Expatriate In Wuhan Shares Little Things About Lockdown That She’s Grateful For
Living under lockdown is definitely not fun. You’re cooped up all day, breathing the same stale air, and doing the same mundane routine day after day.
You barely leave the house, and time starts to blur together. The days pass slower, and you feel yourself forgetting what normal life felt like.
It’s definitely not fun, and even madness-inducing, but some cities in China have been under lockdown for almost 2 months at this point. We can’t imagine how difficult it must be for them.
A woman being disinfected by volunteers at a hospital in Wuhan
Image sourced via AFP
On the bright side, some of them have been making the most of their time, coming up with new ways to spend time and even running marathons in their bedroom.
This expatriate living in Wuhan also made the best of her lockdown experience, and shared what she gained from it in a Facebook post.
Read on for the breakdown on her inspiring post on living life to the fullest despite her confinement.
Wuhan under lockdown for almost 50 days
The lockdown in Wuhan prevents anyone from leaving their home compounds unless it’s absolutely necessary. They aren’t even allowed out to buy groceries now.
The expatriate shared that she and her family had been locked in their apartment complex for around 48 days.
View from the netizen’s apartment
Source
In a previous Facebook post, she shared how her family struggled with the lockdown as it grew stricter towards the end of Feb.
She was dismayed at the intense restrictions, but found ways to get by like taking morning walks in her compound.
2 weeks later, she uploaded another post about how she had come to appreciate her circumstances.
More time at home with family
Over the past 7 weeks in lockdown, she and her family grew closer than ever.
They used to struggle with spending even a long weekend together. But with the lockdown forcing them to be together all the time, they managed to connect and strengthen their familial bonds.
She has time to cook and try out new recipes, read and even exercise with her family. They even have time to take naps, and are much better rested.
They’ve gotten healthier, too, despite the confinement. They borrowed a rowing machine which they use daily, and she’s been practising yoga more. She can even do a handstand!
These activities, along with better communication and respecting each others’ emotional boundaries, have brought them a long way.
She wrote,
We’ve been home together with very little outside influences or distraction, forced to reconnect with one another, learn how to communicate better, give each other space, slow down our pace, and be a stronger family than ever before.
Now, they’re more able to support each other through the rest of the Covid-19 as a tightly-knit family.
Community support & friends gave her strength
She also wrote about how she’d learned how to be vulnerable and accept help from others.
Earlier in Feb, she lamented how she was only able to leave her building to buy groceries.
Now, she gets them delivered to her doorstep, and she couldn’t be more grateful.
Instead of feeling unaccomplished and upset about their lack of independence, they’ve learnt to depend on others for help and support through the difficult time.
Support for this netizen came in the form of her friends, too. The netizen even re-ignited old friendships and made new ones.
She reached out to colleagues who she lives close to, and they’ve kindled a beautiful friendship that “(she’s) never experienced in 9 years of living” in Wuhan, all thanks to the lockdown.
Got in touch with nature & religion
Working from home gave her time to connect with not just her family, but with nature and her religion.
She got to fully appreciate and experience the beauty of spring in Wuhan.
Taking morning walks and watching from her home, she witnessed winter slowly melt away, leaving behind the lush greenery and delicate blooms of spring.
With the sound of traffic gone, she wrote how she could finally hear the birds singing, and now listens to their cheerful chirping all day.
She considers these little instances of calm as blessings from god, and finds herself more immersed in her religion as she now sees the good around her.
Comforting other netizens, encouraging them to have faith
She was initially worried and afraid, and even agitated at the lockdown situation.
It took a lot of getting used to as well as patience and prayer, but she finally adjusted and is in a better place now.
She wrote,
Coronavirus wants you to isolate and stock up and take care of your own first. Instead, look to him first while you take care of others. In community, we can do so much more than we can do on our own
Inspired by all the good that others had given her, she felt the need to encourage others to do the same.
Finding the strength to carry on in friends & family
Instead of closing ourselves off due to fear, we have to help others get through the situation.
Clearly, we need to comply with the necessary precautions and measures, but working together and providing each other with moral support is crucial too.
She found the strength to carry on in her friends, family and religion, and we’re sure you can find your own motivation to do your part and live life despite adversity too.
Her story just goes to show how we don’t have to let Covid-19 take over our lives.
We can keep our families safe and healthy without compromising on our happiness.
Featured image adapted form Facebook.
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