Your First Lockdown

Your first Lockdown

As we get closer to being released back into the wild, we might start to reflect on the past 3 months. Time that felt like it would never end, has suddenly crept up on us, and we are now adapting and thriving in new ways. 

Lockdown has meant different things to everyone. I don’t believe two people have lived the same lockdown. We’ve had different living arrangements, family, children, people to care for, obstacles to overcome and anxieties to manage. 

Friends on furlough, family with health scares, children to entertain and a new solitude to try and understand. 

This is a message to everyone that is coming out of Lockdown feeling that they’ve not used the time wisely!

Week by week and day by day we’ve had to adapt to changes from a virus, government guidelines and daily challenges. It’s been tough. Every time are ships starts to settle, something new arrives and rocks the boat once more. 

Our social media has told us; about parents parenting better than us, creative minds learning instruments, languages and reading books. But.. it is important that we do not compare ourselves. We are all on our own race. It’s easier said than done. Including for myself. I struggled watching the world after a few weeks and for the first time since I opened my Facebook account in 2007, I deleted my account for a month. Deleted twitter and unfollowed numerous accounts on Instagram. At a time when we were told to stay connected more than ever, it became a time to have stronger connections with less people.

A friend asked me how difficult lockdown was. To be honest I have enjoyed the solitude and the extra hours in the day, without the commutes to work. I mentioned to my friend ‘I’ve done lockdown before. 3 months of isolation. It’s been like cancer treatment but without the chemo or stress.’ It might sound extreme, but I don’t think I’m alone with this. That was my first lockdown. 

I think the ‘most productive’ people I’ve spoken to are the ones that have suffered trauma before. My friend experienced a major car accident 2 years ago and endured his own 6-month lockdown in 2019, has dealt with this better than most. Doing online courses, starting a new profession, keeping fit. Adapting and thriving. The only difference between this lockdown and our traumatic lockdowns is that everyone has been isolated at the same time. We didn’t have weekly zoom quizzes because everyone else was too busy.

The reason I am saying this, is not to ‘rub it in’, about not being productive during your lockdown. I repeat ‘No two people have had the same lockdown’. The reason I am saying this… is that when you reflect on your lockdown you must understand it was for your own reasons. It may have been a time to just sit down and watch Netflix for a few weeks. That’s equally as beneficial as getting bigger muscles to some people. It may have been a time to reconnect with your partner, maybe even realise you don’t actually like your partner.

Our lives are constantly on the go and life is whizzing past us at a million miles per hour. It’s a time to reflect on what we enjoyed during the slower pace. The simpler things in life. Who made us feel special? Who we missed? Who we could count on? What direction in life we move in?

Those that have been on the front line have been working tirelessly and I salute you. My feeling is you might not have to buy a drink for a while. We owe you!

The rest of us that have slowed down have gone back to basics. Being nostalgic, riding bikes, taking walks, just sitting and enjoying the sunshine. Let’s not forget how the simplicities made us feel.  

So, whether you spent this lockdown in tears, with anxiety, sleepless nights and gradually conquered those emotions. Even just a little bit… That’s a win! 

If you learnt a new language, baking skills, DIY habits, gardening, a flatter stomach. Keep it going…That’s a win! 

If you learnt to tell someone you missed them, loved them, can’t wait to see them. And you can now express your emotions. That’s a win!

If this was your first lockdown congratulations!  

Be PROUD and celebrate the wins no matter how big or small they may seem. 

Now let’s move forward to becoming even better versions of ourselves…

Af