How I Am Trying To Adjust to Life Post-Pandemic

To aid my own adjustment to post-pandemic life, I wanted to write a blog post focused around the pandemic. It has been such a prevalent aspect of our lives for the best part of the last two years and I now get the feeling that we are almost meant to just forget about it and move on as if it never happened. For most, adjusting to post-pandemic life has been very easy, however for others, not as much. 

I can only talk from my own experiences and my reflections are only personal, however, I hope that some of you may be able to relate to aspects of my experience and be able to take something from this blog post which could help you progress on from the pandemic too. 

As with many intense and stress-provoking situations, in order for us to begin to move on from it's impact, I think it important for us to reflect on how the pandemic has affected us, both good and bad. 

| Lockdown Living 

I don't think I am alone when I say that the pandemic provoked a whole range of different emotions for all, with fear and anxiety being most dominant for many. The subsequent lockdowns meant we couldn't see our family and friends which took away a sense of freedom for all and made us think about things that we took for granted before. This gave us a huge amount of time to be alone with our thoughts which caused a lot more anxiety for many. It did, however, allow a lot of space for self-reflection and personal growth.

Being furloughed during the lockdowns, I had so much free time and I went through different waves of emotions about this. Obviously there were a lot of bad aspects to such a high-pressure experience, however, the lockdowns meant that we could truly slow the pace and get back to the basics of what it meant to just live. 

I could breathe finally and focus on things that I had been putting off because I just 'didn't have enough time'. I thought about what I truly valued in my life, what really made me happy rather than what society had expected of me and I changed my whole career path because of this. I was fortunate enough to be living with my family so we spent more quality time together than we had done in a very long time. We thought of simple, fun things to do which didn't require leaving the house, like making our own afternoon teas from scratch and camping in the garden.

Lockdown felt wholesome to me in many ways. Life had slowed and simplified inside our household, despite what was going on outside the front door. I think it is important to look for the good things in a situation as bad as a pandemic, and for me, having time to reflect on my life before, making effortless memories with my family and being thankful and grateful for our health were just a few of the good things from my own experience. 

| Life Today

The transition back to every day life post-pandemic has been gradual, which has made it very easy to slip back into old habits and get caught up in the fast pace of freedom. Life feels very busy and chaotic and returning to work means stresses have increased. It has been hard for many to cope with going out of the house again as there is an underlying fear of illness that comes with this. 

It is difficult to know how to navigate through post-pandemic life and the worries that it brings. I am already beginning to find myself forgetting about lockdown and slipping back into my old ways of thinking and living. 

| My Takings from Lockdown

I reflected a lot about myself during lockdown so I have devised my own list of lockdown learnings that I would like to incorporate into my life going forward. This list is a simple reminder to hold me accountable for myself and my own happiness. 

1. Life really is short and unexpected so try not to take things for granted.

2. Never forget to be thankful and grateful for the goodness in your life. 

3. Be authentic and use your soul as your guide.

4. Slow things down. Take time to think, see, breathe and just exist. 

5. Make time for friends and family.

6. Don't sweat the small stuff.

7. Never abandon your values.

8. Look for the good in every day.

9. Don't be so hard on yourself to be better and do better.

10. If it's not making you happy, it's not for you.

Whilst I understand that everyone's experiences will be completely unique, maybe you would like to take time to reflect on your own experience during lockdown and the pandemic. What were the highs? What were the lows? Did you learn anything about yourself too? Write your own list or your own thoughts. Put pen to paper and let it sit there on the page to aid your own reflection and help you adjust to post-lockdown life. 

I hope that this blog post has resonated with you and your experience during lockdown and post-pandemic. Let this be a conversation starter for you and your loved ones too. I get the feeling that we are now supposed to just move on from the pandemic and let things get back to the 'new normal'. However, I think that it is important for each and every one of us to have even one taking from the past two years and I hope that it can be something good that will better your life moving forward.