Shielding With Sickle Cell

My Three Top Tips On Things To Do Whilst Shielding With Sickle Cell During COVID-19.

Week 3 of the coronavirus lockdown *Big Brother Voice*.

It has been 3 weeks since I officially received my letter stating that I must stay inside, only open a window, eat on my own and not let anyone under any circumstances get close enough to breathe on me for 12 weeks — pretty much what it said in layman’s terms. However, it is basically the tenth-teenth week of the year twenty to-be-continued for me right now, and I’m actually not complaining.

Since having hip surgery on the 5th February, I was pretty much physically unable to go anywhere for at least 8 – 10 weeks while I recovered. Then, just as I was approaching week 7, I got a wonderful 12 week bonus added to the equation; sickle cell being the common denominator of course. Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up.

Time waits for no man.

I am seeing this recommended 12 week shielding time as a bonus. This is time I never expected to have. I know they say time waits for no man but in this case, everything is pretty much on pause and I am making the most of it.

My 3T’s: My Three Top Tips on things to do whilst shielding with sickle cell during COVID-19.

1. GET ORGANISED

Make a list of all the things you’ve been wanting to do / needed to do but kept saying you didn’t have the time to do it. That pile of letters you haven’t got through, that top draw you keep meaning to sort out, those clothes you know you are never going to wear again. Now is the time to do it all.

Do one thing from your list a day. Today I’m going to organise my box of nail polishes, I know some of them are years old and must be dried up by now. I might even treat myself to some new colours.

2. START SOMETHING NEW

New hobby? New YouTube channel? New business Idea?

Whatever it is you’ve been saying you are going to start; if you don’t do it now, you never will. I have a number of things I want to get started on. Some are still in the making but others such as the community blog space for everyone to share their stories and support each other, I have already launched.

3. EXERCISE

I am not the most active person, however I try to stick to a gym routine when I am well enough to go. I have a gym membership because working out at home just doesn’t work for me; I usually have no willpower when my bed or my sofa are within eyesight.

With the gym’s being closed and me needing to get back walking again after my surgery, I have been motivating myself to do a morning exercise routine as well as my recommended physio exercises.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I really hope for the sake of my legs, bum and tum that this habit sticks like super glue.