By @GeorgeArkley1
Within two hours of the second lockdown announcement, I had moved in with my parents, been furloughed and received several positive result texts from my close friends. Optimism wasn’t exactly my go-to approach and oddly, I was praised for being negative.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Somewhere between mass death and rapid recession, self-destruction became something to be celebrated. It was almost as though those around me felt comforted by my financial, personal and professional demise. After all, I survived the first wave of COVID in a shared house with my partner and a steady income. Not to mention, receiving a new full-time job at the end of it.
I was the last one standing. But now, I am finally a part of the club and I’m already tired of the pessimism that comes along with it.
Positivity in a pandemic is often misinterpreted as disrespecting those who have died or been impacted by the consequences of the virus. The severity of surging domestic violence rates, homelessness and unemployment is not lost on me.
However, I am also no stranger to depression, anxiety and loneliness. Three very real symptoms of a global pandemic, and an unfortunate requirement for the pandemic club membership.
I am switching out my self-destruct button for a positivity boost. Here are a few things to look forward to in the final stretch of the pandemic.
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Work from Home
Boris Johnson may be on our TV’s every night, but at least we can escape another type of political nuisance. The office kind. It is near impossible to navigate the unsaid office hierarchy determined by neither role nor responsibility, but personal connections. I certainly do not miss the annual corporate popularity competition.
Another wonderful consequence of office work is money. Or, more specifically, spending it. Between smart clothes, lunch meetings, after-work drinks and the extortionate commute, I have to work overtime just to get to work. Fortunately, work from home means loungewear, home-cooked meals and a few extra hours in bed. Bliss.
Of course, working from home can induce a sense of loneliness and unproductivity without your boss breathing down your neck. Although, after a year of working in a home office, many of us are starting to be more productive from home. Could #WFH outlive lockdown times?
Personally, I prefer working remotely and find my work is often of a higher quality when I do.
Self-care
The quarantine-15 is always at the centre of a conversation about the drawbacks of lockdown life. The classic topics are weight gain, depression, boredom, etc. If you are lying in bed all day binging Netflix, then all of these things are probably going to happen and there is nothing wrong with that. You do you.
However, if like me, the weight gain, boredom and depression start to grind on you then you need to change something in your routine. One of the best parts of furlough is having more time to invest in you. Late morning runs, mid-day workouts, home-cooked meals, a bottle of wine here and there, you get the picture. You don’t have to get up at 5am to squeeze in half an hour on the Peloton. Take time to enjoy your workouts and healthy meals.
Social occasions
2020 is the year of saying no. Instead of dwelling on the lack of social opportunities, try to embrace the art of saying no. In the first wave, zoom quizzes and skype calls with old friends became the thing to do. At one point, I had more social occasions booked in during lockdown then back in normal life. It can be easy to say yes to every single zoom call. Remember, it’s okay to say no.
It is a challenge to stay positive in a pandemic with the blame parade circling in. Keep your head up and do what is best for you.
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