"I am a German teacher and self isolating by myself in my home since Thursday last week as a precaution. Every day I email my students homework then spend the afternoon correcting it individually and emailing it back. That takes a lot of time but keeps me occupied and helps me not to feel useless. We even had one Skype class which was good fun seeing them again and speaking German. I really miss my children in the school.
"I also miss my family in Germany so we have a WhatsApp call with camera every day to stay connected. They were due to visit for Easter but the holiday was postponed to September, something to look forward to.
"Every Saturday night my German expat friends and I have a Skype meetup when we would normally go to the pub together. I walk my dogs when it is safe to do so for exercise and have a pact with my best friend to phone each other whenever we are struggling with our mental health and I think this is important to have a coping mechanism as well as a safety net. We are making a bucket list of things we want to do when this is over. Again, that shifts the focus to something positive.
"If we go into total lockdown I will bring my yoga mat into the sitting room and do online classes to stay fit and maybe finally finish this novel I have been writing for years (see if there is a happy ending at last for Sofie and Eoghan, haha ). I hope that's some inspiration for others who are struggling."
