When we went into lockdown, we all worried about what we would do without pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, holidays, theatres, and everything that keeps us busy.  

The individual worlds we used to live in are suddenly becoming less significant and we are beginning to appreciate the simpler things in life. The changes in our lives have prompted new perspectives – we are appreciating things we once took for granted but that we now miss dearly – it has made us realize how much we have in our lives to be grateful about.  

In addition, the pandemic has made us stop and think about how we live life, bringing us back to basics. It’s been a great time to reflect on what is important to us. The norm of our lives during lockdown is to do nothing, and through curtailed activity is how we’ve rediscovered the simpler things in life.  

We’ve been finding great joy in simple things like reading a book, writing a journal, taking a walk in the park, or baking a cake. We’ve been appreciating warm sunny days and hugs from loved ones even more.  

With no pressure to go out, we’ve been doing gardening or catching up on DIY jobs around the house. People have found time to start reading novels and lose themselves in the world of imaginary characters.  

Families are spending more time together and forming stronger bonds.  

The simpler things in life  

The pandemic has made the present uncertain and the future unknown and therefore perhaps what could have made us re-discover these simple joys in our lives. According to Niels Eek, a psychologist and co-founder of the mental wellbeing platform Remente, “[People are] looking to do things that they know the outcome of, thus allowing them to feel more in control. We’ve seen a huge surge in people baking or taking this time to deep clean their homes; the repetitive tasks feel familiar to us and therefore can help us feel calmer.”    

We are using these small escapes as ways of dealing with this pandemic. 

How we measure happiness – or “subjective well-being“, how people experience and evaluate their lives in specific domains, and the activities they partake in as described in contemporary psychology and economics – has changed.  

Being isolated from our loved ones, public life, our daily routines, and our workplaces have made us have a more social and outward-facing view of wellbeing. We’ve become more interdependent on each other and the community. According to data from the Office of National Statistics, 73% of UK residents felt that they could rely on others in their community during the pandemic, and 81% felt that their community is doing more to help others than before the pandemic.  

Mental Health – what if you are struggling?  

Nonetheless, there are still millions that are suffering from loneliness and anxiety.  It seems that our lives have paused so it’s easy to struggle to find meaning in the day-to-day.   

What can you do to improve this? Given you cannot change the circumstances, perhaps the best way is to change your mindset towards it, as everything we attract in life will depend on your mindset, and therefore how you approach it.   

Reflect daily on the things you are grateful for – perhaps thinking about what the pandemic has given to you instead of taken away from you.  

Mindfulness is a great way to transform our lives into having more purpose and being more fulfilling. It also helps you focus your attention on the positive things in life, leading to a happier life. 

Whether it’s breathing exercises, meditation, writing, or yoga, integrating these exercises into our lives can make a huge difference. 

Meditation is a great way to look after our minds. It can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a lifestyle. 

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Oprah Winfrey  

With our mindset, we could view the pandemic as an inconvenience, or perhaps we can use it as an opportunity to slow things down and work on ourselves.  

The effectiveness of the vaccine makes the prospect of returning to normal life more hopeful, but have these dramatic changes in our lives already changed how we face life? There is no doubt that there are some things about life in quarantine that are worth keeping.  

 What habits are you keeping post-pandemic? Let us know!