At the weekend we all (well, if you’re in England, at least) got the news we’d been dreading: we’d be heading back into a 4-week national lockdown. Now, we’ve been through this before, so it should be OK, right?
You’d have thought yes.. only, the last time we went through this it was brand new, we were moving into Spring/Summer and the prospect of a month or more of doing nothing actually seemed, for some, quite exciting. This time around, things are a little different. We’re a bit more experienced, but we’re also heading into the darkest, coldest months of the year which is no doubt going to be a struggle for so many.
I’ve been working from home since even before the first lockdown was announced back in March, and I know I am SO fortunate to be in a secure job and able to work from home, but I also know these next 4+ weeks aren’t going to be easy. Here are some ways that I’m planning on getting through a winter lockdown – hopefully they’ll help you, too.
How I plan on beating the winter lockdown blues
Know my feelings are valid
The first and foremost thing I’ll be focusing on is knowing that my feelings are valid. This is not normal for anyone. A phrase I heard in the first lockdown which I loved was “We’re not working from home. We’re at home trying to work” because it reminded me that this isn’t a normal, usual or easy situation for anyone. It’s something I continue to remind myself on days where I’m just not getting what I want to get done, done.
“We’re not working from home. We’re at home trying to work.”
And while I’m fortunate in so many ways – I’m in lockdown with my family and boyfriend, I’m healthy, and I still have my job, my feelings are still valid. I’m allowed to have days where I’ve had enough and I just want a hole to swallow me up. I’m allowed to be angry, or upset at the situation we’re all in right now. And I know that by feeling these feelings, I’ll get through and out the other end.
Creating routines wherever I can
I’ve forever banged on about how much I love myself a routine. Routines are what keeps me going day to day, week to week. I need structure and organisation to feel myself and focused. Heading into the first lockdown I found myself a little lost at the lack of routine – no more daily drives into the office, no more gym sessions after work. Even my daily ‘office working’ routine could be as flexible as I wanted.
I know that for me, routines work. So I’ll be working to build that structure back into my day as much as I can. Whether that be by going through the same morning routine: waking up to the same alarm daily and doing my morning skincare everyday without fail or making sure I read a book every night before bed. Scheduling in a bit of self-care this lockdown is essential
I’ve recently got my daily planner back out into action – I’d stopped using it after there wasn’t much change in my day to day life, but I think it could become really useful in some pre-planning over the next few weeks. Even if it’s a simple case of writing down what meetings I have that week and what self-care I’m going to do each night – writing things down makes it feel like I’ve achieved something – no matter how small – everyday.
Getting a daily dose of fresh air
Cabin fever is real. I don’t think I felt the effects of it so much in the last lockdown – the sun was (mostly) shining and so getting outside for a walk or a bit of exercise daily wasn’t too hard of a task. But with English winter weather to battle, I know getting outside will be a slightly harder – and more conscious – decision to make.
There’s no denying the benefits of fresh air – for me it’s all about that mental clarity. I love going for a walk with family, but it’s equally nice to sometimes head out on your own with just a podcast for company. In the coming weeks I want to make sure I get that time outside – whether it be the couple of minutes between the car and supermarket, or the longer walks taking in the local scenery on the rare occasion that it’s not pouring with rain.
I know the coming months are going to be challenging, but I think if we’re honest with how we’re feeling, communicate, and understand what works for us, we’ll manage just fine. Lots of love, and stay safe.
Lucy x
