Lockdown has been an absolute whirlwind to say the least. I have been going through a whole range of emotions in such short periods of time. One moment I’m feeling confident, the next I’m having doubts and feel anxious. And then I can feel happy and suddenly sad for what seems like no reason at all. The main thing though, is that I’m getting through it and it has been okay overall. I think I have my CBT to thank for that.
One thing that does help, though, is knowing that we’re all in this together as a country. We’re all feeling strange, out of our routines, overworked or even bored. There’s so much change and so much uncertainty none of us truly know what’s happening. We’re responding in different ways and it’s quite a good test to see how us humans can adapt and change to our situations. With all things considered, I think we’re doing great.
Last week I published a blog post about slowing down and how lockdown has allowed me to pace myself a little bit. Well, after thinking about this further, I have decided to embellish this idea and talk about some other lessons that lockdown has taught me. Stay tuned.
I’m not as introverted as I thought I was
As an only child who spent much of her childhood and teenage years reading, making websites, playing sims and using her imagination, I thought lockdown would be a breeze.
Not having to socialise with people when I can’t be bothered or when I feel like I need time alone sounded like a dream to me. And at first, I was loving it. Then three weeks past and I got all that alone time out of my system. I soon started to realise I was more social than I thought. I started to wish I could go out and do things.
Now I’m just missing the freedom to be able to go out with my friends. To go on nights out with them, or for drinks and dinner. Or to go into London and explore for a day. I have realised that this is something I have taken for granted and now I realise how much I actually enjoy doing them. I can’t wait for that once all of this is over!
I can’t do everything
When lockdown first started, I knew that I was going to be working full-time still, but this didn’t stop me thinking about what I was going to be doing with my free-time at the weekends or on evenings. Now that I can’t go shopping (which my bank account is thanking me for!) or for food and drinks with friends I figured that I’d try and be as productive as possible around the house.
I made a mental list of all the great things I was going to tackle, like clearing out my wardrobe, giving the house a deep clean, sorting out the garden, and I haven’t even completed one of these tasks. Turns out lockdown can be quite draining when it comes to motivation and spirit and I’d much rather work on little tasks than big ones.
I have got a few things done, but I started to feel guilty that I haven’t absolutely turned my home life around. But I had a little talk to myself, and decided that as long as I am trying my best in each moment and I’m looking after myself and others then that’s amazing. That’s all that’s needed right now. And that’s how I’m going to get through it.
Having a routine is essential
Before lockdown started, my life was in a pretty effective routine. I knew what I was doing next and what had to be done. Us humans love routine. We just work better this way. But, when lockdown happened, we were all thrown off course. It forced us to rethink everything we do, which understandably, has caused many of us stress and discomfort.
Two weeks in, I was waking up 20 minutes before I started work. I wasn’t putting makeup on or doing anything to feel fresh for the day. I was literally getting up and sitting in a chair. Then, I was feeling drowsy, demotivated and I was staring at my bed every two minutes wishing I could jump in.
After this unsuccessful attempt at being productive, I decided I need to put a routine in place. So I’ve been getting up at the same time on weekdays, having breakfast, getting dressed properly and engaging in my normal hobbies and activities. Since I started this, I’ve been feeling so much better.
What have you learned in lockdown? Let me know in the comments!
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