The lockdown experience is making us reconsider our “normal”, bringing with itself some positive new habits and traits.
All of us, we have changed our daily routine and usual habits, and found some new ways to cope with the emergency time and bring it all together. We have made a step back to our very basic needs, rediscovering and giving more value to what we have, and focusing on what we can control.
Let’s consider some of the positive aspects of this experience, in order to maintain them in our next future and the days ahead.
1. Finding ourselves – going inside
This time has put everyone of us in front of ourselves, giving us a chance to really listen to our minds and thoughts, and to “go inside”.
During this days at home we have more time to think, and a more free weekly schedule. We are experiencing different emotions, thoughts and feelings.
We really need to take care of ourselves and find a personal balance. We need to meditate, find spiritual connection and stay calm and focused day after day.
This time is giving us a chance to think deeper about our values, who we are and who we want to be, and to find and improve our self-balance.
2. Staying connected with our loved ones
Spending time together in the same house, or staying connected at a distance, this is the time to foster the relationships that really matter the most.
Calling, chatting, connecting on video-meetings, playing with the kids, talking: we feel happy and safe as far as we stay connected with all the people we love.
We are strong together, we give each other compassion and support.
3. Being more human with others: a smile, saying “Hello!” and “How are you?”
Taking the time to be more human with colleagues, friends, family, and also with strangers has become “normal”: helping a lady at the supermarket, saying hello and goodmorning to people in the street, getting to know and chat with our neighbors from the terrace or the garden.
Everyone of us is becoming more human and careful of each other’s needs and necessities.
We are people, facing difficult times together. We recognize our fragility and vulnerability in front of others. And we are more open to discuss and chat about how it is going with the persons we meet.
4. Rediscovering the sense of free time
No more busy schedule on weekends and evenings. After working hours we are more free to employ our time and be creative.
During lockdown, free time encourages us to explore new interests, to find a hobby, to be creative and entertain ourselves and our loved ones at home.
We are rediscovering the sense of free time, of being calm, of living a “slower” life.
Cooking, taking a foreign language online class, doing yoga connected with friends, writing: we have more time to enjoy our passions and foster creativity and personal energy.
5. Prioritizing our needs – what do we really need?
Our sense of “needs” has changed, getting us back to the very basic needs we want to fulfil in order to be happy and satisfied.
Less is more
We are reconsidering a lot of “primary needs”, finding we can be happy with less and simpler things and activities.
And this is positive in many ways. It’s making us think twice about the activities in which we invest our energy and focus. And in the end, do we really need to concentrate on everything?
6. Reconsidering our “normal” lifestyle and choices
All of us have been impacted by a new and unexpected wave of change. For some of us, this is a right time to think about the key values and habits at the basis of our lifestyle and choices.
How we organize our time, where we live, what job we do: for some of us, the emergency comes together with a new perspective of life, and maybe with new objectives and goals for the future.
Time for change? We will see.
In conclusion
One thing is sure: we will not be the same after this experience.
All these events are impacting so much on our lives, habits, mindsets and daily routines. The “back to normality” will not bring back the world as we have known it before, and we ourselves will not be the same.
We will get back to a new and changed “normal”, finding that this experience has changed ourselves in some ways.
So let’s ask ourselves a question: