A hermit’s guide to coping in isolation
I cannot believe how much the world has changed since my last blog. The UK is now in its third week of staying indoors. I feel like I’ve been training for this my whole life. I have a condition called femoral retroversion. It’s caused significant damage to my hips and knees and I’ve had 5 joint operations thus far. I’m no stranger to this hermit lifestyle - it’s been my new normal for a while now. I’d already forgotten what it’s like to casually decide to go out for dinner, walk round the shops or go to the cinema. My condition has taken that freedom away from me, but it has given me a different perspective, forcing me to be grateful for the things I can still do. For those not used to isolation, I imagine they’re climbing the walls with boredom now. To begin with, you’ll want to sleep more and become a swamp monster - that’s normal. Then there’ll come a point when it’s more damaging to your mental health and self esteem than anything else. I’ve written blogs in the past ...