The five corona crisis moments we’ve all been through

During lockdown, our emotions are on a roller coaster, there’s no two ways about it.

And while some days we’ll be feeling quite balanced, following a routine and getting things done, there are likely to be ‘corona crisis’ moments where we find our emotions flip like a switch.

Suddenly, there’s anger or upset, tears of frustration, or just plain anguish that something is not as it should be. In the ‘new normal’, we all have a corona crisis or two. Here’s our top list to be wary of…

1. The ‘no take away coffee’ slump

Yes, it was so exciting at first to be making a fancy cafetiere of coffee. And you were saving so much money! But now, as the kettle clicks off to say it’s boiled and the kitchen fills with steam, you crave a takeaway coffee so badly, there’s a tear in your eye.

You never imagined it’d be a hot beverage that could tip you over the edge, but this early-morning crisis moment is also fuelled by the fact that you’ve not had that all-important caffeine yet.

You go online to begin searching for home barista machines, while staring longingly at the coffee shop over the road, wondering if it’ll be open soon.

2. Peak TV feels

Nobody thought they’d ever experience a ‘peak Netflix’ moment, but if it’s happened to you, you’ll know this crisis moment all too well. You’ve watched all of Killing Eve, you’ve cried (again) at Normal People and you’ve even dabbled in Tiger King.

So, you decide to go for something out of your TV comfort zone – a documentary or celeb show, perhaps – only to feel more despondent that ‘it’s come to this’. News breaks that Love Island is cancelled this year and you are inconsolable.

3. Stockpile foolishness

Yes, you know you were daft now, as you trip over another three loo rolls that have fallen out of the airing cupboard. Again.

Your jolly chirp of ‘Spag bol!’ when the kids ask what’s for tea now even falls flat on your own ears. You’ve gone from ‘Isn’t it fun to batch cook?’ to ‘WHAT IS THAT IN THE FREEZER?’ in just a few weeks.

4. Washing up woes

And of course, all that home cooking means tons of washing up. This one hits you during the task, usually. You’re elbows-deep in suds, wondering just how cracked one’s hands can get from the constant combination of washing up liquid and hand sanitiser, when you spot another bit of hardened-on penne in the pan below.

Crying into the water isn’t so bad – and you vow to create a rota from now on. It can be part of the kids’ science homework to study the effects of air drying versus tea towel, right?

5. Yesterdays leggings/sweatpants…

Or are they? You can’t remember, you’ve been wearing them for so long. This crisis moment taps into so many others. The distant memory of dressing up for work, or a night out, the joy of something new for your spring wardrobe, and the excitement of new summer sandals…

As you stare at the offending trousers, wondering over and over if you’ve worn them already, you realise there’s only one thing for it.

Well, if you can’t order a party dress online during lockdown, when can you?

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto