3 positives that have come from lockdown

Wow it’s been a tumultuous year it has been so far but I’m still feeling really optimistic.  I turned 30 in January, married the love of my life in February and in March, the whole world turned upside down.  No one could have predicted this state of living but here we are and it’s not all that bad.  Here are 3 positives that have come from lockdown:

1. Staying connected

I’ve been staying connected with my friends and family, perhaps even more than I would have in the usual course of events.  I’ve spent two Saturday nights dedicated to a good old pub quiz with my cousin in England which we would most likely never have done but for lockdown in both countries.  We’ve also been doing weekly Zoom calls with Ryan’s family in England and Switzerland and it’s really been so special to spend so much time together with everyone.  While we are all isolating, we’ve also been brought closer together and speak more frequently because of the crazy state of the world.

2. Doing more of the things I love

I mentioned this briefly my post on How I’m Staying Motivated  I’ve really allowed myself the time I need to train in our makeshift gym without having to worry about getting stuck in traffic on the way to the gym and having to cut my workout short because I need to be somewhere else.  I’ve had the time to sit and read a book without interruption (find my latest book recommendations in this blog post).  I’ve been able to make sure I do regular face masks (here’s a list of my favourite face masks).  I’ve been able to cook meals I’ve been wanting to try out for ages.  I find that doing more of what I love and not having to rush as much has been so advantageous for eliminating stress and my general state of wellbeing.

3. Reducing expenses

With the restrictions on our whereabouts and not being able to spend a night out the way we previously did, we’ve been able to dramatically reduce our spending habits.  Being home-based means that I’ve also dramatically reduced my spend on clothing.  To date, I’ve bought a sports bra and a jersey during the lockdown period.  You may have even seen that I had a good rummage through my wardrobe and found pieces I haven’t worn in years in this video.  I’ve used half a tank of petrol so I haven’t needed to fill up once since March, which is crazy!  I’m trying to pay attention to all the amounts that I would otherwise have spent and put these amounts into savings to provide for the future.

While we’d certainly rather be hanging out with friends and not having to worry about getting sick every time we leave the house, aligning my thoughts to these 3 positives that have come from lockdown has really helped me maintain a good perspective.  It’s also taught me a few important life lessons, number 1 of which is to slow down and appreciate absolutely everything which is often easy to forget.  What positives have you experienced from lockdown?  Please let me know in the comment section below 🙂