Positives about lockdown.

[malificent7]

Apart from saving lives!
I am an introvert so while i love friends and family im not desperate for mingling.
Im baking which i love.
Im renovating furniture...ditto.
I have time to do massive amounts of uni work.
Of course there are lots of shit things but trying to find positives.

I'm reading more.
I've bought a bike so done some really nice rides in the sunshine. Apart from that I hate it. I'm on annual leave this week, and everything I had planned is cancelled.

I share so many of these positives.

We're saving loads of money - our fuel bills are enormous usually and now I'm the ibky one working out of the house, with no ferrying of the dc I can do most journos in electric power (we have a hybrid).

Because DH normally works away during the week and he's now at home, we're seeing so much more of him. He's doing bedtime every evening and I'm able to actually have an evening instead of sorting packed lunches and school clothes and tidying on my own.

I have read so many books, I love it! Every evening I'm getting solid reading time in - brilliant!

We're all eating together every evening - this rarely happens due to dc activities and DH being away. It's so lovely to all come together each eve.

The dc are playing properly - long, make believe, dressing up and den building free play games. The kind of thing you may think they'd outgrown but now they've been given the time they've regressed a bit and they're loving it.

We're all appreciating our house and garden and realising how much we have and how lucky we are to live where we do. We've all realised that it's a very nice place to be and there's not a lot more we need.

Playing board games, card games and jigsaws. These things are always a hit on holiday or at Christmas but we never normally play. We've been doing an 1000 piece jigsaw as a family and this morning we were all joining in together - so lovely.

The quiet! No road noise, no sirens, no hustle and bustle. The resurgence of birdsong and wildlife has been startling, and lovely.

The lack of traffic has been liberating. We've walked and cycled up lanes with no fear and the dc have been able to experience a world where the car isn't king.

Whilst this situation is clearly awful in many ways, there are huge positives that I hope will continue to have positive effects for a long time yet.

For me it's having time to exercise. Every day I have been going into the garden, (which has been warm and sunny) and doing a hiit workout. I've lost weight and am toning up already.

Spending more time as a family
No or significantly reduced commute
Managed to clear our overdraft in one month which means we spend a lot of money on CRAP

Downside is that DS is getting more screen time to enable DH and I to be able to work from home effectively, luckily a lot of this is educational stuff on YouTube etc

Positives- more family time with husband and children. Working from home so no drive to work and back. Making most of Excercise on you tube. I'm doing my usual yoga class via Zoom. Slowing down. Reading, watching films, decorating our bedroom.

It's also made me reasess our outgoings and I've cancelled/got reductions of our Direct Debits. It's put things into perspective and makes you focus on what's really important.

If it wasn't happening for such a horrible reason I would love it. The birdsong in the garden, time to organise the house, have spoken to friends I haven't see for ages on the phone or zoom, time to read books, do crafts, spent less money. I am an introvert with a lazy streak, it's a good excuse to avoid disliked activities.

None. My life wasn't very busy or stressful before but now it's even less so as I don't even get to go to work. So I am not seeing anyone at all and just fed up.

So many that have already been said

We're saving so much money on fuel, eating out, coffees, clothes, just stuff that we obviously don't need. We are spending more money on groceries though but maybe we actually aren't, it's all just condensed into one big spend instead of going almost daily.

Having a break from family. I have a very 'intense' family who can be very negative and draining. It's been WONDERFUL to step off the constant visiting schedule and limit contact. I feel physically better for it.

Having time in general, time to go for a walk after work. Time to do DIY. Time to do the garden. I did all these things before but everything was such a bloody rush all the time. To get things done there was no down time and now there is just so much more room to breathe. We were just pinging around from one thing to another.

Loving hearing the birds, seeing more wildlife around. Less traffic noise, no planes overhead.

Taking the time to appreciate what we have, using food up rather than waste it, cooking more creatively because we have time.

Reading a book, a task that seemed impossible to fit in previously.

More wildlife, cleaner air, less noise from road traffic.
I'm not getting fat :)

Nice walks on my own.
Doing my Pilates dvd every day.
Reading.
Getting jobs done in the house and garden.

Me and DH are still working (I'm a manager in retail & he's MET police) but I'm really enjoying not rushing to get the kids sorted in the mornings and constantly telling them to go to bed at a reasonable time. We've a lot saved money on their school travel too.
I've more time to spend on the garden and set up the veggie patch and the kids have been helping plant seeds and digging the patch ready for the seedlings to go in.
DS had his bday in lockdown and we got him a telescope, it's been amazing standing out in the evenings star gazing.
We are really really lucky though especially as we have an acre of garden so don't feel trapped at all, not lost our jobs and the kids are old enough to be at home alone. I do really feel for those who are stuck in flats or worrying about money and I often feel guilty about that x

I’m not enjoying it. Work is stressful and I’m not doing well trying to prop up a failing business and cajole reticent teens into studying. DP is elsewhere and I miss him. I am so much less active and we are not on the ski holiday we had been looking forward to for months.

But...it’s nice to start the working day in the garden with a coffee, not on the tube. I’m enjoying the family time we do have - the children are getting along well and are often happy to join in with activities. I’m using random half bottles of sauce and bits from the freezer which is satisfying. And through the local Whatsapp group we’ve made some good virtual connections - when this is over we are going to go out into the street and drink wine and dance. That will be good.

Whilst work is very busy and Incredibly tiring and stressful (Care home manager) a lot of my anxiety outside of that (around managing the rest of life outside work, social stuff, juggling kids, getting stuff done around the house etc etc) has gone. All I have to do right now is work and make sure the kids are ok, and as they are early teens they aren't that much bother after the first few weeks angst whilst getting used to the new normal.

DP is cracking on with lots of decorating that had been bothering me for the whole time we've lived here. I'm not constantly rushing to get the girls to their sports or leaving early to get them from school or whatever.

Life is a bit more dull (outside of work) but it actually feels like a nice break from some aspects (except its for such a horrible reason).

Getting a break from working and school routines.

Spending time together as a family (although that's been trying at times).

I have been doing more exercise (still not lost any bloody weight though, which is depressing me, but that's nothing new).

I had a clear out of crap from under the beds. Don't have much storage in this little house so a lot of stuff gets put under the beds.

Sounds great but how do yo all have time for this? My work ramps up at 830 and is non stop until 6! I'm working harder and longer now than i did in the office. I am getting 3 weeks to the gallon in gas though

My DDs are loving exploring the local area on our daily walks.
We're saving loads on fuel
DDs realise they don't need TV / tech all the while and are playing loads of imaginary games

My life has barely changed, but it's nice to have all DC at home and they're all making an effort with each other.
DH is at home too, he usually works away. He's got a lot done round the house that we've put off and the kids are really benefiting from having him around.
I'm getting loads of sleep because he makes me go to bed early, which I hate to say is doing me good.

I work long hours normally and work long hours now. The difference is I've regained the 105 mins commuting time in my day and now have time to make a decent meal, rather than just chucking something in the oven.

We have no children though, so know it's a lot easier for us than a lot of people.

Positives;
We are having a proper breakfast, lunch & dinner time each day, all together and sitting at the table to do so!
Plenty of time to crack through the long list of household chores.
Will finally get the garden fence creosoted (bought the creosote last summer but never got round to it).
Ditto for the shed & varnishing.
Live close to lots of countryside walks so still getting to walk my dog & the weather is now beautiful.
Lucky enough to have good friends and family very close by, who check if I need anything & pick stuff up at shops for me.
Am financially stable enough in my job, that whilst this is a fasten your belt time, we’ll be ok.
Got plenty of time to start writing (something I always wanted to do).
We are all Covid free in this house & so are my nearest, dearest & loved ones...that’s something to be thankful for!
I have MS and I’m NOT relapsing at the moment. Thank goodness as that would be a nightmare!
I’m also an introvert and a patient person, so very happy plodding along during these conditions.
So, plenty of silver linings!