As the world as we know it begins to turn again, and some normality has returned back to our lives, it is important to reflect on the way we have felt the past few months and the things we have learnt whilst being locked away in our homes. Lockdown offered time for reflection as well as time to look ahead at what we want to change, both within ourselves and the world around us.
It can’t be denied that social media was our tool in feeling a connection with the outside world, as well as filling the ever-present void of boredom. As much as I was grateful for a glimpse of the outside world that the likes of Instagram and Twitter offered, it was hard to not feel the pressure to be productive and proactive with the time we had. My feeds were full of lockdown work out routines, banana bread recipes, and countless other ways that people were being creative and using the time they had to find a new hobby or niche. I found this both inspiring and disheartening- I was happy for others to be finding an outlet in such fun ways, but couldn’t help but feel like a failure when I wasn’t doing the same. It took me a while to understand that sometimes doing nothing is fine and that it’s okay to have days when finding the motivation to do something productive is hard. I personally think that this is an important mindset to keep as restrictions continue to change- people will have different ways of dealing with the current global circumstances, and what might be easy to do for some, may be a challenge for others.
After spending months with our back gardens and neighborhoods as our only outdoor freedom, I can safely say that Mother Nature is something that many of us have previously taken for granted. I found that my garden was my safe space, a place where I could have some peace of mind and admire the wildlife that I would never usually have taken time to notice. Seeing images online of dolphins swimming through Venice, and the skies above Beijing clear for the first time in years truly resonated with me, and thinking about the wildlife that flourished in my own neighborhood due to the lack of human activity gave great food for thought.
In general, I think our time in lockdown begged the question – do we really need to do all the things we do in order to feel happy and fulfilled? Do I need to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes every summer to never wear them again? Do I need to go out every weekend with my friends, instead of spending a day with my family? Do I have to work out if I don’t want to? Do I have to do ANYTHING I don’t want to do? Lockdown has taught me the answer to these questions is no. It is important to remember that we are all individuals who should be able to live our lives at our own pace without external pressures, be it from peers, social expectations, or strangers on the internet.
Edited by Vicky Sales