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There is a silver lining to the prospect of a new lockdown. In addition to saving lives (obviously), it is also a good opportunity not to make the same mistakes we made in the first block. I’m not talking about mistakes on a social level, although I’m sure there were some, but on a personal level.
The banana bread binges, the nostalgic decisions to seek out old acquaintances (Thanks, Normal people), the idea of ending each day with a glass of red. No, I have decided that Lockdown 2.0 will be done right, it will not make the same mistakes again, no more …
There has been a lot of battle jargon lately and I was firmly stuck in a ‘I won’t let this beat me’ mentality with Lockdown One. Determined to show my indefatigable spirit, I dedicated myself to homeschooling, working from home, doing crafts, baking, determined to WIN. Except, of course, I didn’t really have an opponent and the shadow locked me into a state of exhaustion. The motto this time is “good enough is good enough”.
Cooking bread
I’m not going to lie, I got some very satisfying loaves during Lockdown One. But also some howlers and it just takes too long. Lockdown 2.0 will see me supporting my local bakery.
No more silly Covid talks
I just can’t deal with the self-loathing I induce every time I say phrases like ‘Who knows where this will all end’ and ‘It’s crazy right?’
Eating like Lockdown is calorie-free
Between baking and a giddy feeling that there were no rules in the confinement, I reached a point where I was throwing Lindt chocolate balls into my mouth like they were Tic Tacs. The result was that I gained more than a stone and a half during the first running of the bulls. Lesson learned: normal life could be suspended, but normal eating rules still apply.
Get rid of regular bedtime
Lockdown One’s theme of ‘Nothing Matters!’ It somehow slipped into kids’ bedtime and it was hell when we tried to get back to normal, but our six year old still wanted to stick to a teenage sleep schedule.
Drink like it’s Christmas
These strange times surely deserve a gift. So I toasted survival each day with a glass of wine or a G&T. My aforementioned weight gain has really opened my eyes to the flaws in this ‘try’ mentality. I’m definitely doing myself a bigger favor if I stick with moderation or abstinence, this time.
Focus
The horrible angles, the weird lighting, the awkward pauses followed by everyone trying to speak at once. No, Zoom is not the silver bullet that I thought would solve the problem of socializing with friends and family remotely, so don’t count on me this time, I’d rather have a good old-fashioned phone talk. And please, absolutely no questionnaires.
Trying to understand it all
The first time, I handpicked a list of medical experts to follow on Twitter and reached out to them on a daily basis, somehow feeling that if I assimilated enough knowledge about the r rates and the spread and potential of the vaccine, then somehow .. . what? … Do you come up with a solution? Currently, there are enough people showing their Facebook School of Medicine opinions online to assure me that it makes no sense for an ordinary person like me to try to digest all the information and come up with ideas on how to solve Covid.
Losing the race of myself ordering online
The 3D dinosaur cookie cutters, the pom poms and googly eyes for crafting, the outdoor play set … everything is unused since March. There will be no need to enter my CVC number in this lock.
Sharing too much in the neighborhood WhatsApp group
We made plans for street parties and I shared poetry written by myself. Then someone else made a questionable joke and a long video was posted with some strong opinions … now we usually go back to awkwardly stare at the ground when we collect the bins because no one can put someone else’s name on their face and Frankly, what about it? do most of us really have something in common beyond living on the same street? Lockdown 2.0 will be about accepting that good neighbors don’t always make good friends.
Watching the news
Okay, this may sound bad coming from someone who works in the news, but when it comes to Covid, I think that being constantly on top of the latest news did my mental health no favors on the first crash. Yes, of course we all need to know what’s going on, but I became an anxiety-provoking habit of having to check in multiple times a day for the latest numbers. This time I am left with manageable doses of bad news.
Thinking ‘Now is the time!’
Now it’s not the moment. I wonder how many great people’s plans for Lockdown One – the book they were going to write, the home improvements, the life reviews – actually came true. My photo books are still in disarray, the office shelves are not up, and the books are still in their boxes from when we moved house over a year ago. I ended up thinking that I need to capitalize on the confinement as if I had been given the gift of time. In any case, I have less time and the time I have I will not spend creating a sunken rest area in the garden.
Opening old lines of communication
Lockdown One somehow inspired a wave of nostalgia that prompted me to search for old contacts Normal people responsible for this). Now I’m stuck with half-finished, half-finished email communications, and a rejected Facebook friend request.
Making plans
It makes me a little sad to say it, but with everything so unfamiliar, I don’t think it makes sense to try to decide when my next vacation will be or when I will finally meet my new nephew. Right now, it feels more manageable to believe that it will happen, one day, but it’s best not to put a date on when.
Banana bread
Guys, it’s not even that nice. Who do I need to talk to about making fairy cakes like Lockdown 2.0’s Official Bake?
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