Leave people to their activities.

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Lockdown Advice from the Royal Navy

This list was shared this week in the https://www.facebook.com/groups/MajorcaMallorca group this week and it really is too good not to share.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of posts from people struggling with lockdown and missing loved ones that they can’t be near. In the Royal Navy we’ve lived like this for years, so we thought we’d share a few tips from the professionals.

Everyone's space is sacred, respect itEveryone's space is sacred, respect it.

“If this is your first time living in isolation, or perhaps your first time living on top of people that you’d usually have a good breather from, and only really interact with for a few hours a day, then it’s easy to quickly lose your mind and start winding each other up. A couple of things can help to prevent that:

1. Respect. Respect each other, respect communal areas and don’t pick fights. Respect personal space and don’t intrude on others. We do this at sea with a simple rule ‘your pit is sacred’ - allow someone’s sleeping space to be their private place, never sit, stand, lay or place anything on another’s bunk. If someone is in their bunk, never disturb them.

2. Hygiene. Just because you can’t be bothered to wash as you're not going out, doesn’t mean anyone else needs to smell you; keep clean, keep tidy, teeth, breath, deodorant, clean up after yourself!

3. Don’t be a jack! Making a drink, or grabbing some scran? Offer to everyone, share. Don’t be greedy either, who knows when your favourite goodies will be back in stock!

4. Look after each other and pull your weight. Warships don’t carry passengers, neither should families:cooking, cleaning and laundry should never fall to one person, we all contribute to making the mess, so we all need to contribute to cleaning it. And if someone has cooked for you - bloody well eat it! - even if it’s not your preference.

5. Enjoy your situation. Don’t dwell on the negatives, your kids are only little once and you’ve probably moaned about missing them growing up, so now there’s no excuse!! Enjoy every single day, lots of us are working through the lockdown to make sure it’s lifted quickly, stay indoors and enjoy your kids so we can get back home to ours!

6. If you're missing a loved one that you won’t be able to see for a while then write a letter, send a card, a text, have Amazon drop a random present, FaceTime! Try not to drain them with all your problems that they can’t fix, it only causes worry, share your happiness (without bragging that your environment might be a bit more comfy than others) not your fear!

7. Smile. Have a laugh and learn when to stop. It’s very possible to find space in a crowd so offer others the respect and freedom to do so. If they’ve got headphones on or their head in a book leave them be!

8. Someone at sometime will wind you up. Walk away, you don’t dislike them, you're just at your limit listening to nasal breathing or chewing. Go back to your pit and put some Netflix on your headphones.

Don't sweat the small stuffDon't sweat the small stuff.

Simple advice, but very sound for anyone leaving in a small space with their family. Many of us are living in less than ideal situations and we have to try to make the best of it. Stay calm, try to leave the stress outside, and look to the positives. We are healthy, we can do this, we have to do this and WE WILL!

Join https://www.facebook.com/groups/MajorcaMallorca if you need some company or entertainment. We have almost done three weeks on lockdown, we are doing well, and we will succeed.