5 Life lessons learned during lockdown

I thought I would share with you 5 life lessons I have learned during lockdown due to the Coronovirus Pandemic.

UK Lockdown 2020

I am a mature blogger approaching 60 next month – where did those years go????? I learned many years ago that you never know everything and that there are always new things to be learned and new challenges to be met.

As you grow older there are many life lessons that have been learned along the way but these can be changed and relearned differently again.

These have been strange times for us all. We are now in our 12th week and I have been reflecting on my time staying home. I thought I would share with you 5 lessons I have learned during this time.

Life lessons learned

1 Toilet Roll became the symbol of the pandemic. Shopping for food was initially very difficult as we all now, what was interesting to me after following my favourite youtube vloggers overseas is that the search and stockpiling of toilet rolls was a worldwide issue. It was a source of frustration but also humour. I learned some facts about why the humble loo roll became so important. Firstly toilet paper flows from paper mills to retail stores through a tight, efficient supply chain. Toilet paper is bulky and not very profitable, so retailers don’t keep a lot of inventory on hand; they just get frequent shipments and restock their shelves. Once people started to buy in bulk, which in fact first started in China in February and rapidly spread to Australia, USA, Canada and here in the UK. Shelves started to look empty panic set it and the supply chains initially struggled to keep up supplies. Secondly the psychology of it set in the FOMO instict or Fear Of Missing Out .”They think if this person is buying it, if my neighbour is buying there’s got to be a reason and I need to get in too,”

One consumer expert, Dr Rohan Miller from the University of Sydney, believes it is a reflection of an urbanised society and lifestyle where modern convenience reigns supreme.

“We’re not used to shortages and scarcity, we’re used to being able to pick and choose what we want, when we want. So the rush to get toilet paper is just this sheep mentality to maintain that status,” he says.

Soft, white squares of toilet roll – marketed with pictures of puppies and pure snow – are a daily “luxury” that Australians and others just aren’t willing to mentally part with.

“I think people want to make sure they have some comforts in their lives if they’re going to be shacked up with their family for a long time,” he says.

“Toilet paper doesn’t really matter – it’s just so far down the survival list compared to other things like food or water – but it’s just something people cling to as a minimum standard.” The thought of no loo roll filled people with dread!

2. I realised very early on how thankful I was to own a house with a garden. I’m fortunate to have always lived in a home with a garden even as a child. Neither my parents or Mr Fitz have been keen gardeners but have dabbled and enjoy having their own outdoor space. When we moved into this house nearly 5 years ago the aspect of the garden, south facing, was fairly important on our wishlist. We knew nothing about this feature when we bought our first home, but having lived in a house with a sunny aspect we felt it important to have the same again. This was only important to us so that we could sit out and enjoy time reading, contemplating whilst enjoying a beer or a glass of wine.  During lockdown it was so important to have our own outdoor space whilst staying home. We caught up on a few maintenance jobs like repainting our fence and metal gates. Then we caught the gardening bug! We started to dig out flower beds and replant them. I even started my own veg patch using the square foot gardening technique. I am now the proud owner of blooming seedlings, tomato plants and potato plants! The other reason we have loved our garden is that we have been so entertained by the birds who inhabit the garden too. A family of Robins have been so fascinating to watch, they have become tame and now have us very well trained. They know when they appear in the morning and the evening we will go out and feed them! We adore them and have seen their juvenile off spring hopping around the lawn.

Enjoying time in the garden

3 How to cut my fringe! Oh how I miss my hairdresser who is also one of my closest friends. I have discussed before that my hair has taken a hit during the menopause, losing body and texture. It is also thinning. I need her talents to keep it in check and looking the best it can. My roots are emerging but I have been able to touch them up due to some great products, but like loo roll they too have been in short supply. However my fringe has become a nuisance, as it grew it became lank and lifeless. I have watched youtube videos and learned how to cut it myself. I now possess a budget pair of hairdressing scissors!

4 Cooking our own ‘treat’ meals are better than takeaways. This is something I’ve discussed before but how to reduce food waste and be creative when meal planning. As we have been social distancing we haven’t been able to indulge in old habits where if we fancy a particular meal or need an ingredient for a recipe. I have continued to reduce food waste and use up leftover produce and meals again. We used to regularly have at least 2 takeaways per week and this is something we have stopped doing now. We have had a couple of curries delivered from our favourite Indian Restaurant but his works out around £30 with delivery. We have now started buying some nice ingredients to cook ourselves and enjoy. This weekend Mr Fitz bought  a leg of lamb which was around £11, before lockdown we would have thought that a lot to spend on one meal. However reflecting on the money we spent on takeaways we now don’t think it is. Add in some new potatoes, carrots from Morrisons wonky veg range and a cabbage we enjoyed a fabulous Roast dinner on Saturday evening, enjoyed with homemade mint sauce from our newly made herb garden. Sunday morning I used the leftover potatoes and vegetables to make a Bubble and Squeak for breakfast. It was truly delicious, if you’ve never tried it I suggest you do.  As we are not as active everyday we don’t always want a full meal in the evening, so Sunday evening we had lamb sandwiches. Then on Monday with the remaining meat we enjoyed it with salad and pitta breads, making a kebab style dinner. All meals for much less than the price of a takeaway and all delicious. This is a life lesson learned that I will continue to follow.

5 I do not need all the clothes and accessories that I own. I have a self confessed obsession with clothes, shoes, handbags and jewellery. Last count just before lockdown was that I possess around 60 pairs of shoes, 35 handbags and a huge stash of costume jewellery. They have been no use to me whatever during these times of crisis. I have lived in the same 3 pairs of trainers and fitflops. Used 2 bags only, which are 1 handbag and a rucksack if calling at a shop on my daily walk. These items take up so much space in the house. That isn’t even without my vast collection of clothes. I have started to declutter and minimise what I own. There is an old adage that you only need 3 sets of clothing – 1 to wear, I clean to change into and 1 in the wash! Extreme I know but a reality during our time at home. My life lesson learned here is that I truly have too much stuff that has no real value in my life.

Have you learned any new life lessons during lockdown, I’m sure we all have to be honest.

Stay safe lovelies.