Life after lockdown: 5 ways to adapt to your new normal

Are you looking forward to life after lockdown?  Some people are. Some people aren’t. 

In fact, a Gallup study  found that many people are reluctant to jump back into normal life after the restrictions ease. 

Many of us are wondering if life after lockdown will be normal again. With time, it might. Positive changes are happening, and some countries have started to ease on the restrictions.

This new life you found yourself living: staying mostly indoors, home educating your children, not being to see friends and family and even working from your house, will change.

So how do we prepare for life after lockdown? Things will still be different for sure, after all, the pandemic isn’t over yet and fear is still looming in the air

But there are some things we can do to ease the anxiety around covid-19 and make adapting to this new normal easier. In this article, I’m going to share five ways you can do that.

Social distanced visits with family & friends

One of the things you probably struggled with the most these past couple of weeks, was not being able to see your friends and family.

If you’re anxious about life after lockdown, a good way to ease your anxiety and become excited is to plan on visiting your loved ones. There might still be rules you need to practise for your safety and theirs, but that won’t take away from the joy of being around the people you love. 

So make this a priority. Once the lockdown eases, make plans with all the people you love to experience shared joy, such as going out for a picnic or a walk. 

If you have children, be sure to tell them to make plans with their friends and family too, so they can get excited. 

Taking care of your mental health

There’s been a lot of focus on looking after our physical health during the pandemic, for obvious reasons, but people have equally suffered from their mental and emotional health. 

Anxiety levels in particular have increased  due to the effects of the pandemic,

Life after lockdown might bring a new wave of anxious feelings, so make sure to check in with your mental health. If you’ve felt an increase in depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issues, be sure to check in with a profession and get help you need. The last few months haven’t been easy for you or anyone, and it’s okay not to feel great.  If you’ve noticed that your emotional health has been affected, there are some things you can do to manage your feelings.

If you’ve been angry and frustrated for example, doing breathing exercises and meditation can help to reduce those emotions. Talking to your loved ones, and sharing happy moments with them can help too. 

Being patient with yourself and practising self-love is also a good way of managing negative thoughts and emotions. 

Be prepared for the changes at work

One of the first things people will do once lockdown restrictions ease, is go back to work. 

Once you’re back at work, social distancing rules might still apply. You’ll be advised to stay away from gatherings and be mindful about hygiene.

Be mentally prepared for the changes in the workplace, and as mentioned above, make sure to check in on your mental health. Work tends to be stressful in general, and you don’t want the post-lockdown work life to add more anxiety to your plate.

A good way to know how the workplace is affecting your mental health is to talk to someone you trust about it, that can be a friend or family member, or even a colleague. 

Sharing your worries and experiences with colleagues at work can help to make you feel less alone in your struggles, you’ll notice everybody feels the same way.

If you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of talking to anyone, you can journal your thoughts and feelings out. Just choose whatever method works best for you, as long as it’s helping you check in with how you feel mentally. 

And again, be sure to check in with a professional if you feel your mental health getting bad, don’t dismiss the signals your mind and body are sending to you. You owe to yourself to heal if you feel mentally unwell. 

Drop unhealthy habits

We’ve all picked up a bad habit. For some people, it’s their sleeping schedule that’s in need of help. For others, their eating habits. 

What’s the bad habit you picked up? As you consider the question, don’t judge yourself for your answer, even if you picked up more than one bad habit. We all cope in different ways. 

After lockdown, you might be forced to drop these bad habits and start living as you did before. If you’re going back to work for example, there’ll be no more sleeping in on weekdays that’s for sure. 

If you start letting go of these habits now, you’ll find it’s much easier to adapt to your new normal after quarantine.

A good way to figure out how you’ll start dropping bad habits, is to write down what the habit you’re doing is, and draft a plan on how you’ll let it go and replace it with a healthier one. 

Explaining the changes to your children

If we think quarantine has been tough for us, then just imagine how challenging it’s been for children.

Once the lockdown eases, don’t assume your children will automatically adapt to this new normal. Have conversations with them about their mental health, and ask them how they feel in general.

Studies show many children have experienced anxiety or an increase in anxiety since the beginning of the pandemic, so it’s important to check in on your kids’ mental health. 

It’s also a good idea to explain to your children beforehand how they’ll have to adapt to their new normal after lockdown, so they’re aware and prepared. Make sure they’re mindful about some of the changes that will happen, like social distancing rules at schools. 

But don’t just focus on the new regulations, make it sound fun and exciting too. Remind them they’ll be with their friends and family. Plan some fun outings, and trips to their favourite places. 

Final thoughts

So, what are you most excited about for life after lockdown?

Just to recap, here are the five things you can do to adapt to your new normal: 

• Visit your friends and family
• Check in your mental health
• Be prepared for the changes at work
• Drop unhealthy habits
• Explain the changes to your children

If you still find the thought of adapting to life after lockdown daunting, I’d like to direct you towards my online coaching services for personalised guidance on how to make your life transition smoother during this challenging time.