1. Completing to-do lists
Firstly, everyone is finally ticking off those jobs that they have been putting off for years! We’ve had a path in our garden that has led to nothing since we moved in nearly 20 years ago. The idea was to have it lead to an arbour bench. Finally, afters all these years, it’s in! It looks like it should have always been there and it makes you wonder why it wasn't done sooner. I know so many people that have been completing similar things and having the same thought– from painting to building to gardening. Our homes have never looked better.2. Healthy habits forming
The number of people going for walks and exercising outdoors must have increased like crazy since lockdown. I swear I’ve never seen so many people walking, running or cycling in our area in my life! What else have we got to do though? Boris said we could exercise, so I guess that’s what we’ll do. Who knows, maybe these new habits will stick? We’ll all spend more time outside, with the people we love, enjoying the great outdoors and keeping healthy. And not just our physical health – the mental health charity, Mind, says that being in nature can actually help our mental health as well. So, it’s a win win! On top of our extra outdoors time, we’ve been deprived of our much-loved fast food and restaurants. I’m not going to lie, I could really go for a McChicken sandwich right now, but I do think this has been a much needed break.
3. Appreciation for those around us
Somehow, a global pandemic that is keeping us apart has actually brought us closer together. We appreciate every phone call, every socially distant meeting, every zoom pub quiz we can get our hands on. If this pandemic teaches us anything, it’s that we should never take each other for granted. I think I speak for everyone when I say I cannot wait for that first catch up in 'Spoons with the girls.4. Technological advances (kind of)
Talking about zoom calls, another positive is seeing people grasp newer technology that they otherwise would have never bothered to learn. Maybe I’m biased because I’ve grown up with technology, but it makes me happy seeing other people (mostly the older generation) finally take advantage of it. Whether it’s just learning how to use a contactless card or going all out and setting up a zoom call with the family, people are learning skills that they will continue to use for the rest of their lives once we come out the other side of this.
5. Environmental impact
Of course, I can’t talk about lockdown positives without mentioning wildlife and the environmental impact. We’ve all seen the videos of the boar in Barcelona or the goats taking over Llandudno. Wildlife is taking this opportunity to thrive and tour our cities while we’re not there to scare them away. We actually saw a fox in our back garden a couple weeks ago which has never happened before! On top of this, nitrogen dioxide levels have apparently fallen by up to 40% in some areas of the world due to fewer cars and factories running. The air we are breathing is clearer and if that’s not something to celebrate then I don’t know what is. We just need to find ways to help keep it this way once we are through this.Basically, we definitely don’t need another pandemic any time soon, but this one has taught us a lot about making the most of everything we have. 2020 hasn’t been the best year ever, but it’s teaching us how to make 2021 the best it possibly can be.
What do you think is the best thing to come from lockdown?
Bethan, ROR x
