Times are tough right now, mates. We’re all struggling through the effects of this lousy pandemic and our pals down in Victoria are feeling it more than ever. While other states have been lucky so far, Victoria is still in heavy lockdown.
During the first lockdown, we were all in the same boat so we just pulled up our sleeves and got on with it. This time, Melbourne’s more or less in it by themselves, leaving many feeling isolated and their interstate friends and family feeling a little helpless.
To get a better idea of the situation, I spoke to some of my Melbournian friends to see how they’re feeling and what the rest of us can do to lend a hand.
1. Stay in contact
In lockdown version 1, staying in contact felt easier because we were all inside doing the same things. Now, it’s feeling a little more like Vic’s in detention.
“I feel like the biggest thing at the moment is I forget that my Sydney mates can actually leave the house on the weekends so when I try to call or organise something on a Saturday night, I forget that they’re probably busy so I won’t hear from them until the Sunday morning,” fellow PEDESTRIAN.TV writer Louis told me.
Working in some time to chat with your Vic mates or watching the latest must-see together while FaceTiming means they don’t have to feel like everything’s happening without them.
2. Shout them a coffee/snack/Slurpee
7-Eleven can help you shout a workmate their morning coffee and a treat, send lunch to a family member, or treat your mates to Friday night iso-snacks.
They’re offering free delivery when you use the code “7ELEVENDELIVERY”. This means you can shout a coffee or a Slurpee for as little as $1.
On top of that, you can also have bread, milk ($5 if you get both in a combo) and snacks like Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivered to their door. It’s a nice and easy little way you give your friends and family the pick me up they need right now.
For our pals down in Victoria, 7-Eleven stores are still open — with social distancing measures and increased cleaning — as well, so those out for their pre-curfew exercise or essentials run can still do so safely. Getting in on delivery is also a great way to avoid the supermarket rush for essentials because we all know how hectic that can be.
Hell, if you’ve got a case of the munchies past curfew time, you can get 3 for $10 on all your share bag faves, or 2 for $14 on 7-Eleven Ice Cream tubs. Snacks ahoy.
3. Send them presents
A nice little care package can go a long way at the moment, particularly when our southern compadres have limited time to get out and hit the shops.
Send them a little something, whether it’s a nice handwritten card, books, indoor games, jigsaws, a pamper pack or something else you know they’ll enjoy. You don’t even need to hit the post office to do it, just drop into your local Sevs, and use the 7-Eleven ParcelMate service to send your parcel. No queue, flat rate postage and 24/7 drop-off.
Your mates in Victoria will absolutely love you for it.
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4. Be mindful of social media
Restrictions in other states are fairly relaxed at the moment, which means plenty of people are getting out and about. This all leads to a decent smattering of social media posts and stories that can exacerbate the isolation Victorians are currently feeling.
No one’s saying you can’t post at all, just be mindful that any locked down friends and family you have down south might feel a little down when they see you out having a great time with others.
“It’s hard seeing everyone hanging out on Insta. I miss my friends,” fellow PTV writer Courtney said.
Instead of doing the standard group shot on a night out, try something a little different, like taking a picture of a raised glass in a show of solidarity. Small gestures like this will let your pals know you care and aren’t just ignoring them.
5. Make good decisions
We all know how quickly this thing can spread and ruin things for everyone, so it should go without saying — use your noggin.
Our individual choices can make a real difference in stopping the spread of this horrendous virus, so make good choices. Keep up the good hygiene and don’t break the social distancing rules. Most importantly, don’t break them and post it all over your socials. Don’t risk catching it and potentially impacting someone more vulnerable than you. Seeing that kind of behaviour play out is salt in the wound for our Vic friends, so stick to the rules.
If one of your mates in Victoria is struggling, encourage them to access some of the many mental health resources and services currently available. 7-Eleven’s community partners Reach Out offers a variety of support and their website is a great place to start.
Remember your mates down south and don’t forget to reach out. They’ll appreciate it.
