It’s undisputable -the Covid pandemic has done much to alter our way of life!
Its affects have been wide ranging – from turning us into recluses till it’s all over, terrifying us into thinking we’re all vulnerable to catching the virus, to working with the restrictions to make life better for ourselves and others. Anyway, it has not been easy. Now we are being told that life can begin to go back to normal once all restrictions are lifted.
So what is ‘normal’, and how do we return to where we were in 2019?
Most of us can’t remember what ‘normal’ was, or we may feel that we can never be ‘normal’ again. How we get back to what we used to do is another matter. There are many things which we can hardly wait to do again, such as meeting our families and friends in larger groups, cuddling the new grandchild, getting together for sewing, crafts, learning and sharing new topics, hugging those close to us (presently forbidden). There are things I’m not in a hurry to do, such as going abroad for a holiday, or attending packed venues.
I think most of us have not been able to maintain our levels of fitness, in spite of being able to join on-line activities or go out for exercise. It is taking me a long time to return to the levels I had before lock down, and I’ve put on weight! However we get (back) there, we must do it slowly and carefully. As a walking netball host, I have been advised by England Netball physios, to build up game skills gradually to avoid injuries. This certainly makes sense to me. It is the same with mental well-being.
The latest WI Life magazine (issue 116) is filled with loads of ways to do this, and really worth looking at. The overall message I got from this is to return to the things we used to do when we are ready, and gradually, as with physical exercise. We can apply this to losing weight (if we want to), and take it all very slowly!
Good luck with getting back to ‘normality’.