There are no two ways about it – we’re living through a pretty terrible time. Coronavirus has spread across the world, sparking a global pandemic and resulting in the loss of lives and increasing limitations on our day to day freedoms as we stay home to protect ourselves, others and support healthcare workers, as well as other essential key workers who are keeping some of the most important cogs of society turning. For those of us who are well but staying home, it can also be a lonely time. While it can feel silly to complain about boredom, loneliness and other issues while lives across the world are at risk, it’s still okay for us to feel sad that our summer plans are cancelled, that we haven’t been able to see our loved ones and that we may be experiencing financial difficulties as a result of reduced work or loss of work. But during times like this, it’s always important for us to make the best of a bad situation and to try to keep our chins up. Here are just a few different ways that you can make lockdown a more positive experience for yourself!
Let Your Hair Down
So many of us usually lead extremely busy, hectic or even chaotic lives. We rush around from one place to another with barely enough time to focus on ourselves. We wake in the morning, rush breakfast, rush ready and jump behind the wheel of a car in heavy commuter traffic or squeeze into public transport carriages, pressed into the personal space of complete strangers. We spend all day at work. We head home and just about have time to prepare a meal, do our recommended exercise and go to bed to gain enough hours’ sleep to get us through the next day. Over time, this is exhausting. If you’re currently off work, or even if you’re working from home and can simply ditch the uncomfortable uniform and morning and evening commute, consider it a break where you can let your hair down and have a little time to yourself. Sit back and do absolutely nothing for a couple of days. Relax. Have a long bath. Take a nap. Read through some Music news and analysis. Put a face mask on. Sit with a cup of tea and watch the world pass by outside your window. Catch up on that TV series you’ve been meaning to get up to date with. Just have some real you-time.
Contemplate Your Life Direction
So many of us get caught up in the whirlwind of life that we often don’t even take the time to stop and think about what we’re doing. Are you working in a role that you really want to work in? Or did you just end up hurtling into the first job that came along and paid enough to cover your bills? Following the lockdown could be a great time to enter into a new role, as many positions will have opened up and many companies will be looking for fresh talent who are looking to follow new paths or enter new companies. It could be a great time to re-enter higher education and retrain for a completely different path. Whatever you’re considering, take this time as an opportunity to determine what you really want to do and what you’ll have to achieve to get there.
Ensure All of Your Relationships are Healthy
Sometimes, we end up letting people treat us in ways we shouldn’t accept, simply because we are used to their presence and become accustomed to their behavior. This step away from where you can have some time alone to think could be a good opportunity to consider the different relationships you have in your life and determine whether each is healthy. Sure, people aren’t perfect and we all have disagreements from time to time. But it’s important to know where to draw the line. If you think a relationship is unhealthy, now could be a good time to distance yourself and slowly remove yourself from it. If in doubt, many therapists are still holding remote sessions and could help to guide your thought process and give advice on the most beneficial thing for you to do as an individual in your personal situation.
Sure, there are inevitably going to be a huge number of negatives that come hand in hand with a worldwide pandemic. But if you’re not a key worker and there’s little you can do to help besides staying at home and slowing the spread of the virus, you can use this time to your advantage to improve your life for the better.
