Five ways to reinvent your life post-lockdown

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many of us to stop and think about what is important to us. What really matters. 

Now that restrictions are easing, there is a lot of talk about the new normal. But as this new normal unfolds, perhaps it’s a good opportunity to ensure that we don’t just slip back into the old normal again. 

Instead we can move forward into the new normal by reinventing our lives and just doing the things that really matter, rather than the things everyone else expects us to do.

Here are five ways that you might want to reinvent your life post-lockdown.

 

Spend more time with your family

For most of us, lockdown meant us spending almost all our time with the people we live with, and almost none of it with anyone else. Now that lockdown has eased, why not make the best of both worlds?

Yes, there were most probably times when we went a bit stir crazy and wanted time out from others in our household. But, on a positive note, what a refreshing change it has been for many families to spend time together. That is definitely a pattern to continue even now we are regaining some of our old freedom again. In fact, this new freedom means that there are now more things that you can do to enjoy time together as a family. 

So try to capture the more magical moments of lockdown by carving out time to spend with your immediate family, enjoying quality time together.

Also think of how much you missed other family members when you were not able to see them. The irony is that it’s easy to let the weeks and even months go by without seeing someone. Because you know that you always can, when you get round to it. But when you can’t, you begin to realise how important it is.

So before the bad habits settle back in again, and other life priorities take over, make a plan to see other family members as regularly as you are able. You need to make up for lost time, and rekindle your relationships while you have the opportunity to do so.

 

Spend less money

One thing that many people found during lockdown was that they were spending less money than usual. Many still struggled financially, because of losing jobs or being on furlough. But being in lockdown generally meant that there was less to spend money on, and some people were able to save.

As life begins to pick up the pace again, maybe now is a good time to re-examine your spending habits. Before you throw yourself back into your normal social whirl, your regular shopping trips, or start planning various trips and holidays just stop and think. Yes you can do all of those things, but why not do them a little more in moderation so that you are not spending quite as much money as before? You would then still be able to enjoy life, but would also be able to save money at the same time.

Our recent article I want to save money but where? has some useful information about where the best places are for you to save money.

 

Move home

Having spent so much time at home over the past year, you may realise that you would like to live somewhere else. We’re not necessarily talking about a huge dream mansion – though that would be nice! But you may realise either that your current home no longer meets the needs of your family or that you would actually like to move to a completely different part of the country.

The pandemic has greatly impacted the job market, with many employers continuing to offer home working even now that restrictions are lifting. One of the effects of this is that you may now be able to choose to live in a completely different area from where your company is based. So if you have always wanted to move to a certain part of the country, or to a village instead of a town (or vice versa) then now it may just be possible.

 

Change job

If you have been unfortunate enough to lose your job during the pandemic, this can be a real blow. Many employers are now recruiting again, so hopefully there is an opportunity out there for you somewhere. 

But even if you have not been forced into changing your job, the pandemic has also caused many people to rethink their job situation. We explored this in more depth in our recent article So you’re thinking about going into nursing? 

If there is a job that you have always wanted to do, then perhaps now is the time to pursue that dream and look into the possibility of retraining. Simple Fast Loans offer short term personal loans that may be able to help with this.

 

Do something you love

As well as your work life, try to dedicate part of the new normal to doing something that you love to do. Many people took up new hobbies and interests during the pandemic, and it would be a shame if these fell by the wayside as we become swamped with the busyness of everyday life again.

So, whether you baked banana bread, did the Couch25K, began learning a musical instrument or foreign language, became obsessed with jigsaws, or started reading for pleasure again; make sure that you build in time from now on to do something that you enjoy. Just for you.

 

Good luck with the new normal. We hope that everything works out well for you, and that the above ideas help you to do more of the things that are important to you in future. The things that really matter.

Remember to check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Simple Fast Loans.