Published on 20 January 2021
The latest lockdown (since New Year) has been the hardest.
I have two boys aged 7 and 4 and my wife and I have had to try and juggle work with home schooling. But there have been positives. I have lost 2.5 stone in lockdown by focussing on my diet and exercise regime in particular. I don’t miss commuting and I have seen more of my two sons, which has been nice. I have also made sure that I have kept in regular contact with my long-standing friends.
I do yoga every day, which is great if you sit at a desk for most of the day.
I also run and cycle regularly and before the latest lockdown, I would go swimming at the local leisure centre a couple of times a week. I am reading more books and binge watched Cobra Kai on Netflix last week, which is a guilty pleasure of mine.
At the start of 2020, I started keeping a diary, which I have done on and off over the years. Little did I realise that it would be the COVID-19 chronicles. This has been cathartic and interesting to read back, particularly in March 2020, as it dawned on everyone what the impact of COVID-19 would be. I think we were all very slow to realise the impact it would have, even as the virus was spreading across Europe.
I haven’t missed an Everton game this season on Sky/ BT/ Amazon, which is not the same as going to the game. But it has been great to finally see us doing well (currently 4th in the Premier League).
I think COVID-19 has totally changed work culture, which will stick once we come out of the restrictions.
There will always be a need for face to face contact, but the days of people going to offices five days a week to do work that could just as easily be done at home I think are permanently behind us. I think I have become more disciplined. There are more hours in the day. We still need to meet outputs for our clients, which hasn’t changed.
The only thing that has made life a little easier is less commuting across the North of England!
My advice for coping with Lockdown is, if you can, be structured and try and be healthy.
I think a healthy body helps with keeping a healthy mind and spirit. Also, don’t beat yourself up if you are trying to juggle home schooling, work and family commitments. There is a great saying that all you can do is your best. My plans are just to get through lockdown 3 and try and balance home schooling with work.
Stay healthy, keep the weight off I have lost and look forward to when we can all see each other again!
Identity Consult, based in Sunderland, York and Preston, provide project management consultation to clients in health, commercial, residential, leisure and education, including the University of Sunderland.