The 5 Upsides Of 2020’s Lockdown

2020. We are not sure quite what has happened to you, but the Kir Royale infused New Year’s Eve celebrations with the well-intended ‘new year, new me’ and New Year resolutions have probably all but disappeared from our lives!

Whether you called it lockdown or quarantine, nearly all of us reading this had to stay confined to our homes for a period during 2020. This single action put the breaks on and sent shockwaves through our pre-lockdown lives. The instant change of pace, the uncertainty of the future and the lack of physical human interaction was a challenge to adapt to. However, over the weeks and months of lockdown, irreversible changes have happened to my life for the better. These are my top five upsides of lockdown in 2020.

“Who would have thought our home, with a little imagination and enthusiasm, could turn in to a Michelin starred restaurant, an immersive art studio or an eclectic cocktail bar with limits stretching as far as our imagination lets us…”

1. Taken Back Time

With no commute in the week and no need to rush around filling time at weekends, I cannot believe how much personal time has been freed up. No pressure on attending places and events means a recharge and a reset at a personal level on a huge scale. My time is being filled to read, learn, connect with family, exercise and if I want to, just rest!

2. Appreciation Of A Moment Of Peace

It was the moment that the airplanes stopped flying overhead, the nearby motorway hum fell silent and nature’s song took over. The feeling can only be described as feeling as peaceful as being on holiday, but in my back garden. Top that off with making a homemade Margarita and I was in a moment of total peace and bliss!

3. Discovering New Ways To Connect With Loved Ones

Lockdown forced each family, couple and individual to stay in their own homes for a period of time. The physical separation did something remarkable to my technophobe family. Facetime, WhatsApp and House Party became the new way to communicate with each other. Regardless of their generation, each family member has embraced technology to combat feeling isolated and lonely, a new skill they will all possess and continue to use forever. Go grandma!

4. Unleashing Creativity At Home

Who would have thought our home, with a little imagination and enthusiasm, could turn in to a Michelin starred restaurant, an immersive art studio or an eclectic cocktail bar with limits stretching as far as our imagination lets us (and what’s in stock in the house). Lockdown has seen a boom in home bar enthusiasts with a yearning for something more than a glass of wine or a beer. A website in the form of www.makemeacocktail.com has helped us unleash our inner cocktail maker! Thanks to lockdown and an exploration of the spirits aisle, we are realising the art of cocktail making is not a secret kept only for the best bartenders and practise does indeed make perfect! Who would have thought we could confidently make an Espresso Martini or a Cosmopolitan?!

5. Our Kids!

Apologies to those without children, but this is the ultimate upside to lockdown. The seemingly infinite amount of time we have been able to spend with our children who have not been at school while we work from home has been a blessing, if admittedly on occasion a hair pulling curse…! Cardboard robots taking three days to make, an endless production line of baking, connecting with local nature, walking, talking and being in one another’s presence results in an indescribable inner contentment of the time we have been given together, memories created to be cherished forever.

Have you experienced any of these upsides of lockdown? Or perhaps more?

If you’d like to unleash your inner cocktail making enthusiast at home, buy the book Make Me A Cocktail Top 50 Cocktails online