Found yourself developing a few bad habits?
Haven’t we all. There’s something about the UK lockdown that has us questioning exactly who we were before the coronavirus outbreak, with our lives transforming rapidly in a very short space of time. As we adapt to a brand new way of life, we’re guilty of doing a lot of things we wouldn’t usually under any other circumstances… *Face palm*
1. Eating all the snacks for the week in one day
You know the saying, out of sight, out of mind. One day you’re stocking up your snack shelf, the same day, you’re eating the whole lot. It’s a vicious cycle and if you have any restraint whatsoever, I envy you. Whether it’s biscuits, crisps or sweets, we’re all probably guilty of polishing off the whole shelf instead of enjoying throughout the week.
2. The vicious dirty dishes cycle
Being home all the time means so much more mess than you’re used to – particularly when it comes to dirty dishes and the bins. “How can one person use eight plates in one day?”, “How have I filled an entire bin bag already?” you ask yourself, only to repeat the process the following day and still not keep on top of them. Whoops.
3. Complaining about needing a Greggs
Oh come on, of course we miss Greggs, and not a day goes by that we don’t complain about it. Not only did we lose our beloved steak bakes, but also McDonald’s, KFC and Nando’s, too. It’s heartbreaking stuff, but it’s all for the good of the world (and probably our cholesterol levels too). We’ll still mourn for you in the meantime, Greggs.
4. Trying to work out and failing massively
Every day it’s the same battle – work out, or pizza? And we all know how that usually ends. Each and every one of us is guaranteed to have done this at least once (or five times) during the coronavirus pandemic already, and we really have no hope that we’ll be getting a fitness routine sorted before this is all over… Whenever that may be.
5. Proudly announcing that you’ll never take your favourite pubs and restaurants for granted again
While we’re always grateful for our locals, we’re feeling it more so than ever before. Sitting at home on a Friday night isn’t quite the same as sinking a few tasty brews in the pub, but it’s all for our safety – so while we miss them dearly, we can think of them fondly as we prepare for our heartfelt reunion with our favourite local businesses.
6. Crying
If lockdown can be called anything, it’s an ’emotional rollercoaster’. If it’s not the constant stream of bad news making us tear up, it’s the fact that we’ve eaten all the treats (see number 1). But all jokes aside, trying to remain calm during a global pandemic is incredibly difficult, and we owe it to ourselves to let it all out if we’re feeling a little blue.
7. Finding a newfound hobby in cleaning and tidying
It’s one thing many of us thought we’d never find a hobby in, but apparently, staying in the house 24/7 can really make you question your identity. Being at home all day can cause a whole lot of mess (see number two), and there’s nothing worse than living and working in an actual pigsty. Us lazy folk have been pretty much forced into a cleaning regime as a combination of both boredom and prolonged messiness. Lucky us.
8. Reading the news we don’t want to see, then feeling rubbish about it
The coronavirus outbreak is one of the few pandemics of our time, so it’s naturally unsettling for the majority of us. While checking the news (sometimes obsessively) can seem strangely comforting, most of the time it’s anxiety-inducing too – and we all know this. Still, we continue to doomscroll, knowing it’s gonna make us feel crappy afterwards.
9. Waking up with only two minutes until work starts
There’s no time like the present to develop new bad habits, and this one’s definitely one of them. Gone are the days where we’d get up and get ready for work, as the entire nation ditches the alarm for a little bit more snooze time. Every night I promise myself I’ll get out of bed in time to avoid the awkward run into the living room to log online ahead of 9.30am, and every single morning I let myself down once more. Sorry, boss.
10. Saying “wow isn’t it just so weird to see the streets so empty?” on every single daily walk
It’s safe to say we’re still not used to seeing our streets completely abandoned as everyone retreats indoors, and every single day we express our surprise. Most of it is disbelief that our fellow humans have actually listened to the government and abided by the lockdown rules, with a small part of us just surprised to see no signs of life as we get our daily fresh air.