5 reasons this Lockdown might feel harder and 3 positives

 For some of us this Lockdown might feel harder. Maybe because:

(1) It lacks novelty

Although the first lockdown was hard and horrible for many, there was perhaps even a certain amount of excitement about adjusting to life online and all its innovations. We were rising to a new challenge. We enjoyed not having to drive so much and to connecting with people around the country or world from the comfort of our sofa. This lockdown is getting rather boring. "Here we go again". 

(2) Lockdowns One and Two have taken their toll

Maybe we've been eating and drinking rather more than we should have done since March. And we've missed the gym. Or friends. Or choir. Or hobbies. We haven't had our normal holidays. These things build up. We're weary and we've used up our surge capacity. Maybe we thought we could do this once or even twice but "Here we go again". The constant changes and for many the repeated decision making at short notice are very draining. One has to feel for teachers who were told their schools must open on Monday and must not open on Tuesday! 

(3) It's winter

We have to get up in the dark and drizzle and continue working after dark. Quite possibly it barely brightened up in between! If we work 9-5 there's precious little opportunity to get out into nature and exercise. Did I mention the gym is closed? The sunshine and the birdsong aren't there to lift our spirits in quite the same way they were in the spring. And it's harder to chuck the kids out into the garden when we've all got cabin fever and are rubbing people up the wrong way. If they venture out, they have to splash about in the mud and trail it through the sitting room. 

(4) The rules are stricter 

in some ways than they have been at times. It requires a PhD brain and an excellent memory to understand and keep up with all the regulations and guidance of course. Only meeting one person outside in a public space is pretty limiting. And even if you don't especially want to go out, you can feel trapped after you've done your one permitted episode of exercise for the day! 

(5) There's rather more fear this time 

At least in our part of the world. Most of us now know people who have had Covid, some of whom have suffered badly and may continue to do so, some of whom have died. 1 in 50 implies cases in my street and amongst my family and friends. No one wants to blow it at this stage and people are rightly observing the stricter rules conscientiously and often going beyond them.

And yet there are some positives:

(1) Maybe we've learnt a thing or two about how to do lockdowns

We're all experts in sour dough now. And we know how to Zoom. We know we should be worried about the stack of empty wine bottles. The children's home schooling is better supported and has more realistic expectations. We have got through a number of days now and if we can get through some more we'll count that as a Victory. If we write our masterpiece, brilliant, but we've dropped our expectations of making the most of lockdown for all that fabulous extra reading time. We think we can survive and that'll be fine. 

(2) We know more about the corona virus and how to treat it

Pleasingly more people who get the virus are surviving. 

(3) The end is, we trust, in sight 

As more and more people are vaccinated, and despite some warnings about next winter, we are daring to hope we wont be here again.