If you read about my Fijian experience, you know how I found myself stranded in a foreign country far away from home, not knowing when I’ll be able to leave. I had to take a step back from the situation I was trapped in and learn how to appreciate the good things, I had a lot of time to reflect. The uncertainty was the hardest part but that was also an opportunity to test my ability to chin up and not fall into a black hole.

Besides the panic and anxiety level rising quickly, I felt powerless and vulnerable, caught like a rat in a cage. What can you do to preserve your mental health in this situation? Below are the 3 lists I made for myself at the time.

Things I felt grateful for:

• A roof over our heads
• No need for medical assistance or medications
• Access to food and water
• Some money in our bank accounts
• Internet to stay in touch with the rest of the world
• Friends and family
• My fiancé

Things I missed / wished we could do (so I can appreciate them better when I’ll be able to do them again):

• The most obvious one was our liberty of movement – Just being able to book a flight and go wherever we wanted…
• Open the windows wide and get some fresh air (it was very hot and humid, sometimes stormy, in Fiji during wet season)
• Go for a long walk
• Shop online (it’s silly but I missed Amazon Prime)
• Go to the restaurant (or order a takeaway – Pizza!)
• Bake a nice cake
• Go to the cinema
• Watch movies on Netflix (or just UK TV channels)
• Take a warm bath
• Sleep in our own bed
• Cuddle our cat (I missed my feline friend so much)
• Feeling at “home”

My learnings from this whole experience:

• Don’t postpone things too much, we never know what happens in life
• Don’t wait until it’s too late to do what makes you happy
• Don’t “save the best for last”
• Identify who you need in your life and who is toxic to you
• Prioritise your health, you owe it to yourself
• Going through challenges together makes your relationship stronger
• It doesn’t take much to be happy, it’s all about simple things
• Be thankful for what you have, every day
• You’ll never get back the time you wasted
• Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do
• Don’t think “it’s not going to happen to you”
• Mental health has a strong impact on your immune system
• Even when you feel lonely, you’re not alone
• There is no rainbow without any rain…

It’s important for me to go back to these lists regularly and remember nothing can be taken for granted. Everyone should have the chance to realise how lucky they are because their situation can change anytime, without notice.

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other one is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.”

Dalai Lama

What have you learnt since the pandemic started?

Big Girl x