every lockdown has a silver lining

You could argue that only Walter Mitty and colleagues could find any positives to draw from the nightmarish Coronavirus Pandemic, however, I can't help thinking that there will be numerous mind shifts that will emerge from this episode, many positive and even life changing.

Lockdown has opened up new opportunities for many that would simply not exist.  Opportunities, not in the revenue generating type, but ones that allow us to reassess what is important to us.  The fatal implications for too many of COVID-19, also helps create a useful filter for issues that we might have in the past, fretted over - issues that now we can firmly assign to the "not important" box.

I'm so lucky.  I live in a lovely part of Devon and am confined here with my grown up family in a house which is large enough that we can be close or far away from each other - certainly not the case for all - and we even have the luxury of escaping to the nearby (30 large steps away) Devon Business & Education Centre if we want decent internet or need a variety of business space.  However, many of the positives could apply to all - here are my top 5 - what are yours?
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1. Time to notice the little things.  Frenetic lifestyles have evaporated into thin air and we now have the time to reengage with the world around us, connecting with people, our surroundings, new ideas and our own thoughts.  Using this opportunity will help us prosper over this period of lockdown.
   
   
2. Health, happiness and calm.  Faced with the remote but palpable possibility of meeting our maker, not surprisingly many are starting to take their health seriously, taking more exercise, eating better and valuing relaxation.  Creating more balance in one's life, working in a way that suits  your own preferred styles and learning to be not do are  key skills that will equip you for a healthier future.
   
   
3. Rejoining your Community.   Recognising the importance of the people around you, people who are equally threatened by the current circumstances and who we now have a responsibility for.  Virtual or physical, the community can help you feel connected in a time when physical travel isn't possible.
   
   
4. All work, no play.   When work was our purpose, we were ruled by our calendars and our targets.  We now have the potential to  recalibrate, making as much effort to fit in the "non-work".  Virtual connection has helped us realise how much of our time was non-productive. 
   
   
5. Thankfulness.  Being grateful to the people who care for us, the people who deliver goods to us, the people who look out for us - is a good thing. We are not the centre of the world, we are just part of it.

So the question is.  When the world returns to a post-lockdown reality, will we have adopted these new insights or will we revert?  I hope we realise that the new world could be our opportunity to be better people and better colleagues.

​What are your 5?

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