Stop worrying about being productive - Focus on being happy
How to act, how to keep busy and simply how to keep happy are just some of the big questions many of us are contending with at the moment. ‘Finding a new normal’ is quite an overwhelming task for any of us, and so instead I encourage you to look at all of the things that are making you happy at the moment – however big or small.
Personally, I have been enjoying a fruity homemade cocktail. Cocktails and fruity ciders are the go to for many people when the sun comes out, but obviously lockdown has presented a significant challenge to our drinking habits. After being heavily influenced by Katherine Ormerod on Instagram Stories (@Katherine_Ormerod), I decided to buy a bottle of white rum, tequila, soda water and a shit-tonne of lemons and limes and make my own cocktails too. My favourites so far have been a frozen mango margarita and a raspberry mojito. It really brings a new level of sophistication when wearing my finest tracksuit bottoms in the garden.
After discussing the idea of happiness with some friends it became clear that everyone has a different idea of happiness. Lockdown has presented a number of challenges but it has also allowed people to explore their hobbies and passions.
With the shutdown of many restaurants, takeaways and shops our eating habits have had to shift dramatically and for many that has meant an increased amount of time spent in the kitchen – although you are still able to support local businesses and get takeaways, so do consider this if you can afford it. Whilst going out for a late night pizza isn’t an option anymore, the ability to cook at a reasonable time without commuting in and out of the city is being welcomed by many of us.
“I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with cooking, often opting for boiling vegetables and putting fish fingers in the oven as a substitute for concocting a real meal. However, with being at home all the time, I’ve found a new enjoyment in cooking. I no longer stress about getting the right train so that I’m back in enough time to actually have an evening. I no longer toy with whether an M&S ready meal is a better option. Being at home has enabled me to explore old recipes my mum has passed onto me and to discover new ones. For once, I’m actually eating food with real taste!” – Emma, Surrey
With the weather being so glorious, it seems that most of the UK have turned to gardening, or are at least finding some joy in the natural world. Houseplants have had a (slightly cringly obsessive) millennial resurgence over the last few years that doesn’t seem to have died yet, and maybe it’s just as well that it didn’t. Plants are known to bring significant benefits to people including, improving air quality and humidity levels, reducing stress, making people calmer and happier, reducing workplace negativity, improving concentration, productivity and creativity and saving energy. What’s not to love?
“Fresh flowers has got to be way at the top of my list. If I can see that my flowers are on the way out I have to get some more. I cannot have a day without them in my room or I get really sad.” – Caroline, London
“I have never had an interest in gardening, but after my partner and I moved into a house with a very overgrown garden, we realised we were going to have to become slightly more green fingered than before. We have always used lack of time as an excuse to not do anything about it, and obviously that excuse no longer stands! However, since being in lockdown I have developed a love of making the outdoor space we have a brighter and better place to be in. We had some old paint that we've used to render a couple of old brick walls and managed to get some plants deliveries to the house. (Lots of nurseries are still delivering due to having an abundance of plants that they don't want to die!) I have loved learning about what plants need to go where and how to ensure they will grow. Podcast in the ears, and I could spend all day outside gardening.” – Immy, Southampton
Whilst lockdown is unquestionably hard, it is also giving people time and space to appreciate a new found silence and peace in the world.
“I am really enjoying the peace and quiet. No aeroplanes, no traffic, the clear skies, everything seems clearer and cleaner. And just being able to walk around everywhere without so much traffic is wonderful.” – Maura, London
“I have been able for the first time in my working life to really appreciate the power of less, and slow. These are things my work/social life does not normally permit, and I feel empowered by being able to choose less, or a little. In these moments of ‘emptiness’ I have felt able to listen to the voice of nature - the wind and the birds - and to notice small changes in plants and the landscape. Focusing on the microcosmic has surprised me; somehow life’s bigger questions have seemed more approachable and I am finding all sorts of new ways to think about what I want to do. If you want to try, I really recommend sitting for just 20 minutes in complete silence somewhere outside and allowing yourself to notice what is really going on around you.” – Danny, Oxford
When silence fails, a hammer and a drill does not… or so it seems for many. I suspect that B&Q’s sales are through the roof with everyone turning their hand to some new project or fixing that certain something around the house that has been ignored for yonks.
“I found some scrap wood next door to my mates house and so I thought I’d try and make a table for the piano that I just bought – it’s a great time to learn something new!”- Ersan, Bournemouth
“I’ve been on a little bit of a DIY hype recently and I have been building all kinds of stuff. When we first got sent to work from home, I started to put together some ideas for making some cute window boxes for our balcony…I went and bought four 12ft planks, some screws and a new saw. I also just went on a little walk around our local area where I live and found some bits of wood that were being thrown out and I used these for supports for the window boxes.” – Dom, London
“I love manual jobs. Work that takes physical effort with tangible results has always been satisfying to me in a cold beer in the sun sort of way. During the lockdown I’ve started gardening. Dealing with an overgrown flower bed doesn’t do a lot for productivity or work but it has given me more reason to be outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I’ve gotten to see, each day, what I’ve achieved and plan ahead to what I want to do next. I get to mentally switch off and focus full on the task at hand. The calmness it brings feels like a form of meditation that I’ve sorely needed, lockdown or not.” – Sam, Colchester
Perhaps this is a wake-up call that we all needed. That the fast-paced nature of life in the western world can’t continue. Mental health, depression and anxiety have seen a devastatingly significant rise in the last few years but it appears that despite the challenges lockdown is bringing, it is also bringing a new sense of calm and serenity to people’s lives.
Seeing the bigger picture is something that we all fail to do at times. Life’s many distractions taking up precious brain space often things that are very important to us still get cast aside.
“This time has allowed me a chance to educate myself properly about climate change and read all the books and articles that have been stacking up on my shelf for years, and about regathering strength and resolve and gaining a deeper understanding of the issue. Getting my head around the current science and politics, going beyond just headlines and short articles. Feeling better informed and certain about what I can do to make a positive impact.” – Dora, Oxford
The positive impact that this global lockdown has had on the environment has been beautiful to read about. Prior to coronavirus a huge global movement was underway, largely through the group Extinction Rebellion, and environmentalists such as Greta Thunberg were shouting louder than ever to ensure that our planet has a fighting chance. Now, not only is the planet having a chance to recuperate, but we are able to take stock of all of things that we can do better in the future, and to figure out ways to make a positive impact on a more individual level.
Whilst we acknowledge, in line with Emily Matlis’s wonderfully articulated speech on the topic , that lockdown in the UK is going to be inevitably harder for those without outside space or those living in small flats or houses, it has also brought about an undeniably sense of community spirit and togetherness.
“I live in a top-floor flat in row of terraced houses in London. My housemates and I have been determined to not be defeated by our lack of outdoor space, so each day we have pulled up a row of chairs to the bay window, hanging our legs and bare feet over the ledge in a desperate attempt to get our dose of Vitamin D. An unexpected, but wonderful consequence has been capturing our neighbours attention as they see six pasty legs shining in the sun. Neighbours have smiled up, waved, chatted to us from a ladder whilst doing maintenance and greeted us each morning. I'm grateful for making these new community ties during the lock-down, which simply wouldn't have happened if we'd had free rein to sunbathe on the park!” – Ellie, London
In conclusion, whilst lockdown is presenting us with new challenges and negative thoughts every single day, it’s invaluable to our wellbeing and mental health to re-frame our thinking; consider all of the good that is still going on in the world, and in your life.
Words by Mollie Kate Cohen
