My Lockdown Life

You take normal life for granted until everything that you class as normality is taken away. Lockdown has been a challenge; a bigger challenge than I expected it would be. At first, it felt surreal, it was something I never expected; it felt so strange as I sat down with my family the night the first lockdown was announced it didn't feel real. Now, and for the past year I have come to know it is very real.

I am in my second year of university, and I cannot help but think I am missing out on what should be the best years of my life, but despite the hardships that lockdown has brought, it has also given me the opportunity to cherish the small moments and little things in life, even the small task of making a cup of tea has allowed me to focus on the present moment and stop my thoughts becoming overwhelming.

Exercise has been my escape; my way to release from the constant flow of worry and anxiety. For one hour of the day I focus on myself and my own mind and afterwards I feel a sense of accomplishment - even though it's small, I have done something productive in the day that allows me to re-focus, setting me up for my day ahead. Without it, I would lack structure and motivation - exercise is one of the small things that I make myself do (despite on many occasions definitely not wanting to get up and do a press up!) that I know once I have done will make me feel a thousand times better.

I have come to love long walks around my village. In the early lockdown the sunny weather was amazing. I remember finding routes and beautiful scenery that I never knew existed and wouldn't have found if I hadn't had the free time to explore, so perhaps lockdown has had its positives! My dog has definitely enjoyed this part for sure, he must be wondering why we are all at home so often!

Despite the hardships that lockdown has brought, I am trying to embrace it - the change in lifestyle hasn't been easy, but adaptation to new circumstances is part of life and as I have discovered there are lots of positives to be found.