Boris is on the TV… again! Every time I see him I am reminded of the year we have all just lived through and how if you were to pre-warn me before March 2020 of the pandemic to come, I most certainly would not have believed what was about to happen.

But the end is in sight! The roadmap is going to plan (so far… touch wood) and life is starting to have small bouts of normality. Which has made me ponder: What has this year taught me? What routines will I be keeping as we settle back into a life of socialising, going to ACTUAL work and having plans in our diaries?

Keeper One: Better Work/ Life Balance

One thing that the ‘stay at home’ rule highlighted for me was how busy I actually was. I work 6 days a week, having two jobs with small freelance bits on the side. There have been times when I haven't had a day off in months, and I’m spinning so many plates, the plate that always seems to get left on the table is the one where I find time to relax. 

Being forced to stop and take stock made me realise that my work/ life balance was majorly off-kilter, and although I love what I do, I will be able to do it better when I’ve slept for more than 5 hours and I’m not rushing from task to task or job to job. As work and social plans open up again, I need to make sure that I have ‘Time For Me’ in the diary too! 

Keeper Two: The Little Things

Having extra time on our hands meant we had hours to kill. For a person like me who loves a plan and hates relaxing, there were days I struggled to come up with things to fill it. But the little things brought me so much joy, I know now I need to try and keep them in my life.

Did I buy a hula hoop as a 30 year old woman? YES! Did I learn embroidery and make presents for family and friends? YES! Did I make banana bread and throw it in the bin because it was inedible? ABSOLUTELY! The little tasks with new challenges embedded into them made me feel like I was achieving… even when my newfound skills needed a little more practise!

Keeper Three: Staying In Touch

I am pretty terrible at getting back to people (see Keeper One to find out why.) It has been known for me to go weeks with unopened Whatsapp messages, hoping that the notification will remind me to reply. But if we have needed anything this year, it was the feeling of belonging, the chance to get things off your chest to the people who weren’t in your immediate vicinity. It was other people!

So, as much as I know life is sure to get in the way of me texting back sometimes, I am going to make a conscious effort to reach out to the people in my life. Not just because I need something or if it’s their birthday. To ask them how they are and ‘what’s new?’. Because we don't just need people in the hard times, we need them in the good times too!

Keeper Four: Going It Alone

I have always needed exercise in my life, for my body and to get rid of unwanted energy and frustrations. But this was always done in a local gym with other sweating bodies surrounding me. Once the luxury of a gym membership was taken away overnight, I panicked! But how will I know what to do without someone literally standing in front of me, spurring me on? 

Although pre COVID, I had tried an odd Yoga With Adrienne and enjoyed it, this was a second choice; something that I did when I needed a workout, but didn't have the time that day to get myself to the gym. After a year of getting all of my exercise from YouTube and running outdoors, the gym membership is cancelled and I am relishing in the fact I can work out in mix-match PJS!

The way we live has definitely changed forever. There has been tears, frustration and confusion! Another thing I learned over the past year is the art of thinking ‘But luckily’ at the end of a negative thought. We can not deny the negatives of having our lives on pause, of not being able to see family and friends, of not having the freedom we had become so accustomed to…

…but luckily, there are positives that have and will continue to make our lives more enriched, our relationships more connected and our hobby list keep on growing. 

What are your COVID Keepers?

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 Written By Elle Douglas

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