Things we’ve learnt in lockdown 

In the spirit of truthfulness and openness, this week at M Life we thought we’d share some of the surprising things we’ve learnt during lockdown.
Shared experiences are something we’re all missing, so we’ve also included a few more honest confessions and curious discoveries to bring us all closer together. Because solidarity isn’t just for the studio.

It’s hard to keep calm and carry on

Never mind an emotional rollercoaster – we’re in an emotional theme park. No matter whether we’re isolating alone or with a crowd, these are testing times. Even those of us normally consider ourselves as calm and collected, or as masters of zen, are feeling on edge. Picture lots of pacing around the house or garden, and counting down the hours until our one, precious permitted excursion to the park or wherever we can find some (physical and mental) space.
Despite this feeling of entrapment, there is an upside: we’ll never again take our freedom for granted. And for those whom an hour of exercise or escape simply isn’t possible right now, the lockdown will be the incentive we need to take more breaks, go outside and factor our physical and emotional needs into our day, once things return to normal. If we’re being open, all those yoga classes, mindfulness sessions and guided meditations have been telling us this for years, we’ve just didn’t really listen…

Each to their own

Having to compromise on our self-care routines and the things in our lives that we find restorative is tough. Yet when we really think about it, what brings us release, peace and helps us decompress is not always obvious. The things we can no longer do like going out to a café or restaurant, visiting the hairdresser, booking a trip with friends or browsing the supermarket aisles are greatly missed, but there are things we secretly (or didn’t realise) value more. Listening to the radio in the car on our way to work or sitting in the driveway a little longer to finish a good podcast or audio book, going to the dentist, sitting in the window in the sunshine or being smiled at by a stranger seem like luxuries right now. What truly brings us joy can be quite surprising. Even walking to the other side of the office with a ‘quick question’ has become something we need and yearn for daily.

Sunshine through the rain

Gratitude for the lockdown sounds a bit ‘Goop’, but in reality, the chance to take stock of what’s important and appreciate what we do have is life affirming. We know it’s had an amazing effect on our outlook. A change in pace has allowed us to realise how fortunate we are, remember there are people in the world other than ourselves, and given food for thought as to what we should stop, start and do more of. The lockdown has brought awareness and a sense of perspective that we didn’t know we needed. Here’s hoping that what provided us with solace and consolation in these unprecedented times remains something that we continue to hold dear.

Green guilt

This is a bad one… feel free to judge us. The reduction in emissions, pollution and the lessening of the impact on the environment because of lockdown measures has crept into our consciousness and become an increasingly strong internal justification for buying more stuff. Thankfully the world is wising up to the rate and volume of human consumption, still, we do (naughtily) exempt certain purchases or think not washing that yoghurt pot or that plastic tray won’t make a difference this time. Just because we’re not going out and doing XYZ, or our carbon footprint is reduced because we can’t use our cars, shouldn’t mean we make more purchases over the internet to stave off the boredom or are more carefree with the waste we produce. If we’re to forge a better path forward for the world around us, we need to change. For the things we do need to buy, Investing in good quality, carefully crafted and long-lasting goods that we know aren’t just ‘stuff’ is a good place to start.

Family time is hard

More family time, in some ways, has been a real blessing and a long-overdue opportunity to be present in our loved one’s lives. Still, spending very long, extended periods of time with a one group or individual isn’t always going to be easy. Yes, there are moments in life we wouldn’t miss for the world. Yes, some of these are happening because of lockdown. However, there are times when we resent, regret and even dislike those around us. This is something we all need to accept is a consequence and quite natural when cooped up with others with tensions rising. We can also turn this into a positive. We’re making memories, having interactions and exchanges with our children, parents, partners or friends that we might not otherwise have, and just by dint of being together can take so much more time to appreciate what we bring to each other’s lives. We owe it to those who are lonely, don’t have a stable home life or are subject to much worse.

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We’d love to hear your lockdown lessons and what you’re doing in these strange times. Contact us here.

For now, stay safe, well and if you can, at peace.

Namaste,
M Life x

If you're interested in living a yoga-inspired lifestyle you can read our blog post here.

Or if you're in need of some tips on staying positive during lockdown you can read our lockdown list here.

You can also read about the M Life charitable partnership here.