Unexpected positives of lockdown. Chocolate addiction sorted

[Tailsoftheunexpected]

Fear of catching corvid has kept me out of the local shops. No more popping in on the way home for a packet of Maltesers or a flake etc. My lovely neighbour has been getting my shopping and I’ve done a few online orders from local deliverers. I haven’t added chocolate to any list.

So yesterday I noticed the local shop was empty and went in to buy some chocolates to thank my neighbour. Today I noticed that the corner of the box was scuffed up and the chocolates had shifted in the box. Probably I’d not packed them carefully. Decided they looked a bit rubbish to give neighbour and ended up opening them this afternoon

They tasted so sweet. Way way too sweet. I’ve been eating really healthily since lockdown so think I must have got used to not having really sugary things. I ended up throwing them in the bin which I know is a waste but I live on my own. I honestly think this wretched lockdown has sorted out years and years of serious chocolate addiction. I’m missing family and friends and am as bored as hell and sad about the lives and livelihoods wrecked by this hideous virus but I have got one positive thing from it. Has anyone else discovered any unexpected bonuses from this shitty situation? I truly never thought I’d beat my chocolate cravings so I’m really pleased.

That I can manage very well without that "treat" of a couple of glasses of wine 3-4 times a week.

I thought I needed it, I thought I deserved it but I don't.

Have given up alcohol for the time being, certainly until I can enjoy a drink in a pub, maybe forever. I am almost relieved that I have discovered that drinking was purely (only) a habit.

I’ve saved about £900 from not socialising but also from not buying two takeaway lattes a day (daft habit). I will go back to socialising but will restrict the lattes to one or none daily. And probably savour them more!

I’ve discovered that I don’t really need to blow dry my hair. Well- not to the extent I usually do.

I’ve always blow dried it in sections with a brush. Takes ages and gives me a pain in my arms. Turns out I can just roughly blast it with my head upside down and then twist it up with a butterfly clip and when I take it down it’s fine.

All those hours wasted....

I have also stopped wearing make up for work. Am not going to start again. That's an extra 5 minutes in bed

I will go back to socialising but will restrict the lattes to one or none daily. And probably savour them more!

I did this when I was trying to lose weight, because I couldn’t bear skinny lattes. I eventually went down to one a week - as my Friday treat for being good all week. Both my bank balance and my waist line benefited.

My lockdown positive is that we found a local food company which usually supplies restaurants, but is now delivering to the public; a local cheese producer who’ll deliver cheese, (raw) milk and flour, and a local farm shop for fruit and veg. I’ve been to the local Co-op 3-4 times since lockdown, haven’t been to a big supermarket at all, and don’t intend to. All the places we’ve found will carry on selling to the public after restrictions have been lifted, and we’ll be very happy to support them. I don’t see us going to a big supermarket more than once every 4-6 weeks, and ideally less often than that.

These are such good things. AnyFucker you’ve just reminded me of another big positive that I’d forgotten. I’ve stopped wearing make-up too. From 14 onwards (I’m 60 now) I’ve not ventured out the house without a full face of it on. I felt ugly and sickly looking without out it. Once lockdown started suddenly it felt unnecessary even when I when I went out for my daily walk. Now I’m used to seeing myself without it and the sun and air has made my skin look less pale and wan. In the last few days I’ve ventured into the local shop for a few things and have worn a cotton mask so make up is truly pointless with only my eyes visible. It’s amazing how things we never really thought about - daily coffees, glasses of wine as a reward at the end of the day, that we can look ok minus proper blow dries and faces of make-up can now be either ditched or reduced.