Hey guys! Today’s post comes from the lovely Jupiter (who I have worked with several times and every post is a must read). Without further ado, let me pass you over:
When lockdown was first announced, I felt that my life wouldn’t change. Myself and my partner both work from home – we work in games – and it seemed like the normality of it all would still be there. We wouldn’t stop commuting to our desks, surely this would pass soon, the world seemed to just be reacting to the next biggest thing.
But after 6 months in lockdown, life has in-fact changed. The first thing that both of us started to comment on was the shops not being open as late as we expected. Instead of being able to pop out to the shops, something we did during normal working hours, we couldn’t. Large lines were outside shops and they closed a lot sooner than they had previously, which made it hard to decide what to eat an hour before you wanted to eat it. This was a minor annoyance, but one of the major things we did outside of the house was going to the shop. It’s a normal part of everyday life that just seemed to be taken away.
Despite working from home, it turns out that we go out a lot. I didn’t realize how important going out was for my mental health, as being stuck inside all day with (mainly) one other person to talk too will really drive you mad. We were going out once a week to a movie group, once every other week to board games, and out at the weekends to parties, dinners, events. All of these events took us out of our work environments and brought us to new places with other faces to interact with. Without the ability to go out and enjoy life outside my own walls, the house started feeling small, claustrophobic, difficult to manage. Being upstairs and away from my partner, who works downstairs, became unbearable as there was nobody else that I was able to see.
We started coming up with little activities, projects that could then take our mind off of working and having to stay inside the house. We started making complex dinners, baking breads, trying our hand at different foods we had never even attempted before. We ordered kits that could be delivered to our door that mimicked what we would be going out to do; cocktail kits, activity kits, and doing small picnics in our back garden when we couldn’t stand being inside anymore.
Our back garden got a bit of an overhaul, with flowers being planted, a toy chest being installed for all of our outdoor gear, and lights being added for a bit more interest. This backyard felt like our only escape to the outside world, so we tried to use that to make the most of it. Both of us upgraded our desk spaces, making them more efficient and just generally nicer, as the lockdown doesn’t feel like it’s going to completely end anytime soon.
Now that lockdown has started to ease, we are taking advantage of it (safetly) by going out and enjoying restaurants. We spend time outdoors at local parks and on nature walks. It’s really changed my perspective on working from home and on the way the world works – sometimes it takes a pandemic to realize what is really important and needed in life.
Links: Jupiterhadley.com // instagram.com/JupiterHadley
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