The Seven Lessons Of: Lockdown

 

Here are seven of the essential life lessons Jack’s learned along the way. What are yours?

Be honest. We bet there were some things about lockdown that, looking back, you quite liked. Yes, life without the gyms, the pubs, the gigs, the sport and the cinema (and, if we’re brutally honest, the cheeky trips to Nandos) made life cruelly empty. But here’s the thing: lockdown was a lesson. And we’ve all survived; come through the other side with a renewed appreciation for the stuff that, maybe, we all took for granted.

So how do we go forth in this brave new world, taking what we’ve learned in lock down and using it as a superpower to arm ourselves to be a better, smarter, healthier post-Covid version of ourselves?

LESS IS MORE

Whether with the other half on a Saturday, or mooching around town during our lunch time, we’d think nothing of spending twenty quid here, and fifty there. Why? Habit, boredom, instant gratification or falling under the spell of some persuasive social media ad campaign. Three months without a trip to the high street has taught us: we really don’t need so much stuff. And boy, does our bank balance thank us for it. Not to mention, er, the planet.

MINDFUL EATING MATTERS

When going to the supermarket is a military operation, and nipping out for a loaf involves an hour’s long queue in the baking sun (remember that?) We learned to think really smartly about what we were eating. We actually enjoyed doing menu plans for the week, and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Yes, we actually realised those Jamie Oliver and Hairy Bikers books were full of recipes - that you can cook at home. Who knew?! We’ve actually eaten better than we ever have. And we’re not going back to ready meals.

FRESH AIR IS FANTASTIC

When some man in a suit from the Government tells us we’re only allowed one form of exercise a day, boy did we lap it up. And that run through the park, or cycle along the traffic-calmed streets felt like the best gym session ever. We were positively buzzing with endorphins. So much so that, sorry treadmill - me and you, we’re through. Nothing comes close to a cardio session in the real world.

FRIENDS ARE FOR LIFE

Those Zoom calls with friends made Saturday evenings worthwhile. Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of taking the people we see the most for granted. It was only during lockdown that we got it: these are the people who enrich our lives, and we’d be lost without them. Yes, they occasionally rub us up the wrong way. As we do them. But those Zoom calls, the quizzes and the fancy dress virtual get-togethers made us feel part of something bigger. Supported, loved and connected. Well, when the internet didn’t die...

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

We’ve all been so used to clicking our fingers and getting what we want, lockdown has reminded us of the pleasure in patience (yes, alright, Amazon Prime was handy too). Leaving our super-connected, always-on world for a while recalibrated our brains and reconnected us to a slower, more deliberate way of life. The simple joy of baking bread, researching and planning our next holiday, or growing our own herbs made us smile.

WE NOTICED THE SMALL THINGS

We discovered there was a lot to love on our doorstep. The places we hurry past on the way to the train. The trees coming into bloom, and the birds that call our garden home. We paid attention and developed a fresh perspective. And we loved it. Noticing the small things that we passed on our daily outside time created a space for us that we’re in no hurry to give up again. Like the woman in the Eurovision movie, we fell in love with where we lived. And...

WE FELL IN LOVE WITH OURSELVES

Well, we had no choice really. We were stuck with our own company, so we spent more time on being nice to ourself. And it felt good. Instead of a frantic shower in the morning, we’d take the time to stop, inhale (the gorgeous, naturally sourced oils in Urban Jack’s Shower Oil, of course) and prepare for the day ahead. We journalled how we were feeling. And we discovered how it helped control and improve your mood by prioritising our fears, hopes and concerns, and making sense of the random chaos of our minds. In a good way.