quiz, some party games, or just a catch-up!\n18. Check in on your friends. Make sure that they're coping okay and try to cheer them up if they're not.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":31,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":146,"length":30,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":251,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":55,"length":4,"key":2},{"offset":63,"length":7,"key":3}],"data":{}},{"key":"dr913","text":"19. Reach out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. They’ll probably be glad you did!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":60,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":93,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2qaon","text":"20. Binge-watch your favourite series","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6hkit","text":"21. Start a scrapbook","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ijp9","text":"22. Clean","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":9,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":9,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ejr5t","text":"23. Clear out your wardrobe and/or makeup","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":41,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":41,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5h66t","text":"24. Reorganise your wardrobe","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":28,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":28,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"b3v2o","text":"25. Reorganise a room","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bcooo","text":"26. Make time for a hobby","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"61elu","text":"27. Find a new hobby","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2huif","text":"28. Experiment with your hair or makeup. Maybe you’ll find a new favourite look? (Don’t forget to post a selfie of the finished result!)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":41,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":136,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8apt5","text":"29. Craft. You can find heaps of crafting inspiration on Pinterest!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":11,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":67,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":57,"length":9,"key":4}],"data":{}},{"key":"bomeo","text":"30. Colour. If you don’t have a colouring book, find some colouring sheets online and print them off.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":12,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":101,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1fpcc","text":"31. Workout from home! There’s plenty of workout videos on YouTube, and a tonne of fitness Instagram accounts.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":23,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":110,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fmu4g","text":"32. Same goes for yoga and Pilates!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":35,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":35,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"48il1","text":"33. Meditate. You’ll be able to find lots of guided meditations on your app store or on YouTube.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":14,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":96,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"s23g","text":"34. Play or cuddle with a pet","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":29,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":29,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fh8jn","text":"35. Play video or computer games. (Animal Crossing is currently my game of choice.)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":34,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":83,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"55ca3","text":"36. Play a board game","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2cnfp","text":"37. Complete a jigsaw puzzle","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":28,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":28,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e4hmj","text":"38. Organise the files on your laptop","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7o6qp","text":"39. Clear out your photo gallery on your phone. (If you’re anything like me, it’ll be overflowing with out-of-date memes!)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":48,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":122,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"10srn","text":"40. Pamper yourself. Facemasks, baths, painting your nails… Do whatever makes you feel good!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":92,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kda2","text":"41. Do an online course. I’ve previously completed free courses on FutureLearn, but a quick Google search will show you that there’s so many to choose from!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":156,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":67,"length":11,"key":5}],"data":{}},{"key":"a2p27","text":"42. Set your browser homepage to Wikipedia’s ‘random’ page. Every time you open it, you can learn something new! (Suggested by Lilly.)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":60,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":134,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":75,"length":7,"key":6},{"offset":127,"length":5,"key":7}],"data":{}},{"key":"lfnj","text":"43. Write a diary","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7aaal","text":"44. Keep a daily gratitude list. Spend some time focussing on the positives.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":33,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":76,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ht5e","text":"45. Make a vision board. Check out Pinterest for inspo.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":25,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":55,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":35,"length":9,"key":8}],"data":{}},{"key":"75vdu","text":"46. Learn a TikTok dance","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":24,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":24,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7hfdc","text":"47. Start a TikTok. Have you been able to resist so far?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":56,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fu3ch","text":"48. Start a YouTube","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":19,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":19,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"rvo9","text":"49. Start a blog! Come join the club.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":18,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"eioag","text":"50. Meal prep","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":13,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":13,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ebhki","text":"51. Phone a loved one","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":21,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"908a","text":"52. Join or start a virtual book club","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":37,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"16dh9","text":"53. Pick some flowers and try your hand at flower-pressing","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":58,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":58,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"p4da","text":"54. Volunteer to help in your local area. You can volunteer to support the NHS here.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":42,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":84,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":79,"length":4,"key":9}],"data":{}},{"key":"bhtp1","text":"55. Find things around the house to donate when charity shops re-open. Charity fundraising is suffering massively due to the pandemic.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":71,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":134,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79do3","text":"56. Not currently travelling to work? Donate the price of your work commute or morning coffee to a charity of your choice each day.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":131,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":131,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6qg17","text":"57. Come up with a list of coping strategies to turn to if you’re mentally struggling. (There’s an endless amount of brilliant ideas here.)","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":87,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":139,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":133,"length":4,"key":10}],"data":{}},{"key":"bl02l","text":"58. Google feel-good stories and good news","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":42,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":42,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4851v","text":"59. Make a list of things to look forward to when this is over. Hold onto those things any time you’re finding lockdown tough.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":64,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":126,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1pno7","text":"60. Plan a \"Freedom Party\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":26,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":26,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5r930","text":"61. And last but not least: Write your own list of things to do in lockdown!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":76,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":0,"length":76,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5i6jk","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fnca3","text":"How many things on this list have you already ticked off? Do you have any ideas to add?\n","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":88,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"16ta1","text":"Stay safe and stay sane, everyone!","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":34,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"csv6i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bh4i2","text":"Love,","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":5,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"18px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.duolingo.com/"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HGLUQ1JLdvdkVSTZwZohO?si=gB9hNES1SPWWSAHrSGXsGQ"}},"2":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://zoom.us/"}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://discordapp.com/"}},"4":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=crafts&rs=typed&term_meta%5b%5d=crafts%7Ctyped"}},"5":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.futurelearn.com/"}},"6":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Special:Randompage"}},"7":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/tigerlillyleaf/"}},"8":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=vision%20board&rs=typed&term_meta%5b%5d=vision%7Ctyped&term_meta%5b%5d=board%7Ctyped"}},"9":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS"}},"10":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://hatw.co.uk/things-to-try/"}}},"VERSION":"9.3.6"}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">1. Do all of the chores that you usually put off! </span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1">(Go on, you know you want to.)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9d3k8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9d3k8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9d3k8-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. Make a list of films you’ve been wanting to watch and make your way through them</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="694pb-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="694pb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="694pb-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3. Do the same for books! </span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dmq0s-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dmq0s-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="dmq0s-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">4. TV shows, too. </span><span data-offset-key="dmq0s-0-1">If you’re having trouble deciding which one to pick first, put the titles in a jar and take them out one by one.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5kuv1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5kuv1-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5kuv1-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">5. Bake. </span><span data-offset-key="5kuv1-0-1">(Just make sure you get all of the ingredients in your weekly shop!)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2b9ef-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2b9ef-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2b9ef-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">6. Cook your favourite recipes</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">7. Learn </span><span data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-1" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">new</span><span data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-2" style="font-weight: bold;"> recipes. </span><span data-offset-key="3oc6a-0-3">Missing your favourite restaurant or takeaway? See if you can learn how to make your fave meals of theirs from home!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8agrr-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8agrr-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="8agrr-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">8. Learn a new language. </span><span data-offset-key="8agrr-0-1">Give </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.duolingo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="8agrr-1-0">Duolingo</span></a><span data-offset-key="8agrr-2-0"> a try!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="angp2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="angp2-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="angp2-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">9. Make playlists.</span><span data-offset-key="angp2-0-1"> A lockdown playlist, a spring/summer playlist, a throwback playlist, a cheer-up playlist… (You can find my own cheer-up playlist </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HGLUQ1JLdvdkVSTZwZohO?si=gB9hNES1SPWWSAHrSGXsGQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="angp2-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="angp2-2-0">.)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6o6ua-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6o6ua-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6o6ua-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">10. Invite the other members of your household to a movie marathon with snacks. </span><span data-offset-key="6o6ua-0-1">Or just do it solo! (Just be careful not to eat all of your quarantine snacks in one go!)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dttbc-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dttbc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dttbc-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">11. Got a garden? Eat outside!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="b9oac-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="b9oac-0-0"><span data-offset-key="b9oac-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">12. Better yet, have a barbecue!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4fnte-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4fnte-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4fnte-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">13. Have a picnic in your garden or living room</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="81t0g-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="81t0g-0-0"><span data-offset-key="81t0g-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">14. Host a D.I.Y afternoon tea</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4j9bd-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4j9bd-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4j9bd-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">15. Build a fort</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="20civ-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="20civ-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="20civ-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">16. Make some post-pandemic travel plans! </span><span data-offset-key="20civ-0-1">With pubs, clubs and clothes shops shut, now is the perfect time to start saving up all of those pennies that you'd usually be spending!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5mb9o-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5mb9o-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">17. Have virtual get-togethers.</span><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-0-1"> Gather your friends on </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://zoom.us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-1-0">Zoom</span></a><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-2-0"> or </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://discordapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-3-0">Discord</span></a><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-4-0"> for a virtual movie-night, pub quiz, some party games, or just a catch-up!
</span><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-4-1" style="font-weight: bold;">18. Check in on your friends. </span><span data-offset-key="5mb9o-4-2">Make sure that they're coping okay and try to cheer them up if they're not.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4qsme-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4qsme-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="4qsme-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">19. Reach out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. </span><span data-offset-key="4qsme-0-1">They’ll probably be glad you did!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dsb43-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dsb43-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dsb43-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">20. Binge-watch your favourite series</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7qo77-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7qo77-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7qo77-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">21. Start a scrapbook</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="13ia9-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="13ia9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="13ia9-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">22. Clean</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="26csk-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="26csk-0-0"><span data-offset-key="26csk-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">23. Clear out your wardrobe and/or makeup</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="brnn5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="brnn5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="brnn5-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">24. Reorganise your wardrobe</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="44g5p-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="44g5p-0-0"><span data-offset-key="44g5p-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">25. Reorganise a room</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="b44mc-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="b44mc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="b44mc-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">26. Make time for a hobby</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="16ftl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="16ftl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="16ftl-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">27. Find a new hobby</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6hs5r-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6hs5r-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="6hs5r-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">28. Experiment with your hair or makeup. </span><span data-offset-key="6hs5r-0-1">Maybe you’ll find a new favourite look? (Don’t forget to post a selfie of the finished result!)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="51fp4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="51fp4-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="51fp4-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">29. Craft. </span><span data-offset-key="51fp4-0-1">You can find heaps of crafting inspiration on </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=crafts&rs=typed&term_meta%5b%5d=crafts%7Ctyped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="51fp4-1-0">Pinterest</span></a><span data-offset-key="51fp4-2-0">!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="83nsv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="83nsv-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="83nsv-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">30. Colour. </span><span data-offset-key="83nsv-0-1">If you don’t have a colouring book, find some colouring sheets online and print them off.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fl866-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fl866-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="fl866-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">31. Workout from home! </span><span data-offset-key="fl866-0-1">There’s plenty of workout videos on YouTube, and a tonne of fitness Instagram accounts.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4gses-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4gses-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4gses-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">32. Same goes for yoga and Pilates!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2bja7-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2bja7-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="2bja7-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">33. Meditate. </span><span data-offset-key="2bja7-0-1">You’ll be able to find lots of guided meditations on your app store or on YouTube.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="16sna-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="16sna-0-0"><span data-offset-key="16sna-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">34. Play or cuddle with a pet</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2qpim-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2qpim-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="2qpim-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">35. Play video or computer games. </span><span data-offset-key="2qpim-0-1">(Animal Crossing is currently my game of choice.)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dtafn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dtafn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dtafn-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">36. Play a board game</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5b3g1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5b3g1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5b3g1-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">37. Complete a jigsaw puzzle</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ekg5s-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ekg5s-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ekg5s-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">38. Organise the files on your laptop</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="36vnn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="36vnn-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="36vnn-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">39. Clear out your photo gallery on your phone. </span><span data-offset-key="36vnn-0-1">(If you’re anything like me, it’ll be overflowing with out-of-date memes!)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="42v3h-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="42v3h-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="42v3h-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">40. Pamper yourself. </span><span data-offset-key="42v3h-0-1">Facemasks, baths, painting your nails… Do whatever makes you feel good!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7hr9s-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7hr9s-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="7hr9s-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">41. Do an online course. </span><span data-offset-key="7hr9s-0-1">I’ve previously completed free courses on </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.futurelearn.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="7hr9s-1-0">FutureLearn</span></a><span data-offset-key="7hr9s-2-0">, but a quick Google search will show you that there’s so many to choose from!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d5hev-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d5hev-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="d5hev-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">42. Set your browser homepage to Wikipedia’s ‘random’ page. </span><span data-offset-key="d5hev-0-1">Every time you </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Special:Randompage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="d5hev-1-0">open it</span></a><span data-offset-key="d5hev-2-0">, you can learn something new! (Suggested by </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.instagram.com/tigerlillyleaf/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="d5hev-3-0">Lilly</span></a><span data-offset-key="d5hev-4-0">.)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d28lo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d28lo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d28lo-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">43. Write a diary</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="v2i8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="v2i8-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="v2i8-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">44. Keep a daily gratitude list. </span><span data-offset-key="v2i8-0-1">Spend some time focussing on the positives.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dlvoo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dlvoo-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="dlvoo-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">45. Make a vision board. </span><span data-offset-key="dlvoo-0-1">Check out </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=vision%20board&rs=typed&term_meta%5b%5d=vision%7Ctyped&term_meta%5b%5d=board%7Ctyped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dlvoo-1-0">Pinterest</span></a><span data-offset-key="dlvoo-2-0"> for inspo.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3c1on-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3c1on-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3c1on-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">46. Learn a TikTok dance</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="c86ou-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="c86ou-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="c86ou-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">47. Start a TikTok. </span><span data-offset-key="c86ou-0-1">Have you been able to resist so far?</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1ljrj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1ljrj-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1ljrj-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">48. Start a YouTube</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="48bjj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="48bjj-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="48bjj-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">49. Start a blog! </span><span data-offset-key="48bjj-0-1">Come join the club.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4dg1i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4dg1i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4dg1i-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">50. Meal prep</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="45s5i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="45s5i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="45s5i-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">51. Phone a loved one</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cmr0l-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cmr0l-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cmr0l-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">52. Join or start a virtual book club</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8cdvs-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8cdvs-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8cdvs-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">53. Pick some flowers and try your hand at flower-pressing</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="deo7r-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="deo7r-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="deo7r-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">54. Volunteer to help in your local area. </span><span data-offset-key="deo7r-0-1">You can volunteer to support the NHS </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="deo7r-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="deo7r-2-0">.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7e53m-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7e53m-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="7e53m-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">55. Find things around the house to donate when charity shops re-open. </span><span data-offset-key="7e53m-0-1">Charity fundraising is suffering massively due to the pandemic.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="60s99-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="60s99-0-0"><span data-offset-key="60s99-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">56. Not currently travelling to work? Donate the price of your work commute or morning coffee to a charity of your choice each day.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="egg65-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="egg65-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="egg65-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">57. Come up with a list of coping strategies to turn to if you’re mentally struggling. </span><span data-offset-key="egg65-0-1">(There’s an endless amount of brilliant ideas </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://hatw.co.uk/things-to-try/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="egg65-1-0">here</span></a><span data-offset-key="egg65-2-0">.)</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cl7c2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cl7c2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cl7c2-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">58. Google feel-good stories and good news</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5kcck-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5kcck-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="5kcck-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">59. Make a list of things to look forward to when this is over. </span><span data-offset-key="5kcck-0-1">Hold onto those things any time you’re finding lockdown tough.</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4cu29-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4cu29-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4cu29-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">60. Plan a "Freedom Party"</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="batul-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="batul-0-0"><span data-offset-key="batul-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">61. And last but not least: Write your own list of things to do in lockdown!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="750ir-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="750ir-0-0"><span data-offset-key="750ir-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7ptjj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7ptjj-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7ptjj-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How many things on this list have you already ticked off? Do you have any ideas to add?
</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dt2b2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dt2b2-0-0" style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="dt2b2-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Stay safe and stay sane, everyone!</span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6vsqh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6vsqh-0-0" style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="6vsqh-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br data-text="true" /></span></span></div></div><div class="_25Ehb _3qYRK Oh89J public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bsmjj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bsmjj-0-0" style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="bsmjj-0-0"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Love,</span></span></div></div></div></div>
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earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-60985057768346030832020-03-25T19:50:00.001+00:002023-01-30T14:51:20.862+00:00How to Work from Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Not even <i>Vogue</i>’s Anna Wintour could have predicted that the hot trends for Spring 2020 would have been florals, medical masks, and working from home. The coronavirus pandemic has seen a huge chunk of the country making the sudden switch to homeworking to slow the disease’s spread – and I know for many, this is a huge change. As someone who’s had her fair share of experience in this area, I thought I’d share a few of my top tips on how to manage yourself and keep productive at home:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-to-work-from-home.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-74753290127716806722020-03-24T20:10:00.001+00:002023-01-30T16:33:59.177+00:00How to Cope During Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">As I’m writing this, we’re currently on Day 1 of lockdown in the UK. <i>(That’s definitely not a sentence that I ever expected to type in my lifetime!)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">While I fully support the lockdown, a lot of people are concerned about the mental impact that staying isolated at home is going to have. And I completely understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">In fact, I’ve been here before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">After my back operation, I spent a week alone in hospital, followed by a further six weeks stuck at home. Over the next nine months I barely left the house, and I only saw my friends six times in total. It was the loneliest experience of my life – and I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t take a huge toll on my mental health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">But there are bright sides this time around. I’m able to do a lot more, so there’s lots of ways that I can keep busy and entertain myself that I just couldn’t do back then. <b>And this time, I’m not doing it alone. None of us are doing this alone.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">My heart truly does hurt for anybody mentally struggling right now, but I just want to promise you that you <i>can </i>get through this, and that there <i>is</i> a light at the end of the tunnel. (I’m proof of that!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">But, while we’re stuck in the tunnel, I wanted to share a few tips on how we can all get through this together:</span></div>
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<a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-to-cope-during-lockdown.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-53670471726750887872020-01-26T17:00:00.003+00:002023-01-30T16:52:37.523+00:00Sex Education's Aimee Represents All of Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;"><br></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true">Like anybody with good taste in Netflix shows, I spent this month counting down to the release of </span></span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-1" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true">Sex Education</span></span><span data-offset-key="foo-0-2" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true"> Season 2, and proceeded to binge-watch the entire thing in one day once it dropped. It was funny, it was joyful, it was relatable, and it was heart-warming – but (spoiler warning) there’s one storyline that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since.</span></span></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2020/01/sexual-assault.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-24896574577082034532020-01-26T16:59:00.002+00:002023-01-30T16:55:29.578+00:00Witnessing or Experiencing Sexual Assault: What You Can Do<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In Season 2 of <i>Sex Education</i>, we see Aimee
Gibbs trying to recover from the trauma of a sexual assault that she
experienced on the bus to school one morning. It’s an issue that’s all too
common, and yet it’s not spoken about nearly enough. So, to tie in with my <a href="https://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2020/01/sexual-assault.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">blog post</span></a> bout Aimee’s story, this post will
cover what you can do if you are a victim or witness of either <a href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/looking-for-information/what-is-sexual-violence/other-kinds-of-sexual-violence/what-is-sexual-harassment/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">sexual harassment</span></a>, or <a href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/looking-for-information/what-is-sexual-violence/other-kinds-of-sexual-violence/what-is-sexual-assault/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">sexual assault</span></a>.</span></div>
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</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2020/01/sexual-assault-2.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-37188822018426225742019-11-07T17:30:00.001+00:002023-01-30T17:00:18.620+00:00What Recovery Means to Me<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">Last month, I wrote a <span style="color: #ea7a91;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/collections/mental-health-week-2019-17093643" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: #ea7a91;">series of blog posts</span></a></span> covering some of my experiences with mental illness. They mostly focussed on my experience as a teenager, because that’s when my mental health was at its worst. But that’s not to say that I don’t still struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">The struggle is different now, though. Now, I’m trying to <i>fight </i>my mental illnesses, whereas before, I was defeated by them. And while I know that I’ll never completely beat them, there are still little victories, small wins, and that's enough. We're able to co-exist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">A friend of mine who <span style="color: #ea7a91;"><a href="https://solsticephoenix.wordpress.com/2019/10/12/my-pure-o-story/?fbclid=IwAR17Bq-8U5Y86eirR1y3DKft0Upur80OdqwDXBXgyK19eSuvD8NEJUts52Y" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: #ea7a91;">recently blogged about her OCD</span></a></span> mentioned how <b>“recovery is a journey, not a destination”</b>. And she’s so right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">It’s not necessarily about needing a cure; it’s about having the tools you need to be able to cope. It’s about having your illness be a <i>part </i>of you, like your hair or your eye colour – not something that completely defines you. It’s about accepting that there are bad days and bad moments, but recognising that they’re going to pass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have anxiety, but now I see that I’m more than that. It’s a part of my life, but my world is so much more than that.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-26189021692611757512019-10-30T21:00:00.001+00:002023-01-30T17:24:42.408+00:00My Visit to the Denbigh Asylum<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">I write a lot about my life on this little blog... the good, the bad and the ugly. But something I’ve never written about is the <i>scary</i>. So, for Halloween, I thought I’d post something a bit different. I’m going to tell you about the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you. The dialogue might not always be 100% accurate, and little details here and there might be jumbled… but all of these events actually happened. Not too long ago, in fact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/Denbigh-asylum.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-45718341185732483282019-10-27T17:00:00.001+00:002023-01-30T17:27:11.396+00:00Wedding OOTD<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">Your early 20s are weird, aren’t they? Some of your friends are settling down and starting families while some can’t even keep a houseplant alive, let alone a relationship or a baby. I admit that I fall into the latter category – but last weekend, I had the pleasure of watching one of my infinitely-more-responsible high school besties getting married, and I may or may not have shed a tear or two. (Or maybe even a few hundred.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/wedding-OOTD.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-9555704546843155962019-10-17T17:30:00.001+01:002023-01-29T17:40:36.667+00:00When You Can't Just Put on a Happy Face<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRM6QzmSsSI3oGm52iA-Hx0mGIKLf1ZWXLypJ1IW6Og3EIxal8k5fQuM7x5d2q9W_1_Cj5rlw9nLg7n2s6DZz_YoyJmXsRAIilYs9F6FTMTXGZOocmZde9e0SMi41xFgRY5u_PnZh2KQ/s1600/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+When+You+Can%2527t+Put+on+a+Happy+Face.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRM6QzmSsSI3oGm52iA-Hx0mGIKLf1ZWXLypJ1IW6Og3EIxal8k5fQuM7x5d2q9W_1_Cj5rlw9nLg7n2s6DZz_YoyJmXsRAIilYs9F6FTMTXGZOocmZde9e0SMi41xFgRY5u_PnZh2KQ/s1600/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+When+You+Can%2527t+Put+on+a+Happy+Face.jpg"></a></div>
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 25px;">Like pretty much everybody else on planet Earth (a rough estimate), I recently went to see <i>Joker </i>in the cinema, and came away with a million different thoughts and feelings. The film focuses almost entirely on the Joker’s battle with mental illness and, as someone who has also struggled with their mental health, it hit me like a punch to the gut. One of the lines that resonated with me most was something that the Joker wrote in his journal: </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">“The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t.”</span></i></b></div>
<a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/put-on-a-happy-face.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-52998331696965162532019-10-10T17:00:00.001+01:002023-01-30T17:57:51.255+00:00Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWVpinK9FxasxuIIFBPE2MMFncOFnCwFeiofJR_hLeRs6qQcfVDgoYauq8JL8nEpTLaKF7WY5uXbpNbX5jBcRpjVYYKlRuUgMti6o8Egq4JO4qkDQrqiXveGfiWKM_jEVcgxkw8nQlBE/s1600/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+The+Light+at+the+End+of+the+Tunnel.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="660" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWVpinK9FxasxuIIFBPE2MMFncOFnCwFeiofJR_hLeRs6qQcfVDgoYauq8JL8nEpTLaKF7WY5uXbpNbX5jBcRpjVYYKlRuUgMti6o8Egq4JO4qkDQrqiXveGfiWKM_jEVcgxkw8nQlBE/s640/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+The+Light+at+the+End+of+the+Tunnel.png" width="640"></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The cliché is true. When you’re depressed, all you can see is darkness. My first ever counsellor described this as the “Depression Veil”. The Depression Veil blocks out the sun, and stops you from seeing that all-important </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">"light at the end of the tunnel".</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Slowly but surely though, in 2012, I started to peel the veil back from my face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">First, there was just a little bit of light – but you'd be amazed by what a difference a little bit can make. Just to see the light – to finally know that it was there… it gave me something to live for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/mental-health.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-77499754600688337502019-10-09T17:00:00.001+01:002023-01-30T18:06:05.493+00:00Mental Health & Getting Help<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 36.85pt 8pt 1cm; text-align: center; text-indent: 7.1pt;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”</span><br>
<b style="text-indent: 7.1pt;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">—</span></b><b style="text-indent: 7.1pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> Victor Hugo,</span></b><b style="text-indent: 7.1pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 7.1pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Les Misérables</span></i></b></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I look back at my first year of sixth form as the worst year of my (admittedly pretty-short-thus-far) life. However, it’s also the year that marked a turning point for me and my mental health. It was the year that I completely broke down – but this also began the process of putting myself back together again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">At school, I started skipping lessons when my anxiety or depression was particularly bad. Every hour sat in a classroom, feeling alone and broken and miserable, felt like torture – and sometimes, I just couldn’t bear it. But, unsurprisingly, I couldn’t get away with that forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">In January 2012, a teacher confronted me about it. When asked why I’d been skipping classes, I just couldn’t hide it anymore. I completely broke down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">The relief that I felt when that teacher told me that she understood, and that she’d been there too, was indescribable. She held my hand as I cried and promised me I was going to get better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I couldn’t even bring myself to nod back then, because I still didn’t believe that this was possible... But she was right. Things <i>were </i>going to get better.</span><br>
</span></div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/mental-health-getting-help.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-9448060767351539962019-10-08T17:00:00.001+01:002023-01-30T18:11:16.576+00:00Mental Health: Let's Talk About It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtVcHlTcv8iMHuEVz15zge72osgkYtC1StvTgm42M8K3j1VzQ21MFBylhtlpynen7dWlNBedFgVsDfavsYBk_PwUAurfC5KQZoQM6Yj-bi9ta8FW3uMvWX90YwbGYlGuxDwYYlXhA92Q/s1600/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+Mental+Health+-+Let%2527s+Talk+About+It.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="660" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtVcHlTcv8iMHuEVz15zge72osgkYtC1StvTgm42M8K3j1VzQ21MFBylhtlpynen7dWlNBedFgVsDfavsYBk_PwUAurfC5KQZoQM6Yj-bi9ta8FW3uMvWX90YwbGYlGuxDwYYlXhA92Q/s640/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+Mental+Health+-+Let%2527s+Talk+About+It.png" width="640"></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">When I was 12 years old, I fell and sprained my foot. Immediately after, I told my parents what had happened and went straight to hospital to get it looked at. I was happy to accept help from the doctors, and didn’t hesitate to explain to others what was wrong. But, when it came to my broken mind, I couldn’t bring myself to do any of this.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">When we’re physically hurt or ill, we have no issue letting other people know. But when our minds are ill, we feel pressured to cover it up.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Why?</span></i><br>
</div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/time-to-talk.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-27314306968266752332019-10-07T17:00:00.002+01:002023-01-30T23:02:51.844+00:00Anxiety & Me<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1JOFnGfzaNnjeUWqKSXbHh36rzBrytou9mgIPXBEfb6tk2jUJxiL_tDN7L_0C7yEvGq0y8Bj2BlBJRMV88A-6rA60_OBmEPoRcdVlKjjpq7-1CU_CkITMPfxwVh1ttwjY_elrRjzR5Y/s1600/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+Anxiety+and+Me.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="660" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1JOFnGfzaNnjeUWqKSXbHh36rzBrytou9mgIPXBEfb6tk2jUJxiL_tDN7L_0C7yEvGq0y8Bj2BlBJRMV88A-6rA60_OBmEPoRcdVlKjjpq7-1CU_CkITMPfxwVh1ttwjY_elrRjzR5Y/s640/earthtotalia.blogspot.com+-+Anxiety+and+Me.png" width="640"></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Depression was my toughest battle, but anxiety feels like my cruellest. It’s taken away from who I am as a person, and who I want to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Anxiety makes me feel as if I’m drowning. </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I’ve been thrown in at the deep end, but I don’t know how to swim</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">. I’m stuck behind a glass wall, watching everyone else enjoy life. I want to join in, but I can’t break through the glass. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">It’s like stage fright, but without the stage. As soon as I leave the house, it feels like the spotlight's on me. Everybody’s watching. Everybody’s judging. My heart starts pounding and my throat gets tighter. I want to run and hide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Completing the most basic task can feel like running a marathon. One short minute can be filled with a thousand racing thoughts. M</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">y own mind has betrayed me – but I’m stuck with it. It feels like I’m in a constant battle between my ‘real’ self and my ‘ill’ self. I <i>enjoy </i></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">socialising</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">; I <i>like </i>talking to people – that’s the real me. But the sick part of my brain doesn’t want to let that part live. <o:p></o:p></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-indent: 14.2pt;">Anxiety takes over me, and it stops me in my tracks. It affects how I think, how I act, and how I feel.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-indent: 14.2pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">And, if something takes away from the very person you are… you start to wonder what the hell you have left.</span></div>
<a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/anxiety-and-me.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-71884816427492062172019-10-06T17:00:00.002+01:002023-01-30T22:55:37.262+00:00Depression & Me<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 36.85pt 0.0001pt 1cm; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">“I didn’t want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that’s really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you’re so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.” </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">—</span></b><b style="background-color: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> Ned Vizzini,</span></b><b style="background-color: white;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> It’s Kind Of A Funny Story</span></i></b></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">For the whole week up until World Mental Health Day, I'm going to be blogging about different parts of my experience with mental illness, starting with depression. It’s a lot easier to write about now, because a lot of it feels so far behind me. But, when I first got diagnosed, I truly thought that everything was going to be that awful forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I <i>do </i>think it’s worth covering the darker parts, though, because my past experience is some people’s current experience.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0px;"> A</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 14.2pt;">nd one of the hardest parts of being ill was the fear that nobody would understand and that everyone would judge me. </span><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 14.2pt;">But the more we talk about it, the more people will understand, and the less people will feel alone. </b></div>
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<a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/depression-and-me.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-84306606602986525882019-10-05T17:00:00.003+01:002023-01-30T22:51:13.810+00:00Mental Illness & Me<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 22px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">It’s been a long time since I’ve posted about mental health (or anything, for that matter), but with World Mental Health Day coming up on the 10th of October, it felt like the perfect time to get stuck back in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">When it comes to my own mental health, I never really know where to start. </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">Even though I’ve had plenty of years to reflect on it (and have been asked countless <i></i>times by professionals), I still don’t think I can really put my finger on how it all began. It’s like when you find a bruise on your leg and you don’t know where you got it from, or when you get a headache but you don’t know the cause. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep? Maybe you didn’t drink enough water? Maybe you stared at a computer screen too long? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">These are all just guesses, though. You can’t know for sure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">It’s the same with my mental illness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></div></div></div><a href="http://earthtotalia.blogspot.com/2019/10/mental-illness-and-me.html#more"></a>earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-79172478133072812212018-03-28T10:30:00.003+01:002023-01-29T17:28:29.889+00:00Scoliosis Surgery: Honesty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A3sEw2pYAQ43Q3MNC359nXiNyl5OlFdwvjDdav73BepbPQY5GPf9oX_YS2JUuz_5oXH1HerMP9H_so82mGmDsZUqBq7T0F9ak-yIE3vaAvHLDZYeuWKLA_xdBunjBPosFMcl0-Mw7CdvDHPe_5DGtMMmtKR0P_af14JqQkc1aH7ZtyeIq2NerhDw/s4088/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2725" data-original-width="4088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A3sEw2pYAQ43Q3MNC359nXiNyl5OlFdwvjDdav73BepbPQY5GPf9oX_YS2JUuz_5oXH1HerMP9H_so82mGmDsZUqBq7T0F9ak-yIE3vaAvHLDZYeuWKLA_xdBunjBPosFMcl0-Mw7CdvDHPe_5DGtMMmtKR0P_af14JqQkc1aH7ZtyeIq2NerhDw/s16000/2.png" /></a></div></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">Five
months ago I came home from the hospital, and all I could do was cry. </span><span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">I cried and cried and cried, mourning the body
I’d lost, and fearing the months ahead. </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I didn’t feel like I could do it. </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And five months on, I still don’t.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Nothing could have prepared me for how
physically, mentally and emotionally difficult this would all be. Sure, I
watched all of the YouTube videos I could find, and sure, I heard everyone
saying it was the worst time of their life, but I told myself I could get through
it, because it wouldn’t last forever. But now I'm here, five months on, and things
are still so tough. In fact, they’re even tougher. <b>Things might not be
as physically difficult as they used to be... but now, I’m emotionally
exhausted.</b> </span> <br />
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<span style="background: white;">Back then, everything was still new. Every tiny
bit of progress felt exciting. I was hopeful for what was to come. But now it’s
tedious, endless, torturous. It’s been so long, yet I still haven’t made half
the progress I’d hoped to. I wake up every morning, and I just don't want
to face another day of it. <b>And though I want to keep heading toward the
light at the end of the tunnel, I’m not even sure that there is one.</b> Because
right now, I’m trapped in the dark.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">When
will I feel normal again? </span><span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
<i><span style="background: white;">Will </span></i><span style="background: white;">I ever feel normal again? </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">When
will I make a complete recovery? </span><span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
<i><span style="background: white;">Will</span></i><span style="background: white;"> I
ever make a complete recovery?</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">At
five months, I’m starting to lose my patience. I had it in my head: <i>“People
say you start to feel normal again at six months.”</i> Six months. Six
months. Six months. <i>“You just have to hold out for six months.”</i> Yet
here I am, heading toward the six month mark, and I don’t even feel close to
normal. And honestly? That terrifies me. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">I want my strength back. I
want my energy back. I want my life back.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">I’m
21 years old. I’ve just graduated from university. Everyone around me is moving
on with their lives – getting houses, jobs, qualifications, Masters degrees –
and I’m trapped here. My present life consists of this empty, endless,
agonising routine of pain, frustration, tiredness, repetitiveness, loneliness...
And my future? Well... it’s <i>blank.</i> I can’t even begin to plan
for it, because it’s impossible to picture. It’s impossible to know what I will
and won’t be able to do, or when I'll be able to do it. <b>I
feel trapped and I feel empty. I keep pushing on every day, but it feels like
I have nothing to keep pushing on for.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
watch everybody posting their positive quotes, having their fun days out,
building their futures... and I feel so detached from it all – stuck in my bed,
or within my own four walls, or stuck in my body that just won’t work the way
I want it to. I want so badly to be a part of it all and it makes my heart
hurt. I feel so left behind. <b>I’m sick of having my life on hold at the
exact time that it should just be beginning.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">But
on top of it all – on top of all of this – is the guilt. The guilt that comes
every time I ask “how is this fair?”, or “why is this happening to me?”, when
there are people going through <i>so much worse</i>. There are people
dying. There are people who’ve gone through this every single day of their
lives, and have never known any different. Yet here I am, writing 600+ words
of self-pity.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""segoe ui" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
said when I left the hospital that I’d have to take recovery “step
by literal step at a time”. And I’m trying. I really am. <b>But the
more steps you take, the harder it gets. The more exhausted you become.</b> And
it’s even harder to keep going when you just can’t see the finish line.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHTvBKKavbNiscSC2eo4vTdHlc5EZKRQdEUEvDXEtm96dE6FeItchVrRPHWhcSVcWCCjpsdYC0OIxv5_HCRNmr_lzdUQ-vOsMxULoqSOZUWGJTApaMyr-T2jPvnC5zi2u26UifV6jMjM/s1600/pexels-photo-129736.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHTvBKKavbNiscSC2eo4vTdHlc5EZKRQdEUEvDXEtm96dE6FeItchVrRPHWhcSVcWCCjpsdYC0OIxv5_HCRNmr_lzdUQ-vOsMxULoqSOZUWGJTApaMyr-T2jPvnC5zi2u26UifV6jMjM/s1600/pexels-photo-129736.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></div><br />earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-38657862460797938932018-03-27T18:00:00.002+01:002023-02-15T16:37:50.605+00:00Scars<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">they paint stories on our bodies</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">tales on our skin</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">of who we are</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">what we've been through</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">what we've done</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and where we've been</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">the good, the bad, the ugly</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">the tragic, reckless, wild</span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">battles lost</span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">battles won</span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">and everything in between</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6G61OiRlpraNVOxwQQpCZYBqNDN2kTFipic_NxOdkpyRpH_xNRHj6PlqvDN-yqN-eAtOI1I8-F9DOF27EN80h7UCgTC7g8zlEexWLMpB38iogkVVA9SRmAa5wt5SNTRY2Lfo1KTTIo/s1600/BeFunkyPhoto7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="793" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6G61OiRlpraNVOxwQQpCZYBqNDN2kTFipic_NxOdkpyRpH_xNRHj6PlqvDN-yqN-eAtOI1I8-F9DOF27EN80h7UCgTC7g8zlEexWLMpB38iogkVVA9SRmAa5wt5SNTRY2Lfo1KTTIo/s1600/BeFunkyPhoto7.png" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-7630585480270290262018-03-26T11:00:00.002+01:002023-01-30T22:42:23.508+00:00Scoliosis Surgery: An Update (Finally!)<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
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<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">If you've read my most recent blog posts (or caught any of my
moany </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="color: #ff0066; font-size: 12.5pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/twitter.com/eartht0talia" target="_blank">tweets</a></span></span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">), you’ll probably know that, five months ago, I underwent spinal
fusion surgery for a condition called scoliosis (pronounced <i>sko-lee-o-sis</i>). Everything is explained in more detail in </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="color: #ff0066; font-size: 12.5pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://earthtotalia.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/scoliosis-and-me.html" target="_blank">this post</a></span></span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt;"> </span></span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.6667px;">–</span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.6667px;"> </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">but, in short, scoliosis is a </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt;">medical
condition “where the spine twists and curves to the side”. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span><br />
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;"><br /></span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">The surgery involved my surgeon straightening out my spine as
much as possible, before fusing the bones together to try and prevent my spine from re-curving. </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">To hold the bones in place while they fuse
(which should take 1-2 years), two metal rods were placed on either side of my
spine, and then attached using 18 metal screws. As long as there's no damage, breakage, or serious issues with the hardware, it should remain in my back for the rest of my life.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasBgBh2MQnTKGUPjQfJsT-GuSEvC0ciNt9aJOr9x65OkYsMlRqD7QNeVsZX0tdxPj_w3Jx7O2fsbu0b_GqDBR45a2JxxsSs6XyBnL2M72RZX2CNr8YvZqzhPnyrAh4ExMWDRtVKCtyIQ/s1600/X-Rays.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1211" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasBgBh2MQnTKGUPjQfJsT-GuSEvC0ciNt9aJOr9x65OkYsMlRqD7QNeVsZX0tdxPj_w3Jx7O2fsbu0b_GqDBR45a2JxxsSs6XyBnL2M72RZX2CNr8YvZqzhPnyrAh4ExMWDRtVKCtyIQ/s640/X-Rays.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Pre-op vs. post-op X-Rays</b></span></i></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Before my operation, I spent so much time reading and watching
videos about other people’s experience with the surgery. It helped a lot –
both when I was in hospital, and also now that I’m recovering at home –
especially because the operation isn’t all that common, so it can be quite hard to get a lot of
information about it. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">I knew I wanted to write about my own experience at one point in
the hopes that it might help someone else, but I’ve been putting it off for a
while now. Over the last few months, I’ve been anxiously waiting for my
follow-up X-Ray and appointment with my surgeon, and I was <i>ridiculously </i>nervous
to hear what he was going to say. There are a lot of things that can go wrong
with spinal fusion surgery and some people end up needing a second operation –
or, in the worst cases, they might need several more. <b>In all honesty, I
didn’t feel ready to re-visit my hospital experience in writing until I knew
for sure that I wouldn’t have to re-visit it in real life.</b> (Or at
least not any time soon, anyway!)</span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">I was actually hoping to have an update sooner, because spinal
fusion patients normally have a follow-up X-Ray at 3 months to check that
everything is okay with their hardware. Basically, everything needs to be
correctly in place for the first 1-2 years while the spine is still healing, so
they check to make sure that the hardware hasn’t moved, come loose, or become
damaged or broken. If that’s the case, then they’ll need to re-operate </span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.6667px;">–</span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;"> which, I'll be honest, was pretty much my worst nightmare.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">My 3 month appointment was supposed to be in January, but of
course this was the same month as the
NHS-crisis-that-the-government-swore-to-god-wasn’t-a-crisis, so it ended up
getting postponed until March. I’m not going to lie: I cried. A lot. I was so
anxious to hear whether everything was okay or not, and the wait and the worry
just felt like it was dragging on forever. Then, my appointment
got cancelled a second time... but this time, it was rescheduled for February! I
could’ve done a happy-dance. (If, y’know, I hadn’t just had major spinal
surgery.)</span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">I had the follow-up appointment a few weeks ago, and – <i style="font-weight: bold;">thank. actual. god!</i> –
my surgeon told me that everything looks okay. </span></b><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">I don’t think I’ve ever felt relief like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Other than that, I guess I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t
struggling. My surgeon and my physiotherapist both say I’m doing well, but it
doesn’t feel like it. Even though I’ve come a hell of a long way from not even
being able to feed myself, I still haven’t made half as much progress as I’d
hoped to by month five. I wasn’t at all prepared for how long, or how
physically and emotionally difficult this would be. I really want my life
back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">I’m still struggling to do much writing (which is <i>killing</i> me),
because sitting for long periods of time post-op still feels uncomfortable, and can sometimes get pretty painful. I’ve barely spent any time
using a laptop since my surgery, but I really am hoping to get back into
posting as best I can. I miss it so much, and I’ve got so much that I want to
write about. Hopefully, I’ll have a new post up soon!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Until then, I’ll leave you with some cheeky pre-op and post-op
Before and After shots. My scar is healing up nicely, and I'm also clearly getting
better at learning how to stand straight, ha-ha! My hips still aren't perfectly
even and my body isn't perfectly straight, but it's lovely to be able to wear
tight dresses now without feeling self-conscious about my uneven hips! (Not
that I've been dressing up much lately, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually!!)</span><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq-L-7kNh2nKvEB4zNKUZrCLGq46IB5zsLBVL3JSnJ6EU73zSgQ0sa8492ZlNLE6pkgh5LDNEAvFLIxpLH3vVz2eqKJQ8LfoOD2bzpJQj5MI8f2mh-PLTlYM6FzTS68_aaX-mYuobEuo/s1600/Ribbet+collage2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq-L-7kNh2nKvEB4zNKUZrCLGq46IB5zsLBVL3JSnJ6EU73zSgQ0sa8492ZlNLE6pkgh5LDNEAvFLIxpLH3vVz2eqKJQ8LfoOD2bzpJQj5MI8f2mh-PLTlYM6FzTS68_aaX-mYuobEuo/s1600/Ribbet+collage2.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
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<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Until next time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Love,</span><br />
<i style="text-align: start;"><span face=""calibri light" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.5pt;">(a new-and-improved)</span></i></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOr3LcdMMTTlAZaFklY0shPLTzND2qWhMxypQcaRKvGo-fjQ7_gqwASvdm7Kggk9EJ5mJiMNrZh4YeLn22b8OT-NkEvMDtjCZunXnB1p8R_s0hJDEQAoIRdl1rUGhpWlA-kcj9ijvcF4/s1600/talia+grace+xoxo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOr3LcdMMTTlAZaFklY0shPLTzND2qWhMxypQcaRKvGo-fjQ7_gqwASvdm7Kggk9EJ5mJiMNrZh4YeLn22b8OT-NkEvMDtjCZunXnB1p8R_s0hJDEQAoIRdl1rUGhpWlA-kcj9ijvcF4/s1600/talia+grace+xoxo.png" /></a><br />
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earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-58208335987518337232017-11-16T15:52:00.000+00:002017-11-16T15:52:08.486+00:00Dear Diary: Step By Step<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYqYWIFBs4USL7CNOYsz1oBpoQB3VV8_xUNwjrrWLfpUVy2OACLHTwk2eIkDZLU-Lq73X4WZTLlmaWSmK_ap4B3kq5VF4WD7RJhS3PA8-2WsRNIifx4zjYHxLwQ4IU_jhsobl9c7w5LY/s1600/547435C351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="975" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYqYWIFBs4USL7CNOYsz1oBpoQB3VV8_xUNwjrrWLfpUVy2OACLHTwk2eIkDZLU-Lq73X4WZTLlmaWSmK_ap4B3kq5VF4WD7RJhS3PA8-2WsRNIifx4zjYHxLwQ4IU_jhsobl9c7w5LY/s1600/547435C351.jpg" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I spent every day in the
hospital wanting so badly to be home. <i>Tick... tick... tick...</i> But
when I shuffled in through my front door a week later, all I could do was cry.
There was no more counting the days in the hospital<i>. Day 1... Day 2... Day
3...</i> But now it’s counting the days, weeks, months to recovery. <i>Month
4... Month 5... Month 6... </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Sure, the operation is
behind me, but now there are months</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> – a year – of</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> recovery ahead, and absolutely no going back.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">So I cried as I mourned
the body I’d just lost. <i>My strength. My independence. My ability to
walk, move, lift, twist, bend.</i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I cried in fear of
what’s to come. <i>When will the pain stop? When will I feel normal again?
When will I <b>be</b> normal again?</i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Being home and back to
‘reality’ suddenly made everything feel real. Being ‘not okay’ in hospital
felt normal, but being ‘not okay’ at home feels sad and strange and scary and
daunting.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">When I got home, I felt
like I should be happy. Or at the very least, relieved. But I couldn’t. Because
it’s not over. It’s just beginning.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">And I guess all I can do
now is keep on pushing forward. Literal s</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">tep by literal step at a time.</span></div>
earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4368830287363778863.post-71743768580626390192017-10-24T11:00:00.002+01:002023-01-30T18:24:33.128+00:00Scoliosis & Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">As I stood in my bikini at 13 years old examining my reflection in the mirror, I had no idea that what I saw was anything to be concerned about. Nor did I realise at 14 years old, when the doctor looked at my body and said </span>“scoliosis”. I had no idea that, at 21 years old, I'd have a letter on my fridge reading: <i>“31st October, 2017: Spinal fusion surgery”</i>. But now, here I am, counting down the days until my spine becomes part-bone, part-metal.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 1pt; line-height: 28px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What is scoliosis?</span></span></b></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">For
those of you who might not have heard of it (I hadn't), scoliosis </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">pronounced </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;"><i>sko-lee-o-sis </i></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">is a medical condition “where the
spine twists and curves to the side”.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I have
one curve in my upper spine, and another in my lower spine, so my spine is actually
an ‘S’ shape. (Below is a photo of my X-Ray to show you what I
mean!) The upper curve is less severe, while the lower one actually rotates as well as curving. It also affects the position of my hips, which means that one of my legs has grown slightly longer than the other.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Scoliosis isn't always necessarily a ‘bad’ condition, and it's
*definitely* not one that often requires surgery (so don't let a diagnosis cause instant panic!). </span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It <i>can </i>cause pain, difficulties and more serious problems (for some people, it can crush bones, organs and lungs), but it's different for every person. It often depends on certain factors, like how big the curve is, and where in the spine it is. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Some quick facts:</span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Scoliosis
affects <b>2-3%</b> of the population
(that’s 1.6 million people in the UK)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><b>Less than</b> <b>10%</b> of those will develop
scoliosis that requires treatment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><b>Less than</b> <b>0.1%</b> of those will require surgery<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Scoliosis is
most commonly diagnosed for the first time in <b>children aged 10-15</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">20%</span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> of people
with relatives who have scoliosis also develop the condition<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">80%</span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> of all
scoliosis cases have an <b>unknown cause</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Scoliosis is <b>more common amongst girls</b> than boys<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There are a few different types of scoliosis.</span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
It can be something that you’re born with, something that develops in old age, or
something that’s caused by a separate nerve or muscle condition – but <b>I have
the most common type, known as Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">‘Adolescent’
means that the curves seemed to develop when I hit puberty, and ‘Idiopathic’
means that there's no known cause or explanation for why this happened.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Diagnosis</span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I'm
not really sure exactly when my scoliosis started developing, but I was
diagnosed at age 14. I <i>had </i>been experiencing back pain,
but this wasn’t what prompted my mum to take me to the doctor. What triggered
the doctor’s visit was spotting that <b>I had two noticeably uneven hips.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My
family and I were on holidays in Portugal, and I’d packed a couple of bikinis
for the pool. When I was stood in the mirror one day, I noticed how
asymmetrical my hips were. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I
didn’t think anything of it – I just found it quite amusing, and assumed that they’d
probably even out as my body developed. But, when I pointed it out to my mum,
she wasn’t so sure.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuXldeNs5yR_baao1CKdJMdf8_ryLqPkz_txdpfXVgQKF0hKmpEczWJX5Bvf77ftch0M5LBbJKMUEI-pebLaz3XKFU8Bu4bCdVHmxCU4RfSIUEoIhThtjp-ZHIzxxKdCFtaXyGMNc23U/s1600/hips+collage.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="878" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuXldeNs5yR_baao1CKdJMdf8_ryLqPkz_txdpfXVgQKF0hKmpEczWJX5Bvf77ftch0M5LBbJKMUEI-pebLaz3XKFU8Bu4bCdVHmxCU4RfSIUEoIhThtjp-ZHIzxxKdCFtaXyGMNc23U/s1600/hips+collage.png" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When
we went to the GP, <b>I was asked to
bend over and try and touch my toes</b> – not because she was testing to see whether
I could reach them or not <i>(thank god, because I definitely can't!)</i>, but
because this allowed the doctor to examine my back. <b>This is known as the “Adam’s Forward Bend Test”</b>, where doctors will
check for signs of scoliosis such as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">One shoulder or shoulder blade
appearing higher than the other<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">Rib cage appearing higher on one
side <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">One hip appearing higher or more
prominent than the other<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 35.7pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">The waist appearing uneven<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">The body tilting to one side<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 35.7pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%;">One leg appearing shorter than
the other</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This isn’t always a fool-proof
method of spotting scoliosis</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> – some people’s backs may
look okay when they actually aren’t – but it might be something worth trying
out at home if you suspect that you or your child may have it. Just make sure you see a medical professional if you think that something is wrong!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
doctor confirmed that I had scoliosis (which meant absolutely nothing to me at
the time), and then <b>referred me to the
hospital for some back X-Rays</b>. It wasn’t until I was shown my X-Rays that I started to get an idea of what was going on with my spine (and finally
understood why I experienced so much back pain!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">From
a spinal X-Ray, <b>every scoliosis patient
should be given a measurement of the size of their curve, which gets measured
in degrees</b>. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white;">If I'm remembering right, I think I was given a measurement of a 12 degree curve in my upper back, and a 21
degree curve in my lower back.</span> <b>Anyone
with a curve above 10 degrees is considered to have scoliosis</b>, but<b> curves under 20 degrees are considered
mild. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">At
first, I was just told that I would be
called into hospital every 6 months for more X-Rays to monitor my scoliosis.
(This is particularly important when you’re still growing, because <b>the likelihood is that, as you grow, the
size of your curve will, too</b>.) I was also referred to a physiotherapist (not to help with the curve, but to
try and help with my back pain) </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> but eventually, stubborn, impatient, lazy
teenage-me got bored of the whole thing and gave up on it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Things
changed when I turned 15. I went back to the hospital for my usual X-Rays, and
then to discuss them with my doctor. But she looked concerned. “Your spine has
progressed a lot since last time,” she said. “You’ll have to be fitted with a
brace.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 171.0pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Treatment: Back brace</span></span></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The hospital referred me to an
Orthopaedic Centre so I could get more specialist care </span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">for
my scoliosis. While I waited for this, <b>I had a cast of my back taken at the hospital, so I could be fitted
for my back brace. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
back brace is most typically used to treat scoliosis patients
who are still growing. It can’t be used to reduce their curve(s), but <b>the hope is that it might prevent the
scoliosis from getting worse as the patient grows</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
brace is custom-fit to their body and is made out of a hard plastic. The idea
is that <b>it will put pressure on the
parts of the spine that are curving, to try and limit or stop its progression</b>.
I was told that I would have to wear my brace all day, but could take it off to
sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPd2fWExsS9m_46Tdo-L2zfsezS__kIK9azbGzb4TBqqi0V_jlmedl10yh9o2gq4xFDkutlAlEFVAha5DTXi0Cs0oKigHtiBldK-Gp1KI5zH0cFvtcqgWBy2kVvrKRIxaFQ1_OvUy-P8/s1600/IMG_3301-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="892" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPd2fWExsS9m_46Tdo-L2zfsezS__kIK9azbGzb4TBqqi0V_jlmedl10yh9o2gq4xFDkutlAlEFVAha5DTXi0Cs0oKigHtiBldK-Gp1KI5zH0cFvtcqgWBy2kVvrKRIxaFQ1_OvUy-P8/s640/IMG_3301-3.jpg" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><i>I was allowed to choose the colour of the straps for my brace, and apparently 15-year-old me </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><i>thought </i></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><i>a mix </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">of pink and purple was a great idea. I have a feeling it won't catch on, though.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Treatment: Spinal fusion surgery</span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Turns
out I never needed that back brace. I think I’d only worn it at home for a day
before attending my appointment at the Orthopaedics Centre and having my X-Ray
examined by the specialist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s
too late. That’s not going to do anything for you,” he told me. He measured my lower
curve at 43 degrees, and said<b> it was too
severe and too late in my growth for the brace to have any effect.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When
I was first told that I qualified for spine surgery, I wasn’t scared – I was
actually happy. I thought that sounded great – an answer to all of my problems! (Needless to say, I was a <i>little bit </i>naïve.) I thought the surgery would give me a
normal body, get rid of my back pain, make me stronger, and lessen my
limitations. I remember thinking “wow, I’ll actually be strong enough to pick
up my future child without my back hurting”. But it turns out, none of those things are
guarantees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As
my surgeon explained, <b>the main aim of
this surgery isn’t to put an end to my current problems – it’s to stop them
from getting worse.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Once someone’s spinal
curvature reaches a certain size, it’s likely to keep getting bigger throughout the
rest of their life</span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> – particularly as they get
older and their bones get weaker. Spinal fusion surgery aims to stop that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How does the surgery work?</span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It
involves <b>straightening out the spine as
much as possible</b> before <b>fusing the
bones together to try and prevent the spine from re-curving</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">To hold the bones in place
while they fuse together (which actually takes 1-2 years!), two metal rods
are placed on either side of the spine and attached using metal screws.</span></b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> A</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">s long as they don't cause any major problems, t</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">hese rods and screws should remain in your body for the rest of your life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-naCPBmccYxdvMH2Jb-WURbLlN2IebS0xS9_joz3mrgU5e8N1NA09e-QFTbsnqZAbLCXtMPxAd8Y47AMTG9F4dRFrlnZsH78zzmL6EQJskXFNB9URO3KMdND0AsNobIy71BbXA9BNimk/s1600/4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-naCPBmccYxdvMH2Jb-WURbLlN2IebS0xS9_joz3mrgU5e8N1NA09e-QFTbsnqZAbLCXtMPxAd8Y47AMTG9F4dRFrlnZsH78zzmL6EQJskXFNB9URO3KMdND0AsNobIy71BbXA9BNimk/s1600/4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>You can actually </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=scoliosis+spinal+fusion+surgery"><i><span style="color: purple;">watch videos of the surgery on YouTube</span></i></a><i>, </i></span><i>but I wouldn’t recommend<br />watching</i><i> if you’re squeamish!</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">M</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">y fusion is only going to be done on the curve in my lower back, due to my upper curve not being as severe. (I think it's currently just over 20 degrees in size.) Surgeons generally aim to
operate on as little of their patient’s spine as possible, because,
unfortunately, spinal fusion surgery limits motion. (There are other
surgical options available to treat scoliosis, but none on the NHS/in the UK.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Operation day</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 460.7pt;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As
my consultant could see from my X-Rays that I’d almost finished growing at 15,
he said that I could wait until I was 18 and finished with school before getting the surgery. (Like I said, scoliosis is likely to get worse as you grow. The fact
that I didn’t have much growing left to do meant that mine wasn't likely
to get much worse in that time-frame.) </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When I finally did turn 18, it was a bit of a faff finally getting to that point </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> more X-Rays, an appointment to discuss the surgery, an MRI scan, a lot of waiting around... I was in university by the time I was told it would go ahead. My consultant said he</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">’</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">d make sure my operation was in the summer, so that the majority of my recovery time could happen over the holidays (and I would miss less uni as a result). This never happened though, and the operation date ended up being in the middle of my second year of university. I really didn</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">’</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">t want to take time off, so I promptly said </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">“thanks but no thanks” and asked to be taken off the waiting list until I</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">’</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">d graduated. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;">So now... here I am. </span></b><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">On the 31st October 2017, I’m going to wake up with a new body – and that’s the body I’m going to have for the rest of my life. I’ll have to learn to stand up and sit and walk again. I’ll never be able to bend or twist or move in the same way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I’m not going to lie – it’s pretty daunting. For the rest of my life, I’ll have two metal rods holding a part of my spine stiff. I’ll have to be careful with how I move, and with what I lift. My flexibility will be reduced. (Because of where my curve is, I actually have to be fused in the part of my spine with the most flexibility, which is a massive bummer.) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It’s not that it’s all doom and gloom, though. For some people, this surgery is the best thing that has ever happened to them. I’ve heard of people who go on to absolutely thrive. Some say that they’re stronger, less limited, and in less pain; some say that they’re weaker, more limited, and in more pain. You never know. And I’ll admit, it’s scary not knowing. But this is (probably... </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hopefully</i><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">) the best option for me in the long-run. </span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif">***</span></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ll
definitely post an entire blog about the surgery at some point, and I expect
that I might just generally be blogging more after the op – not necessarily
about my scoliosis, but just as a way to kill time! (The recovery time is pretty long, so I</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">’</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">m probably going to end up <i>incredibly </i>bored</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">!)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If
you’ve actually read through to the end of this post, thank you! This is by far
the longest blog I’ve ever posted. (Perhaps the next time I post, I’ll be partly
made of metal!) </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Oh, and if you have any questions </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> no matter how personal </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">–</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> please don’t hesitate to message me! </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I hope you’re all well.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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earth to taliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10708099972871036549noreply@blogger.com5