2020 - what a year!

Life in Lockdown - by Tila

Version 1

Introduction

2020! What a year! We have lived through history - unprecedented times. A year of broken dreams, cancelled events, deaths, disaster and fear - fear of the unknown, fear of getting sick, fear of what the future holds. But … if we stop and think - we can see the bright side, the glass half full, the unexpected positives of LOCKDOWN.

Lockdown, bubble, social distancing, coronavirus, isolation, quarantine - all words we are now familiar with and use everyday….

Did you enjoy lockdown, spending time at home? Sleeping in and not having to get up early for school? Having all this extra time to try new things. New passions and hobbies. Or even doing something you never had time for? Let’s focus on those positives - to see the good in the year we all wish was over.

Even though you couldn’t play sports. Or go to the gym. People came up with creative ways to still exercise and try and stay fit and healthy. Every morning at 9 am Lesmills did an online gym class. Since people couldn’t come to them you could just turn the TV on. Or go onto their website. And watch or join the class. All of the exercises used things you have at home.

When it got tricky that’s when you had to get creative. Like using household items instead of weights. A bag of flour, a jug of milk, or even some cans of spaghetti will do. If you needed something heavier you could fill a shopping bag full of cans and bags of flour. If you wanted to go outside and look around. You could go for a walk/run.

To make it fun for children you could print and colour an Easter egg and count how many you saw when you’re going for a walk. Or count how many teddy bears you saw. Or to change things up why not play a game of letterbox cricket. All these things were made so people went outside and exercised - and had fun while doing it - families hanging out together and making the best of a bad situation.

Another positive. People are always so busy rushing from one place to another. One sport to the next, but after lockdown, it’s changed the way people live their lives. Some parents are working from home more often, spending more time at home and with their families. Companies are now more flexible and don’t always stick to super strict schedules. This has got to be better for us all!

Something else that we had plenty of time for is. Trying something new, something that you’ve always wanted to try and never had time for. Discovering new passions and hobbies. Since fast food places were closed, lots of people started cooking and baking a lot more. When bread wasn’t at the supermarket lots of people started making their own.

Experimenting with different foods and recipes. Some families experimented with new recipes from different cookbooks. And taking turns cooking each night. Making cakes, or treats for people who had birthdays in lockdown. You might’ve found another passion besides cooking and baking. You might’ve found a love for art, yoga, and even found a new TV show! You could’ve finally caught up with all your favourite shows, that you were so behind on!

To further prove my point. In lockdown, you had so much time to spend time with family. Reconnecting with them. Spending that quality time with them, that you never had time for before in your busy life. Running from sport to sport. Parents from meetings to meetings. Just taking some time to catch up with family. Playing games, or even simply watching a movie.

Conclusion

Yes, 2020 has brought with it many things that have turned people's lives upside down - plans disrupted, families torn apart by distance, events cancelled, businesses shutting and loss of jobs BUT if we stop and reflect we can also see the positives - re-evaluate our lives, take on new hobbies and challenges and reconnect with others. 2020 is almost over - and roll on 2021 - surely we can cope with anything it throws at us now!!