Here we are again, in lockdown or as I like to call it lockdown 3.0. I definitely didn’t think that come the end of lockdown 1.0 that we would be here again, but here we are and if I’m honest, I’m not coping as well with this lockdown as I have with the previous ones. I know I’m not alone in this and with that factor alone I wanted to share with you the things I am doing differently in order to make lockdown 3.0 that little bit easier.
A few things I am doing in order to get through lockdown 3.0..
I’ve come to sit down and type up this post and my main thought is, who honestly would have thought we would be here again? Not me, that’s for sure. As I’m typing this we are nearing the end of the first month of lockdown 3.0, but as you’re reading this we’re now into our sixth week of lockdown 3.0 and just the thought of that makes me shudder. Being completely honest I found the first lockdown and even the second lockdown back in November absolutely fine. I took them both in my stride and took advantage of the down time that I had to do things that I loved, but this third lockdown is completely different for me. This time round I am working from home and I think I will be working from home until I start my new job come March. Granted March really isn’t that far away and I do have something new to look forward to, but I now fully get how lonely working from home can be. Don’t get me wrong, I am so glad and lucky to be able to do my job from home as it’s reducing the risk for both my colleagues and myself in contracting this virus, but boy is it lonely!
I don’t want this post to come across as negative because we all need a bit of positivity in our lives right now, but I think a lot of us are struggling a lot more this time round and I want everyone who is reading this to know that you’re not alone. I thought I could take how I, and many of us are feeling right now and turn it into a little positive advice post, by sharing with you the things I am doing to feel less lonely and how I’m generally just coping! I did previously share with you a post discussing How I Keep Up Productivity When Working from Home and a lot of the things I mentioned in that post still stand, albeit some things I need to re-introduce but I’m also doing a few other things to help this time round.
Setting My Alarm Earlier Than I Should
Through the first week or so of lockdown 3.0 and working from home, I got into the routine of setting my alarm and getting up maybe 30 minutes before my work day started and to be completely honest it was the worst routine that I could of possibly gotten into. Come the end of the week I found I was experiencing the worst burn out and I found that I was so unproductive during the weekends, because I was just so mentally exhausted. Now this tip may sound a bit backwards, but I began to set my alarm maybe an hour to ninety minutes before my working day was due to begin in order to wake up, have a morning cup of tea and get ready, but at a much slower pace in order to ease myself into each day rather than rushing in a morning and mentally exhausting myself before my work day has begun. If you’re finding yourself feeling completely burnt out come the end of the week, I would really recommend getting up a little bit earlier and easing yourself into your day.
Making Sure To Get Out Of The House Once A Day
One thing that I have mentioned a few times and still stick by is ensuring to get outside as much as you can. During lockdown 1.0 I, and I’m sure many others, were making the most out of the amazing weather that we were blessed with and not having that weather this time round has definitely made this lockdown a little harder. With that in mind I have still tried to ensure that I get out of the house at least once a day where I can, simply because I can get the feeling of ‘cabin fever’ quite easily and it’s really not a nice feeling to have at all. Ways in which that I have been getting out of the house include, going for walks around my local park, walking to my local supermarket instead of driving or simply just standing in the garden for five minutes to get some fresh air through my lungs. Unfortunately this time round I’m not at home to go on daily dog walks, but if you’re able to I would really recommend getting out of the house at least once a day.
Checking in With Family and Friends On a Daily Basis
For me this is the first lockdown that I have gone through where I am not living at home, so I’m not seeing my parents on a daily basis this time round. Although I made the decision to not move home through lockdown 3.0, that doesn’t mean I don’t miss them and for sure I took having them there in the previous lockdowns for granted a little bit, but this is where Facetime and Whatsapp calling has become a true saviour for me. Almost daily I check in with my Mum to have a catch up about how our day has been as we would if I were at home and on weekends I have planned in catch ups with friends which just brightens my days. Although it sucks that we can’t see people, there are so many things you can do virtually now to still spend time together and feel connected to those closest to you.
So those are a few things I am doing that I wasn’t doing or was doing differently from previous lockdowns and I hope these give you some ideas if you are struggling a little more during lockdown 3.0. It’s safe to say everyone I have spoken to has and is finding this lockdown a lot harder than previous lockdowns, so please know you’re not alone.
How are you feeling about this lockdown?
