Lockdown has been One Huge Reality Check

It’s been exactly 50 days since the UK was put into lockdown and admittedly, I do feel like the time has flown by - controversial opinion, I know! In these 50 days, we’ve all been forced to go back to the basics as many of the luxuries of our daily lives have been stripped away. This time has been a bit of a reset for me and allowed me to re-evaluate what I deem as “essential” in life by considering where I hold my values, how I want to spend my time, how reliant I am on materialistic things etc. In this blog post, I thought I’d share how being lockdown has been a bit of a kick in the face and some lifestyle changes I’m consequently starting to make.

Environmental Awareness

I’m sure we’ve all heard that one thing which is benefitting from everyone being in isolation is the environment. According to the Global Carbon Project, global carbon emissions were expected to rise this year, but instead might fall by around 5% (2.5 billion tons), the lowest levels seen since the recession a decade ago.

I’d consider myself as already pretty environmentally conscious, as I do my best to shop with reusable bags, recycle and save electricity & water. Nevertheless, I’ve decided that I’m going to make a more conscious effort to look after the environment. One thing I’ve noticed is that within a month, I must buy at least 5 coffees for takeaway from Costa. I’ve now realised just how many disposable cups I’m throwing away and the immense harm it must be doing to the environment. Therefore, once we’re out of lockdown, I’m going to make sure that I always carry round a reusable flask on me.  

Another change I’m making is to give up fast fashion and only buy clothes second-hand from apps such as Depop. I’m also going to do my part by printing only when essential (keeping everything else digitalised on my laptop), walking instead of using transport where possible and donating to environmental charities.

What’s really important in life

As comforting as a FaceTime call with a friend or family member can be, it’s just not the same as having face-to-face interaction. This time has shown me how much I value my relationships and having social contact, which I definitely took for granted before. It’s also really gone to show who actually cares and matters most to me in life as they’re the people who have stayed in contact. I’ve definitely learned to value my close circle of friends and family and appreciate how much they do for me.

Another thing I’ve noticed is how much I really value being outdoors in nature and exploring. As much as I’m grateful for daily walks, it’s just not quite the same as a long hike in the Lake District. One thing I’m definitely going to do after this is go on a long hike and go camping, as I’ve really missed having this luxury and I won’t ever take it for granted again.

Academics aren’t everything

The fact that GCSE, A-Level and many university exams have been cancelled has really emphasised to me that academics aren’t everything and I need to have a better balance in my life. Even though a good work ethic and drive are important, they aren’t everything. At the end of the day, in years to come, I’d rather look back on the memories I created with friends than the hours I sacrificed in a library to get some grades on paper. It’s also highlighted to me that my mental health should always be a priority over studying as there were definitely times during school when I unwisely prioritised studying over my health. 

Looking ahead to next year, whilst I still intend to maintain my work ethic at university, I’m not going to devote my entire life to studying. I’m going to strike a better balance between studying, socialising and getting involved with extracurriculars & adopt a mindset of work hard, play hard.

Appreciating little things  

Initially, I can’t say I was particularly pleased about being stuck at home for 6 months. Over time, I’ve come to the realisation that I should at least be grateful for the fact that I have a family and 3 younger siblings to keep me entertained, or else I really would be bored! Even though the situation isn’t ideal, I’m glad that at least I’m living at home rather than alone. 

Similarly, I’m grateful that I live in a place where I still have the opportunity to go out on daily walks. I’ve even managed to discover some areas nearby which I just wouldn’t have thought to explore, had this lockdown not happened. With all the extravagances of life stripped back, I’ve really started to notice the basics that I am grateful for in life and I hope that even when life returns to normal, I’ll count my blessings more than ever.

What really makes me tick

When lockdown began, I kept on seeing posts on social media about how these 6 months were a brilliant opportunity to achieve something amazing. I was pretty apprehensive about this advice because as eager as I am to spend my time productively, I couldn’t see how this was going to happen in the midst of a mentally-testing global pandemic. Now that I’m looking back, I can see how many little skills I’ve picked up on throughout this time, and it’s also taught me what really makes me tick.

One main skill I’ve been able to hone in on is cooking and I’ve had the chance to try out some new recipes such as Bulgarian Banitsa and pizza. 

I’ve had a wealth of time to focus on my writing skills and am currently undertaking a 30-day writing challenge, which I would highly recommend!

I’ve also enjoyed this time to do scrapbooking, take photographs and do lots of artwork.    

For the first time in a long time, I’ve been able to dedicate time to my hobbies and for self-care. It’s shown me that within only a month, there’s so many things smaller skills I can work on and that even when life goes back to normal, I should start making a bigger effort to set aside time these activities. At the end of the day, even if I haven’t undertaken some crazy big project like setting up a business or writing a book (although hats off to you if you have!), I’ve had the chance to build on basic skills and create memories. As bizarre as it sounds, this time has allowed me to get to know myself better by discovering what makes me happy and looking after myself. I think half the reason I struggle to make decisions most of the time is because I don’t really know what I want out of life, my skills and what I enjoy most. This time has allowed for a lot of self-reflection and given me time to think about what I want to do career-wise in the future so hopefully I will be better at decision-making from here on out!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that it has given you some food for thought. What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself in this time or one thing you’re going to do differently once we’re out of lockdown? Thanks for reading, I hope you have a great week.

Until next time, Khadijah x