There’s been hope in the minds of many with talk of starting to ease up on lockdown life. While life has brought many tragedies and challenges for most people, there has also been an increase in habits and adaptations reminiscent of World War Two life.
Working from home, no social contact and limited shopping have all made us think about how we need to do things differently. If you weren’t an online shopper before, you’ve had to learn. If you’ve never asked for help, this is a time where it’s perfectly normal to reach out to others – and people are willing to help.
Lockdown has seen the revival of some old-fashioned habits, as well as new ways of life that we should carry on into post-lockdown life:
More Flexible Working
The pandemic has forced businesses into trialling what it could be like to operate with an almost completely remote team. And the results?
Many teams have been able to function as normal, fulfilling their responsibilities as they adapt to a home working life. With companies such as Facebook and Google enabling their staff to continue working remotely for the rest of the year, many other businesses are expected to follow suit. Managers have introduced online messaging systems, conference calls and have found new ways of asking staff to account for the work they complete each day. While some fine tuning is still needed, it’s expected that remote working will continue for at least a third of businesses after lockdown has eased.
And almost half of employees expect to continue working remotely, according to a report from O2 Business.
Continuing Kindness
Yes, we were all kind before but since the pandemic, there’s been a more authentic and genuine kindness around.
Offering to pick up someone’s shopping, lending old toys (cleaned), asking complete strangers how they’re doing and caring about the answer: they’re all acts of kindness that should stick around.
Asking how are you is no longer said as part of a morning routine, but it’s meant sincerely.
And in response, more people are being really honest about how they actually feel.
And how great is it when someone opens up to you about how they truly feel? All of a sudden, it”s so easy to relate to the lady who works in the local post office or the bin man collecting your rubbish every week.
People are showing kindness in so many ways and it’s making a difference to communities. Spreading kindness and neighbourly compassion will make for a healthier society.
Helping Community
The number of voluntary groups set up to help people isolating or feeling lonely has really opened up human compassion. For the first time in a long time, there are reams of groups offering their skills or a listening ear to help and support others.
People are showing that there’s no need to wait for the government to step in and help. People have great power in numbers and it shows that action can happen when they come together for a common cause.
Beyond lockdown, people will continue to need help. How wonderful for everyone to know they have a local community around them they can turn to when they need help.
If nothing else, the pandemic has shown the unbelievable and very humbling way people have come together to it themselves or it for each other to those who need it.
Bringing Old Hobbies to Life
Art, photography or dancing – whatever it is you’ve loved doing but not found the time to do in so long, now’s the chance. So many people are embracing crafts they used to love and for many reasons. Either because they miss a hobby they used to have, want to learn a new skill – and because they now have the time to spend on it.
What’s more, arts are proven to have a great impact on mental health and wellbeing. At a time when many are stuck at home and many alone, arts and crafts are so uplifting in a time of crisis.
Getting More From Food
Restrictions on shopping and food shortages have meant people have really had to think of alternative ways of making food last. Rather than pop to the shop for more bread every time, more people have experimented with making their own. Leftovers are being frozen for the next day and alternatives are being found for food like pasta, with Quinoa and Cous Cous seeing a rise in sales.
During the lockdown, we’ve had to think about the way we live our lives and some of these ways are taking us away from technology, how we consider others and transforming lifestyles. When the lockdown is lifted, the way we think about food, how we look after the environment and each other can only serve to help achieve a kinder and all-round healthier way of life.