What life lessons have you gained during quarantine? The last 100 days have certainly been a time for reflection as we grapple with our “new normal.” With our lives on pause, we have a unique window of space to decide what we do and don’t want going forward. My own life lessons have thrown up a few surprises showing me that it’s the things I take for granted that are the most precious.
Forest bathing conjures up images of sophisticated spa retreats in pine-clad Swedish forests but it’s actually much simpler than that. It’s all about taking slow walks in woodland habitats to savour the sights, sounds, scents and textures of nature. You don’t need any special clothing or equipment, it requires minimal physical exertion and is best done in social isolation – making it the perfect lockdown activity.
With the grim prospect of no foreign travel this summer, we’ve got no choice other than to holiday at home this year. Forced to use up my precious annual leave on a staycation chez moi, I’m determined to make the best of it. While these holiday at home ideas won’t compete with two weeks in Santorini, they may help to make holidaying in your own pied-a-terre on the costa-del-home feel that little bit more special.
I never thought I would say this but I miss my commute. When working from home was first announced, ditching my commute to work was the biggest cause for celebration. But now ten weeks on, I’m amazed to find that my feelings have changed. While I’m loving having more time and money at my disposal, there are also some surprising things that I miss about my commute.
A few years ago, I wrote a post on random acts of kindness you can do in the office. Fast forward to 2020 and life has turned on its head with us all now working from home. Who knows whether this will be a purely short-term measure or a permanent transformation of office life. The steep trajectory of this transition can have negative consequences for our mental health. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re all being asked to commit to one act of kindness this week and what better time to support your colleagues working from home by showing them a little kindness.
With no end in sight to lockdown, we’re all getting a little jaded with making banana bread and crocheting blankets. As cabin fever sets in, we can still travel in our minds and fantasize about doing all the things that we previously took for granted. Here are my top thirty things that I can’t wait to do once lockdown is over – some a tad surprising even to me!
“You better come and get your laptop – we’re shutting the office due to the coronavirus pandemic” barked my boss down the phone. A pang of shock rippled through me with the realisation that coronavirus had finally taken hold of London.
After a knuckle duster Brexit ride last year, we’ve now been tossed out of the frying pan and into a fire of pandemic proportions. And nowhere are the impacts more apparent than in the office. With the prospect of working from home becoming the norm for the months ahead, Coronavirus is radically changing the way we work. While nobody would have wished for such a contagion, there have been five surprising silver linings that could shake up office culture for the foreseeable future.
In common with many offices across the land, my company offers two days per year for employees to volunteer at the charity of their choice. Being a sociable bunch, we opted for a team volunteering day. But with an endless supply of good causes, who to choose? Being food lovers who love the indoors this time of year, we chose a team volunteering day at Hackney Food Bank. And what an eye opener it turned out to be.
Are you always running short by the end of the month? If you want to save more of your salary but can’t face the faff of scrutinising every penny leaving your account, help is at hand. Ditching contactless in favour of good old-fashioned cash has paid dividends for my savings and here’s how you can save more too.
