When the coronavirus lockdown was announced, I wrote a long
list of things to do in order to fill my time. I have always loved writing and
planned to use this time to purse my goal of writing a travel book. I spent a
week self-isolating prior to the official lockdown due to having symptoms of
CV. As I approach my 7th week in lockdown, I have ticked off a grand
total of two things from my ‘to do’ list. This includes completing a 1000 piece
jigsaw and painting my fence panels. Unfortunately, all good intentions went
out of the window as soon as the sun came out to play. However, I have done
lots of reflecting on life and lockdown has certainly taught me some valuable
lessons.
Here are a few:
I could never work from home! One of the
things that I love about being a teacher is the day to day social interactions
with colleagues and students. I count past and present colleagues as some of my
closest friends. I feel blessed to have a job where I am guaranteed to find
something to smile or laugh about every single day. Thanks to modern technology,
we are still able to connect with colleagues whether that be via Whatsapp
groups, video or phone calls. My colleagues continue to provide a daily dose of
humour which has really helped to keep my spirits up. On the days that I have
a wobble, I know that I can pick up the phone and there is always someone to
talk to. Talking about how we feel is really important at a time like this. We
talk about ‘resilience’ a lot in schools. As Senior Leaders, it is a prerequisite
on most job specifications. This epidemic is certainly testing even the most
resilient of people and one thing that I find myself repeating to lots of
people is that ‘it is OK to not be OK’.
Putting things into perspective is certainly
a good coping strategy and one that I use on a daily basis. I am thankful that
my family are well, that I still have a job and that I have a home and food to
eat. As we start to hear of people we know being affected by this horrible
virus, it brings home that we should never take anything for granted. However,
it is perfectly OK to admit that we are finding these times difficult no matter
what circumstances we find ourselves in. We are, after all, separated from
friends and family and wouldn’t be human if we didn’t find that challenging. It
is also easy to think that the grass is greener at a time like this and compare
our lockdown experience to that of others. Whilst some people are struggling
with loneliness, others would gladly welcome some time and space on their own.
This period has allowed me to get
to know my colleagues far better than I would under normal working
circumstances. I have had conversations with staff that I may not otherwise
have had and really got to know people on a new level. I don’t think I have
laughed so much as I have on my rota days in school, especially learning Tik Tok dance moves! This has bought some
normality into my ‘lockdown life’ and it has been lovely having an opportunity
to get to know people better.
Working hours don't work for me! I have always been quite driven with a strong work
ethic. I have often thought how lovely it would be to be able to lock myself
away and do some planning or research without any interruptions. Now that I
find myself in that situation, I am really struggling to motivate myself. I
have realised that I thrive in a high pressure environment. Over the past few
years, I have worked really hard to ensure that I get the right work/life
balance. Where possible, I try to avoid taking work home so that I can separate
my work life from my home life. This has made working from home very difficult
to adapt to. The beautiful weather certainly hasn’t help with my motivation but it has done wonders for my well-being!
I
have had conversations with several students who are feeling the same. They
simply can’t motivate themselves to work from home. I would be a hypocrite if I
started preaching at them. Instead, I have shared the approach that I have
adopted to home working. I have accepted that normal working hours don’t work
for me in this situation. I am far more productive first thing in the morning.
I still seem to be programmed to waking up at 6.30am so I get up and do a
couple of hours work then. This allows me time later in the day to go for a walk
or a run or to simply relax in the garden with my book. I refer to this time as
‘working on my well-being’. Whilst I think it is very important to have routine and structure at a time like this, I also think that we need to be kind to ourselves and go with the flow if need be.
The
days of the week have become blurred during lockdown and my moods vary from day
today. For this reason, I don’t separate weekdays from the weekend in terms of
work. On the days that I wake up feeling low, I know that the best thing for me
to do is to get out and have a walk or do some gardening. I am also far more
productive when the sun has gone down or when it is cloudy or rainy. I have
stopped putting pressure on myself to work school hours and instead work when I
am likely to be at my most productive. That may mean working at the weekend
instead of a week day. It wouldn't work for everyone but it does for me. Those with children to occupy will
certainly be having to snatch hours to work as and when they can.
The power of exercise. I have always been a bit of an
exercise junkie. I do a military bootcamp several times a week and run with a
community running group. For me, it is not just about the health benefits but
the social benefits that come with being part of a club. Exercising alone has
been hard to adapt to. I am missing
my BMF (Be Military Fit) buddies and the beautiful park that we train in so
much. Having dragged myself to train in the park in the dark, cold and rain, I
was so looking forward to spring and the lighter nights.
I have to confess that I
spent the first few weeks of lockdown getting frustrated by all of the things
that I was missing out on. However, I have switched my mindset and now try to
see the positives of this experience. I exercise every day whether that be an
online Zoom workout, a run or a walk. It sets me up for the day and releases
those all-important endorphins. If I am feeling low, I put on my running gear
and head to the park. I find listening to some feel good music or the birds
singing brightens my mood straight away. No matter how I feel at the start of
my run, I always come back in a positive mindset. During lockdown, I have ran two
half marathons. I hadn’t planned on covering such a distance but the feeling of
escapism whilst taking in the stunning views in my local park spurred me on. It has also given me a sense of achievement.
My bootcamp also do daily,
Zoom workout classes which I try and do a few times a week. Interacting with
the instructor and seeing everyone exercising in their gardens helps me to feel
more connected. I’m also far less likely to give up when my legs start to burn.
I have always wanted to try yoga but never seemed to find the time before
lockdown. I found an online yoga course on YouTube and now build this into my
exercise routine. I no longer have daily aches and pains from old injuries and
will definitely continue to practise yoga post lockdown.
Thanks to lockdown, I am probably the
fittest that I have been in a long time and my mental well-being is in a much
better place for it. This time has allowed me to slow down, take stock and work
on my health and well-being.
Beauty on your doorstep! Thanks to the website https://footpathmap.co.uk/ I have discovered the most beautiful walks in my local area.
For years, I have done the same old walking routes not knowing what was on my
doorstep. The geography geek in me has gone into overdrive discovering new
routes that have taken me through magical bluebell woods and across rolling fields. I
love taking photographs of nature and already have hundreds of photographs on
my camera roll taken during lockdown. I am a bit of a travel addict and seeing
picture memories come up of beaches, rainforests and volcanoes on my Facebook has
been bittersweet. This time next year however, I will have picture memories that will remind
me of a time when I was able to appreciate the smaller things in life. I have
loved seeing wildflowers and blossom come into bloom and immersing myself in nature.
Reconnecting Not only have I reconnected with old friends during this time, I have also taken up old hobbies again. I played the piano when I was younger but when I sold my last house, I left my piano behind. My music books have been gathering dust in the garage for years. I often thought I should take them into work and practise on the school piano but, like many things, I never made it a priority. Our Music and ADT departments have kindly let staff borrow musical instruments and equipment during the school closure period. One of my close colleagues offered to drop off a keyboard at my house as I was unable to collect it. At the time, I was self-isolating on my own and was at a bit of a low point. Learning how to play again was such a nice distraction and has bought back lots of fond memories of playing for my late nan.
And finally….
Perhaps the best part of lockdown for me is the friendship that I have made with an elderly lady called Margaret who I met whilst doing my food shopping. Concerned at her vulnerability, I gave her my phone number and said that I would do her shopping from now on. We now speak on the phone every couple of days and she has bought me so much joy. She has such a positive outlook on life and a cheeky sense of humour that has made me laugh so much during these challenging times. And if there is one thing that is guaranteed to help get us all through lockdown, it’s to keep laughing!
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