Eight signs you’re not ready to go back to real life after lockdown
Lockdown has changed life as we know it, and as much as we like to moan about the endless hours of Netflix, the lack of routine and the end of social plans, we have to admit, we’re starting to feel really comfortable in our ‘new normal’.
If the thought of going back to ‘real life’ and its responsibilities has you hiding under the duvet, we don’t blame you. Here are some key signs you’re not ready to resume business as usual.
1. The thought of carrying a handbag feels alien to you
You know that in the past, you couldn’t have possibly left the house without a bag stuffed to the brim with make-up, gym kit, notepads and miscellaneous rubbish, but now the thought of lugging your life around with you feels borderline unbelievable.
The last few months, you’ve enjoyed sauntering to the supermarket with just a house key and a bank card in your pocket. You’re not ready to go back to the days of being weighed down with five tote bags on each shoulder.
2. Your old commute feels like a bad dream
You know you used to do it day-in-day-out, but the thought of going back to your morning commute has you dreaming up inventive ways you could fake your own death and start a new life elsewhere.
Sitting in standstill traffic, cramming onto a packed train, waking up at the crack of dawn – your stressful journey to the office is one thing you’d happily leave firmly in the past.
3. You get exhausted after doing one fairly simple activity
Back in the pre-lockdown days, you had plans pretty much every night. It wasn’t unheard of for you to flit from a gym class, to work, to dinner, drinks and dancing with pals.
Now you need to lie down after you walk to the shops and have a basic interaction with the checkout person. This does not bode well for your social and dating life.
4. You feel like you’ve forgotten how to socialise
Speaking of socialising, you feel like it’s been so long, you’ve forgotten how to have a basic conversation with another human.
Zoom conversations are punctuated with awkward silences, chit chat with the postman is painfully awkward and you and your mates have joked about how lockdown has destroyed any hope you have of dating ever again. Let’s hope everyone else is in the same painfully shy boat as you.
5. You’re not ready to part ways with your sweatpants
Jeans are great and everything, but have you ever spent several months exclusively wearing sweatpants and pyjama bottoms?
If you’ve spent all of lockdown in cosy clothing, the idea of cramming yourself into denim, a high-denier tight or crotch-hugging trousers is abominable. It’s lycra, flannel or cashmere from here on in.
6. There’s still a bunch of things you’ve yet to ‘achieve’
The end of lockdown not only signals the end of a more forgiving wardrobe, but it also means your deadline to do something productive with your lockdown is looming on the horizon.
You haven’t mastered a new language, picked up a new skill or started your own side hustle. In fact, you’ve barely made your way through your list of Netflix boxsets. This is not how you envisaged things would pan out.
7. You’ll miss having interrupted ‘me’ time
No more decadent lunchtime baths, spending the weekend lazing on the sofa or scrapping your hair and make-up routine. Soon the kids will need running to their friends houses, the social events will start dropping into your calendar and normal life will resume.
8. You kind of like your new routine
At first you hated lockdown. You despised working next to the kitchen bin, you loathed doing living room workouts and you couldn’t get your head around having zero social plans at the weekend.
These days? You’re kind of loving a slower pace of life. Of course, you’re missing seeing your family and friends, but you’ll definitely be switching up your routine so you integrate some of the beneficial things about lockdown in the future.
Bring on the Sunday morning lie-ins…
Image: iStock/PA
