Lessons learnt from Lockdown

It seems that lockdown will continue for a little while longer at least.  We are all waiting with bated breath for Boris to give us hope of freedom and normality once more, but in reality it is not that simple.

Anyway after six weeks, the dust of this new normal has settled and apart from being financially poorer, we seem to be in some sort of routine; albeit a strange one.

And it hasn’t all been bad. I think it has made a lot of us rethink things, re-evaluate our lives, make us appreciate the little things.  I would love to think that moving forwards, when Covid 19 is a distant “do you remember when …” memory, we will all be better people living better people as a result.  Realistically, as soon as we move on, we will probably revert back to where we were before this started.

But I really hope that we don’t.  I hope that we learn from some of the lessons that lockdown has taught us.

Lessons such as appreciation.  We don’t appreciate enough.  We should appreciate the people we love and care about more. It shouldn’t take lockdown for us to check in on friends and family members regularly. We should carry on appreciating those people who do such amazing jobs; the NHS staff, people who work in care homes, key workers.  All of those people who carry on so that we can all carry on. They are amazing and we should be clapping for them and finding ways to thank them long after this pandemic is gone. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Be more optimistic.  I am not naturally an optimistic person, I know that but I have tried to be more optimistic for everyone around me, particularly of late.  At the beginning of this pandemic, I became obsessed with the stats, the new, the bad news.  But as time has passed on, I still glance at the news, but I love the stories of hope, those people that survived, the wonderful people who are doing extraordinary things to help in whatever way they can.  I love that so many people are taking time to try something new, learn a new skill.  Let’s carry on focussing on the positives and be more optimistic about life.

Sharing is caring. I love the spirit of so many who have chosen to offer something for free, whether it is exercise classes, art classes, stories, music, lessons, whatever.  It is amazing to see a nation pulling together to keep everyone’s spirits up. In a world that is so dominated by money, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that people are so willing to share. But it is not just online that this is happening.  I have seen so many stories of individuals who are sharing skills and offering services for free at the moment and it makes me so happy that in times of crisis, not everyone is out to profit.

Always look for rainbows.  I was walking the dog today and as I meandered along different streets, I couldn’t help but smile at the different rainbows in the windows.  Not just in the windows, flags, bunting and chalk drawings on houses and pavements. A true sign of hope and unity. I don’t ever want the rainbows to go away, they should be compulsory in every window just to remind us all and keep us smiling.

Photo by Alex Jackman on Unsplash

Anyone can exercise.  I can honestly say that I have not done so much exercise in years as I have in the last six weeks.  And I am not the only one everyone from toddlers to people in their 90s are finding ways to work out.

For me, it has been walking, dog walking, cycling, playing badminton and weekday PE with Joe Wicks.  I had long given up on exercise due to a back problem and general lack of time but honestly I am loving being so active.  I know that in reality, when normal busy life resumes, I certainly won’t have time for twice daily exercise slots, but I do want to continue.

Quizzes are for always, not just for lockdown.  A bit late to the party but we had our first family quiz at the weekend with family in South Wales and it was really enjoyable.  So many people are organising quizzes with family and what a lovely way to spend an evening.  We all need to continue to do this, not necessarily every week but even once a month.  It is such a lovely way to catch up with everyone and have a laugh at the same time. And it doesn’t have to be quizzes, I have seen people playing virtual board games too using FaceTime, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are staying in touch.

Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

Reconnecting with the great outdoors.  One way that this pandemic has impacted on me personally is the fact that I have got outdoors a lot more.  It has been a joy to leave the car in the drive and walk and cycle every day.  I feel so much healthier and happier and we have discovered new hidden gems of walks and cycle routes around where we live.  We are lucky that even though we live in a town, it is still quite rural, but I hope we continue to get out and to explore the amazing area we live in after this is all over.

Learning something new. We never have enough time.  I say this all the time and I know that with busy lives, we are all time-poor but time is one thing this pandemic has given a lot of us.  Time to reflect, time with our families, time to cook, time to read.  I have read lots of social media posts and heard people talking about learning something new such as a new skill, a language.  With many free online tutorials and courses, it really is the perfect time to step away and do something new.  It is good for your brain, your mental well-being and above all, gives you a sense of accomplishment.  I have been learning Italian using an app on my phone.  I have always wanted to learn it and I spend 10 -15 minutes each day practising and I have surprised myself with how well I am progressing. It isn’t life changing but at least I can say that I did learn something other than how eat more snacks in a day than I thought humanly possible.

What about you, what lessons have you learnt from lockdown?