A lockdown trip to the chippy is about feeding the soul - Jim Duffy

By Jim Duffy
Published 19th Feb 2021, 07:00 BST
Comment
"This wasn’t just about fish n chips". Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images"This wasn’t just about fish n chips". Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images
"This wasn’t just about fish n chips". Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images
It’s not been a great week with regard to my own mental health. I’ve tried to stay cheery and upbeat. But, circumstances have pushed me to places that have left me feeling a bit emotional at times.

It’s not just the lockdown either.

The snow many of us experienced was tough. Yes, it is always lovely to watch it come down. It can be romantic and even nostalgic as it always reminds me of Christmas. By the way - where did Christmas go? All too quick…. but, the aftermath of the snow was debilitating.

I could not get the car out the driveway as it was marooned under a foot of thick white stuff. The neighbours were all the same. The roadway was blocked, no Amazon deliveries, no post and no heading out to Tesco.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I couldn’t walk the dog as the pavements were treacherous. And I felt trapped in a snow filled prison yard. Some of you may feel I’m hyperbolising here. But, I think for many of you this will resonate, as the feeling of human frailty in the face of the elements is a real one. It took a few days, but I got hold of a snow shovel and started digging.

Not being able to take my daily walk definitely impacted my mood. But, even as the snow has now gone, I still feel caged.

Lockdown ain’t easy. I’m lucky. I have company and a garden and a view. But, for so many I know, staring at four walls, looking out the window or watching the TV is as good as it gets.

There’s the increased use of smartphones, tablets and laptops. I checked my “screen time” this week on my iPhone. I was knocked for six at the 300 per cent increase in me staring at social media and surfing the net.

Yes, a lot of it is part of my macroeconomics and crypto homework, but if I’m being totally honest, I do tend to veer off into reading about celebrities, Piers Morgan rants and other total flummery. But, digging deeper into lockdown behaviours is a fascinating pastime.