They say good things come in threes...
Well, not necessarily when it comes to nationwide lockdowns, but there are endless positives and lessons we are continuing to learn from living life in a pandemic.
To help you get through lockdown 3.0, we've compiled some of the silver-linings to remember when it's all over.
What really matters to us
When life is turned upside down, it reminds us of what really matters. In times of crisis, we have an opportunity to reflect on what is most important to us and what we want to change in the future.
You might decide to see your grandparents more when lockdown eases, or spend less time worrying about 'the little things' that don't seem as big of a deal anymore in the current situation.
The value of human contact
Whether you're missing family or friends, the one thing we probably won't take for granted again in the power and importance of human contact and real life connections. As wonderful as digital technology has been in supporting us to remain in contact with others, there's no comparison to time spent together in real life.
We need less than we think
At the very start of the pandemic, the UK took to panic buying everything from toilet roll and hand sanitiser, to enough food that some of us required a second freezer. In reality, we didn't need half as much stuff as we actually bought.
One thing we also found is that you can get a surprising amount of weird, wonderful and definitely non-essential items delivered right to your doorstep!
The gift of gratitude
Throughout a rollercoaster of a year we have become more grateful for what we have and for all the simple things that we took for granted.
Learning doesn't have to stop
Lockdown has shown us that we are all continuously learning.
From adapting to new technology to working in totally new environments and, to top it off, teaching little ones - we've shown we never stop learning.
But we need to stop and take a break every now and then
The pandemic has taught us a work-life balance has never been so important, not just for our physical health but mentally too.
The harder and more we work, the more vital it becomes we give ourselves time to rest and recover.
We’re more resilient than we might think
We have all surprised ourselves with how we have coped and adapted in times of change and crisis.
2020 was a year which involved a lot of muddling through. But in doing just that, we’ve actually shown how resilient we can be. (Less could be said for our WiFi routers...)
We need schools and teachers
Glorified babysitters they are not!
If you have children who you've had to support with learning at home during lockdown, then you will understand the true importance of school and those who teach.
DIY haircuts... not for the faint-hearted or the non-skilled
If you've never attempted to cut yourself what is supposed to be a fringe or got that fed up you've thrown the clippers at your partner and screamed just take it all off - then don't!
Wait for the salons to reopen for your own sake. Don't believe us? Just Google lockdown haircuts...
We’re all professional jugglers
We've all become masters of multi-tasking, juggling so much more than was previously required but taken it in our stride.
The great outdoors really is GREAT
After months of being stuck inside, we learnt to appreciate nature and the great outdoors.
Hidden heroes are everywhere
There are hidden heroes everywhere, from delivery drivers and cleaners to all NHS staff on the frontline and working from home.
We all value and respect our NHS and essential workers much more.
Good things can come from boredom
From puzzling and crafting, to photography and gardening, we've all discovered that good things can come from a bit of boredom.
Support our local businesses
The turmoil the pandemic has brought to our high street and local businesses has proven how important it is to shop local and support our local independent businesses.
Patience is literally a virtue
Whether it’s taking a moment to breathe and count to three before you end up on the naughty step yourself, having to harness the inner rage to not launch your WiFi router out the window or learning to stand in a queue for more than five minutes before you give up and get back in the car, we have all had to be a bit more patient.
Family and friends are everything
It doesn’t matter if you need to vent, cry or need a good laugh, they are always there.
The lockdown has deprived us of many things, but one thing that has stung more than any other is the loss of contact with those we care about.