Let’s face it, 2020 hasn’t quite been the year we imagined. Normality is finally starting to resume, but can leave us feeling anxious about the “new normal”. Here are our top tips to learning to enjoy life again once lockdown measures are eased…

For the vast majority of us, 2020 hasn’t turned out quite how we expected it to. Up until this point in our lives, relatively few of us had experienced the outbreak of a pandemic, nevermind one on a global scale. It’s impacted all areas of all of our lives. Not only has it taken hundreds of thousands of lives and made millions around the world sick or unwell, but it’s seen many of us lose our jobs and struggle financially. That’s before we begin to mention the boredom, loneliness, or feelings of being overwhelmed by those we live with during lockdown periods. In short, we’ve had to learn to live in a very different way over the past three or four months. We’ve had to get used to being indoors a lot more. We’ve had to work remotely, or rely on a welfare state to get by. We’ve learnt to socialise virtually rather than on a face to face basis. So, it’s not all too surprising that many of us are feeling a little nervous and intimidated to return to the lives we knew before now that lockdown measures are starting to lift and we’re being given more freedom in regards to movement, socialising and getting back to work. But don’t worry. Here are some top tips on learning to enjoy life again once lockdown measures are eased that should help to make the entire experience a little easier for you!

Only Do What You Feel Comfortable With

The first thing to note is that you should only do things that you’re comfortable with. You don’t have to charge out of your house and jump onto the first flight available to a country that has its borders wide open. You can take things in baby steps. If it takes you a while to feel ready to do anything or meet up with anyone, that’s absolutely fine. You can also ease yourself into the process. Why not meet up with one of your closest friends in an outdoor area for a socially distanced chat or walk? You could visit a family member’s back garden, going in through the back gate rather than their house and sit down for a drink two metres apart. There are plenty of simple ways to work your way back into a social routine. You may feel that there is more difficulty in easing back into situations like work, where your workplace may be requesting that you head straight back in. But you can always ask questions. You can ask what measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of the virus spreading in the workplace. You can ask whether you can continue to work remotely for a set period of time and try a phased return to work. Most workplaces will understand people’s reluctance to return and will have put many measures in place to make this process as simple and safe as possible.

Know That There Is Support Out There

If you’re feeling nervous about a return to “normal” life, don’t feel alone. The vast majority of people are going through these feelings and emotions too. Sure, there are some people who can’t wait to get back up and at them. But there are also many who are reluctant to get back to their usual routines. So, speak out. Talk to others. See if those you love feel the same way. If not, there’s bound to be many people online who do. This can create a support network where you can seek solace, information and more.

Take Measures to Protect Yourself

There are various measures that you can take to protect your health and wellbeing when you do start to engage with activities that may have been out of bounds over the past few months. Implementing them into your routine can help you to feel more comfortable with the transition back to “normal” life. One suggestion is to ensure you have plenty of disposable facemasks or you have some sort of other approved face covering. Wearing this does largely reduce your risk of spreading the virus to others rather than reduce your chances of catching the virus. But if everyone were to do this, instances of the virus would drastically reduce. You could also carry a bottle of hand sanitiser with you in your bag. This will ensure you have something to clean your hands with regularly – when you touch a door to open it, when you press a button on a lift, or any other situation where you may feel uncomfortable or that your hands are now dirty. There are also many simple changes you may be able to make, such as not touching handrails if you are able to climb stairs without them. Not only does this prevent you from picking anything up, but it reduces the overall amount of people touching the handrail and can protect those who genuinely need to use it as well!

Plan

If you are going to leave the house and engage with day to day activities you’re not all too used to anymore, planning can really help. Thorough planning will help to give you a sense of control over a situation that leaves many of us feeling out of control. Knowing where you’re going, what you can do, whether there are toilets nearby, whether you can get food, what you need to take to be comfortable and other information can help to make your experience a lot more pleasant. You are less likely to feel overwhelmed or upset when you know what you’re doing. 

Do Things You Enjoy

When it comes to learning to enjoy life again once lockdown measures are eased, many people will avoid going out for recreational activities, feeling they’re not “essential”. But life can get pretty glum pretty quickly if you only ever work and return home. Why not go out and do some things you genuinely enjoy. Perhaps you’ve picked up a new hobby during the lockdown period. Why not look to see if there are any socially distanced groups or classes you can attend to further your skills and interests. Why not go to a screening at the cinema with a close friend? Why not attend an outdoors fitness class to help boost your serotonin levels and reduce your body’s production of cortisol – the stress hormone. Doing things you enjoy can not only improve your overall happiness and wellbeing, but it can also help to reintroduce you to the world outside of your home with more positive feelings being associated with the experience.

Prepare for Things to Be Different

Remember that not everything will go back to how you remember it straight away. There may be slight changes. Cafes and restaurants will have invested in Disposable Menu printing. Public areas may have stickers on the floor to determine queueing. Some establishments may still not be open. Just be prepared for change so it doesn’t shock or throw you when you’re out of the house.

Avoid Scaremongering

Remember that many posts and publications you’ll see on social media and other platforms are made to get you to click them. This is why sensationalism is arife. People will write anything to get you to land on the page they want, so often exaggerate or focus on worst case scenarios rather than giving an accurate portrayal of what’s going on in the world. Make sure to avoid scaremongering at all costs, as it will simply increase your fear. Sure, it’s important to remain aware and educated. Keep up to date with news from major or reliable outlets. But at the same time, remember that unverified “facts” being shared from random profiles may not be all too accurate or representative of what’s actually happening in the world.

Consult a Doctor

If you find that while you are learning to enjoy life again once lockdown measures are eased you continue to feel anxious, overly stressed or depressed and that these feelings are consuming your life, you may want to consult a doctor or other professional. These feelings are logical and understandable. But you may also be suffering from an undiagnosed mental health condition that could be worsening your negative feelings and impacting your life. A doctor will be able to diagnose anything like this and can refer you on to a specialist such as a therapist who will be able to help you further.

Things are going to feel a little odd for a while. While we may be slowly reintroducing things to our lives that have been removed for a few months, the way we engage with them is likely to be different. But you’ll get used to these changes and can begin to navigate your life around them. Hopefully, some of the above information will help you along the way and can improve your life for the better. Just remember to take things slow and to only do things that you feel comfortable with. Forcing yourself or pushing yourself may simply overwhelm you and make things worse!

Follow these top tips to learning to enjoy life again once lockdown measures are eased and it will be a much easier transition for you.