Lockdown: learning to love life wholeheartedly

Although for many, the lockdown has been heart-breaking at worst, and inconvenient at best, I have been lucky enough to learn many lessons along the way. The slower pace that lockdown brings has given me the breathing space to appreciate everything about myself, and the world around me; providing me with some much needed positivity as I enter the big wide world of graduate life.

Discovering the importance of self-love

Lockdown has left me with a lot of thinking time, with hours on end spent with my own thoughts, but this has actually done me the world of good. Rather than distracting myself from the worries plaguing my mind, I have been forced to sit and work through them. Plus, with less demands upon my time, I have been able to focus on what I want to do, as well as realising that it is okay to love who I am, and to put myself first.

This self-love has also expanded to my physical appearance. Before lockdown, I wore makeup almost every day, even if just for a one-hour lecture, but with the obvious lack of outings, I have barely worn any makeup recently. Looking at my bare face every day, I have learnt to accept the imperfections and be confident enough in my skin to go au naturel to social occasions—something teenage me could never have imagined.

Then in terms of physical wellbeing, lockdown has helped me feel more comfortable with my body than I have ever been before. With the new time on my hands, I committed to exercising every day. I no longer had the pressure of a holiday bikini body, or even wanting to look nice for a night out, so this wasn’t driven by the need to lose weight. Enjoying exercise for the state of my mental and physical health, regardless of scales, has been something I have fostered during lockdown. I have learnt to love my body for the things it can do, rather than just the way it looks.

I have learnt to love my body for the things it can do, rather than just the way it looks.

Fully appreciating family and friends

I spent the first 3 months of lockdown with my family, and going from living 100 miles away in Newcastle, to being with them 24/7, was therefore a major change. However, I feel so lucky to have had that time. I do not know what my future will hold, but I doubt I will have this chance again; even if I stayed at home, we would all be back in the working world again soon. Quarantine gave me a chance to remind myself of my unconditional love for my family; we didn’t even bicker despite being stuck together for so long. When so many around the UK are losing loved ones, it really made me hold on to mine even tighter, realising the futility of petty arguments, and enjoying hugging the only people I was legally allowed to!

I am also a major social butterfly, usually cherishing every opportunity to hang out with friends and meet new people, so lockdown has been a huge upset for me in this regard. However, it can also be easy to take your friends for granted in the bustle of life, thus the restrictions have made me sit back and fully appreciate all those around me. When your contact with your best friend is reduced to a zoom call, or a socially distanced meet-up, each moment becomes more and more precious. I cannot wait for lockdown to be over; it will be a time when every activity with my friends will be amplified in enjoyability. Every night out will be THE BIG NIGHT OUT, each restaurant meal THE BEST FOOD EVER, and ultimately every get-together a MAJOR CELEBRATION. I certainty won’t be taking my friends or family for granted again!

When your contact with your best friend is reduced to a zoom call, or a socially distanced meet-up, each moment becomes more and more precious.

So, although I am desperately wishing for lockdown to end, I won’t forget the lessons it has taught me. My newfound rapturous appreciation for everything in my life is something I will carry with me even when the world starts moving at full pace again.

Aimee Seddon
Tweet to @aimeeseddon_

Featured image courtesy of Fernando Brasil on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.