21 lessons for life after lockdown
Not so long ago I wrote an article “ 21 lessons for 21 days of lockdown”. Needless to say, lockdown took a shape of its own after the initial lockdown period.
It took me a while to find the right time to write this article. As I’m sitting here in my apartment looking at the rain falling on Table Mountain, today the rain feels different, life is different, fleeting thoughts of how life indeed has changed. For better or worse that's up to you to decide.
Now what?
I can’t help to feel that now I have to be stronger than before, life’s been simple it’s been “easy”, it’s been a time to focus and reflect. No, I wasn’t on a holiday break but I had the space to focus on me, to reflect, observe, and re-create.
21 lessons for life after lockdown
Now that we live in a version of the new “normal” I’m sharing my 21 lessons on life after lockdown.
1. Mental health is everything
It should be your top priority — always! Right now people are struggling with the loss of their loved ones, jobs, lack of being supported by their families, financial insecurities, survival, the list goes on.
This can get dark very quickly, and it’s reality. While some communities live in their own little “safety bubble” this is not the case for everyone. We need to take care of ourselves and those around us.
While seeing a specialist will absolutely help you, please go seek help if you need it.
2. Stick to a Healthy Routine
For anything that follows you need a daily routine that enables time for healthy habits. Have a schedule, yes your day isn’t up for grabs to anyone that shouts the loudest.
Know yourself — when it’s the best time to have meetings, to do focus work, going to the shop, when you need to take a break — a real break, away from your screens, please!
3. Find your motivation and be inspired
I’ve been mentoring for a while and one common thread I’ve found is the lack of motivation to stay inspired and focused. Find someone that inspires you, talk to your mentor or coach. This goes hand in hand with your mental health, and sometimes you just need that “pick me up” moment to get going again.
4. Take a “top-heavy” day
In contradiction with motivation, you should know when you just need a day for yourself — and take that day off, we are after all just human.
*Borrowed from a colleague “top-heavy”- when life gets overwhelming.
5. Being active in nature
Yes, you who haven’t been to the gym in over 5 months but still going for walks or trying new fitness apps or even online personal training classes. Keep at it!
Since last time I found some new gems:
New fitness apps: Fiit https://fiit.tv/
New yoga instructors on YouTube: Cat Meffan, Allie — The journey junkie and Nicole Wild.
Now that we don’t have lockdown I’m hiking more frequently appreciating the beautiful nature around us.
6. Remote work FTW
Remote work culture boomed in the last few months. If there’s a question on remote work there’s a webinar for that. Literally everyone now either has their own youtube channel or doing a podcast. There are tons of advice to get you going on working remotely.
Remember being forced to work remotely doesn’t mean your employees are equipped to do so or that business is set up for managing teams remotely. Everyone gotta be on the same page here.
I definitely recommend developing a remote working guide for your company if you are thinking of continuing to work remotely in the future.
7. Fresh air never smelled so good
Being in lockdown and mostly in my apartment I sure do enjoy those strolls along the coast or breaks in the park. Nature is medicine, either to get over a frustrating meeting, lunch slump, or at the end of your day.
If you are not taking breaks do it go stand up go out for a walk!
8. Pursue your hobbies
Yes, can you believe it! I’m still building puzzles :) Ok so rollerblading took a back burner for the moment — but I’ll be back at it.
Don’t stop now that the world is getting back to ask more time from you, which will bring us to the next one.
9. Say NO :)
Well, this ain’t as easy as you might think. If you complain you don’t have time why is that? Could you have said no or delegated tasks? Are you doing things that you actually don’t even enjoy doing- why is that?
Well, I could just say no to things that don’t add value or brings me joy. This means I can do more of the things that bring me passion and adds value to my life.
Hello, 👋 world — I say no!
10. Learn by teaching
Now that I can say no to things, I had time to pursue some of my other passions like mentoring! Yes, and you know what I’m loving it! Why did I have to wait so long to realize the power of no enables to power to say yes to things you love.
Designers in the house- ready for a mentor hook me up at rookieup.com
11. Prioritize your priorities
Now that life is a mixture of professional and personal work all in one you need a system and you need a good one.
At the start of lockdown, my calendar looked like bar graphs now it looks more like someone that’s bad at Tetris.
Priority, in essence, means one important task above all else. If you are juggling multiple tasks a day you sure to let something fall or even worse not doing your best work in either of those tasks.
Start out by accomplishing at least one main task a day instead of context switching 10 times a day! You will feel less stressed out and feel like you actually accomplished something — how rewarding! Now take that bubble bath you deserve it you badass!
12. You can do it
We won’t get another 2020 this is it! All those goals you made at the start of the year might not have turned out as you wanted to. However, don’t just through away all your goals focus on the one you really want to accomplish — just start. One step forward is still one step forward.
13. Lucky number 13 — Me Time
Yes, and I love it! Not only is it good for you it’s good for everyone around you! We all need our space and time to reflect on our thoughts, you take it however you like it.
For me I found journaling surprisingly rewarding, give it a try and the best is there is no wrong way of doing it!
“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” Marvin Gaye
14. F is for Family
No, not the series although it’s a good one :) As we get older life changes, priorities changes, and how we spent our time changes — choose wisely.
On a personal note, it’s been a rollercoaster, to say the least. Take care of the ones you love, hug them, thank them, and appreciate them. Let go of the past focus on the future, no one lives forever — but you are still alive, you better live your life.
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”
15. F is for Friends too
Not all of us have friends like on the TV series but some might come close. Usually, we like to combine friends and family but they play very different roles in our lives. We need friends to keep us grounded, to challenge us, to support us and to make life just a tad loco 😜
I’m going to be brutally honest — I’m not going to make it on the friend of the year or even century list but I sure do know the importance of friendship.
16. A note on technology
I’m in tech, I’m a designer I work with developers and I’m a user of tech. There is nothing I love more than technology enabling opportunities (I mean my mom can zoom now— who would have thought — I love you mom ;) here comes the but, but it can also consume us with a negative impact on our health. Not everything is designed or developed with your health in mind you need the self-control to check in before you wreck yourself.
17. Read, read, read
If you like reading keep at it and here are some of my lockdown reads:
Choice
Essentialism
Build better products
Atomic Habits
4- hour workweek
You are a badass
Design of everyday things
The silent patient
Oh yes, I couldn’t buy books due to lockdown so I bought a Kindle — I’ve been skeptical at first but nothing as rewarding as lying in bed and buying my next book to read at that moment.
Book recommendations welcome 📚
18. Life changed — we gotta accept that
If your life wasn’t impacted by COVID-19 please tell me where the hell you’ve been? It’s affected us all in various ways. Now is the time to reflect on all aspects of our lives and re-evaluate how we want to live going forward.
19. No more FOMO
We live in an era where we see what everyone else is doing all the time — we have social to-do lists! Just saying that is tiring and when we don’t get to live the supposedly “amazing Instagram” life we have massive FOMO.
Well if you only watch Netflix all day maybe it does but who am I to judge. It's your life to do whatever you want because you want to, not because someone else is doing it. Do you and do it fully!
You know what — you will feel relieved, imagine you don’t have to compare your life with someone else's, phew! 😅
20. Health is your dearest friend
I couldn’t make this if it wasn’t for my health, and I’m not talking about chronic illness or medical conditions. I’m talking about the things you have control over, the things you eat, being active in other words creating a healthy lifestyle.
Through all of this, all you got is your mental and physical health- take care of it.
21. Take your own speed this is your journey
Most of all remember this is your life and your journey — no one can live this for you. It’s your choice what you do, and when you do it or don't do it but it’s entirely up to you whatever you decide.
This is it!
I hope you enjoyed this two-part series of lockdown life. As a final reminder to all of us as we are entering this new world, we don’t own it, we are only guests.
We fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another.
Suddenly Disney is out of magic,
Paris is no longer romantic,
New York doesn’t stand up anymore,
the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.Hugs & kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents & friends becomes an act of love.
Suddenly you realise that power, beauty & money are worthless, and can’t get you the oxygen you’re fighting for.
The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think it’s sending us a message:
“You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters.”
— Author Haroon Rashid