Time for a fresh start?

Lockdown (or whatever) week 14

I'm not sure whether we're still in 'lockdown' as such - non-essential shops are open, pubs will be soon, we can meet family and friends more, but still keeping our social distances - but even for a stay at home, take every precaution possible, person like me it definitely feels like things have changed and now it's time to get back to normal.
For me, this isn't so much about government advice (good or bad), or heading back to work, but just somehow I feel that it's time to stop lounging about. It could be the passing of midsummer affecting how I feel, but now it's time to get back to my version of normal life. I don't for one minute believe we're out of danger of corona virus, and the situation in Leicester proves it can easily return, but there are still changes I can make to my lifestyle while staying safe.

First thing is getting up in the morning. I actually wake up early enough, but I'm still spending far too long on social media before I move from my bed, followed by another binge while drinking tea after breakfast, and so my day starts really late.

Like many people, I seem to have put on weight throughout lockdown. I need to eat less. I picked the wrong week to try this, as 'click and collect' week always means treats in the grocery order, but dieting/eating sensibly is for life not just one week. I'll keep trying.



I will be going out a little more - not to pubs and cafes, but to National Trust parks and gardens. Last week's trip to Kedleston convinced me that such properties ARE opening in a sensible manner, that I can go there, have a pleasant walk but NOT have to encounter hoards of other visitors. This obviously will mean more walking which will please my Fitbit. I think I was getting enough exercise as such throughout lockdown as I was gardening more, but my walking muscles have slackened.  At home, any activity can be punctuated by a minute on a garden seat, especially if the sun is shining  (remarkably it has through most of the last months) and you're claiming mindfulness as an excuse. I did three miles round Kedleston on Monday, but needed to sit down and rest from time to time. I want to get my fitness back to at least pre-lockdown levels, and preferably higher, but small steps are better than none. With this in mind, we've booked visits to another National Trust property and Chatsworth gardens, and I've added some (very) gentle yoga exercises to the start of the day.



At an emotional level, these past months have brought changes by giving me a quiet time to relax and take stock. Other people were worrying about the virus's impact on them or their loved ones, but I was fairly sure that staying home through lockdown we were safe enough, and the rest of the family were too. I found time to stop rushing about, and let the awful events of the last eighteen months settle. Previously I was coping with grief, but still struggling/fighting with it at times. These months have marked a turning point. You don't completely walk away from the loss of family, it's always there at the back of everything, but I'm ready to move on now.