The coronavirus lockdown has been a time of reflection for all of us. No matter your age, you’ve been affected by this period in some way. Some of you have lost your jobs and some have gone months without seeing family members or close friends. A lot of us are dealing with the mental side of being locked indoors day in day out and only venturing out for essential grocery shopping with a disposable mask from a company like SciQuip.

There are two ways we can look at this whole situation. We can wallow in self-pity and think about all the negative things that are happening, or we can take some lessons from this rare period. Think about it, we’ll probably never experience something like this again. It’s a rare instance where your world has slowed down and given you time to think. So, let’s use this time wisely; here are three things I’ve learned during lockdown.

The importance of financial security

It’s so important to get your money in order.
Retirees like us are probably the only people not much financially affected by this lockdown. If you spent years saving for retirement, you plan on living without working. So, the country closing down isn’t an issue financially. This made me think about how vital it is for everyone to get their money in order. If you saved money before coronavirus, you are in a better position than someone who didn’t. More than anything, it’s shown the value of an emergency fund. You never know what life will throw at you, so it pays to have some money saved up just in case.

The importance of staying connected with your family.

This lockdown period has shown how important it is to stay connected with your family. Everyone is using Zoom and Skype to stay connected while stuck in different houses. So, why don’t we do this more often with family members who don’t live nearby? It’s especially important to stay connected to your elderly relatives. Lockdown has given you an insight into what it’s like for a lot of elderly people all the time. You feel lonely and restricted at home – that’s what it’s like for many people every single day.  The main takeaway from this lesson is that we have to make time for one another because life is too short to be distant. One of my sons has severe learning difficulties and is in a care home and I have been unable to visit him so I realise the importance of finding other ways to stay in touch.

When you are unable to visit a friend or relative in person to provide the practical support that they need it is reassuring to know that there are agencies such as Care For Family in Australia that can fill the gap. I believe that everyone should be able to be supported in their own home for as long as they are able to and want to.  Familiar surroundings can reduce some of the more distressing effects of conditions such as dementia.

The importance of staying healthy

Our health is so important.
Finally, I think we can all agree that this situation has shown us how important it is to take care of our health. Being healthy can help you fight off diseases and may be the difference between life and death for a lot of people with coronavirus. As a retired nurse I already knew how important  the right PPE is in protecting us from infection. However I am full of admiration at how quickly firms such as unigloves.co.uk were able to scale up production and provide healthcare products for  both healthcare workers and the general public.  I am pleased that most people are still continuing to wear masks in shops and on public transport and to sanitise their hands regularly. Last year this helped protect us from infections such as flu and colds as well as corona virus.

Being in lockdown has also shown the importance of staying active to be healthier and to help your mental health. Think about how much harder this would be if you couldn’t go for daily walks? Take from this the lesson that being healthy is the key to a better life – both mentally and physically.

For anyone who is isolating or shielding it is good to know that there is a range of online zoom fitness classes to suit all abilities. If you don’t want people to see your lockdown hair or bulges you can even turn your camera off.

It is a good idea to track your health or fitness goals and there are free selfesteem and weightloss resources to help you do just that.

It’s good to reflect upon things and take lessons as we move forward. The worst thing we can do after the lockdown lifts is to go back to normal.  I would be interested in what you have learnt during lockdown and what lessons you intend to carry forward.