Coronavirus: Stop reading and forwarding those messages. Start thinking

If you are feeling a sense of depression, a frisson of helplessness and that gut-wrenching sensation of stomach cramps, it is natural in the circumstances but you are largely doing it to yourself. Time then to take stock and back off.

This revelation occurred last evening when I realised I had trawled 228 messages on Covid-19 in less than a day and its various interpretations were haunting me. I was in a feeding frenzy and slowly going crazy. I realised Saturday evening that if this continued I would be a zombie very soon.

I was eating up everything. Fake forwards.who knows the difference. Videos of advice. Herbal remedies. Doctors telling me how to stay safe, doctors angry with cretins who cannot stay indoors, doctors being misquoted, complete tommyrot about cures and garlic and turmeric and then some.

The thing is none of this stuff now contributed to my knowledge of Covid 19. You and me, as possible victims, know enough and there is really nothing more to know. I say that with humility not arrogance. None of this flood of often doubtful data is contributing to our safety factors. They have been dinned into us the past three weeks and are now repetitive.

So do yourself a huge favour. Back off. Stop reading and viewing. Start thinking and living again. I did it. I weaned myself away from touching the phone. I decided I would deck (delete) without reading if I succumbed to picking up the mobile phone.

It wasn't easy. The habit dies hard. You need to seek some salvation even if it is soggy but I slept well, woke up this morning with a new determination. I will not read about it, I will not forward anything. I will read a James Patterson, listen to olden golden music, have fun with my grandkids, stay in the house, watch some stand-up comedy and wipe the cobwebs from my head. It is not even a day and I feel better. Like the shackles have been broken, there is this heady sense of liberation. It is half the day over and not one message has been read.

Try it. Stop hurting yourself. And stay safe.