Crisis has changed my perspective on turning 50, reveals First Minister

Nicola Sturgeon has told how thecoronaviruscrisischanged her perspective on turning 50 and the way she thinks about life.

In an interview with Holyrood magazine, she spoke about how there were times when she felt “overwhelmed” by the situation.

At some points she wondered whether everyone in the country would know someone who had died from the virus, she said.

The First Minister, who will turn 50 on 19 July, also said she had found “an even deeper resilience than I ever thought possible” during the crisis. She said: “I think I’ve probably been dealing with enough tough stuff recently to not allow myself to dwell too much on me getting older, and actually without all of this going on I may have been a bit more morose about turning 50 and thinking ‘Oh my God, I’m getting old’.

“I don’t want to sound at all twee, but this virus and the tragedy of it all has made me think about life and, you know, how much you’ve got to value life and make the most of it ...

“In a strange sort of way it has absolutely changed my approach and mindset to turning 50 and in a way that makes me much more, if not positive about it, then just less depressed about it, because I think it’s more important that we concentrate on the things we have got as opposed to the things we don’t.”

The First Minister continued: “I wouldn’t be human if I hadn’t at times over the past few months felt pretty overwhelmed by the magnitude of this, but I’ve forced myself to keep very focused on it and just get through every decision, every step, every day.

“I think I have probably learned already that I’ve got an even deeper resilience than I might have ever thought possible.”