In our series of SUSSED posts focusing on wellbeing during lockdown, we’ve invited staff to share their experiences of this unusual and challenging time in their own personal blog posts. Our first post is from Jo Fisher, Corporate Writer and Editor in Communications and Marketing.
2020 brought with it a very different Easter break for us all. This was my first ever Easter away from my family, who are all back in my home county of Kent. I had been hoping to celebrate with them as usual this year, with the added bonus of spoiling my 8-month-old niece rotten; but alas, Coronavirus had other ideas!
Despite not being able to go ‘home’ over the closure days, I was still looking forward to some time off work. I usually like to keep myself busy, and thought that all of this time inside would give me the perfect opportunity to do all the things I wanted to before the pandemic, including writing copious amounts of poetry and catching up with my blog.
Although I had plans for a super-productive week, I ended up taking things a little slower than expected. I had clearly underestimated how much the current climate would impact my mental health, my motivation, and my ability to focus.
In between plenty of down time, my partner and I – it’s just the two of us in a one-bedroom, garden-less flat – made some new traditions of our own, since it was also our first Easter together! We enjoyed a couple of safe walks around the city, as well as a baking session that produced some delicious chocolate-chip banana bread. I joined in with an online poetry workshop, watched plenty of films and TV (who else watched Quiz?) and put together a mammoth Easter quiz myself, entertaining my family over Zoom.
The week seemed to go quickly. I feel fortunate to have had so much time off; with no dependents, and no keyworkers in the household, we were able to listen to our bodies and brains, doing what felt best for us and our mental health each day. And yes, that did involve eating whatever Easter treats we could grab in our last essential shop!
If this very strange Easter taught me anything, it’s that we are all coping with things very differently. If keeping busy and starting projects helps you to deal with this lockdown, then by all means get going – but there is absolutely no pressure to do anything when just getting through the day sometimes is an achievement in itself (especially if you are looking after others).
I wrote about the idea of productivity during this pandemic on my blog when motivation finally found me. Hopefully that’s the first of many pieces of writing I’ll complete over the next few weeks – but if it’s not, that’s ok too.
If you also need a little bit of hope at this difficult time, a poem I wrote during lockdown called Change may help a little bit, too.
I hope you all had a safe and peaceful Easter break; let’s see what the next few weeks of lockdown bring.
Other posts in this series, can be found on SUSSED.
Health and Wellbeing has provided a range of advice for staff including team resilience, guidance for vulnerable adults, setting up your home workstation and maintaining positive wellbeing whilst working from home.
