A few friends have been asking me what I am looking forward to when the lockdown is over. The truth is, just normal every day life. I want that back so much, but here is a list of things that I can’t wait to get back.

• Freedom – I can’t wait to be able to go out as little or as often as I like.
• The touch of another person – This is something that a lot of us really take for granted. We easily forget about that hello hug, the caring touch of the arm, the “I’m here for you” squeeze of the hand. And the time when we have needed these things the most, these things have been taken away from us. In fact it’s making me a bit emotional thinking about it. I am quite a huggy person usually, I don’t go around hugging strangers, but it’s just what I do with people that I care about. That first hug from my boyfriend and my best friends when all this is over, will be the best hug in the whole world.
• Feeling fresh air – I haven’t had to shield while all this is going on, which I am extremely grateful for. So I have been able to go out for a walk occasionally, but I haven’t done this as much as I thought I would. I haven’t been going every day like I could have been. I have just got out of the habbit of going out, which I really didn’t want to happen. Because I have been feeling so down some days, I have found it really difficult to get motivated to do anything. Some days everything felt so pointless. So I haven’t exercised anywhere near as much as I should have. So going out and feeling the fresh air every day is going to feel so good. But we have had a very sunny lockdown in England, so we all know what that means… it’s going to rain! The chances are it is going to pelt it down now that we can spend more time out of the house.
• Seeing the people I love – This list is in no particular order by the way, obviously this belongs at the top of the list. I really can’t wait to see my boyfriend, friends and family again. I have missed them so much. We have kept in touch, but it’s not the same as actually seeing them and spending time with them.
• Getting a change of scenery – These four walls are absolutely doing my head in! I need new walls to look at. I can’t wait to visit different places. Spending time at my friend’s house, going into town (the city centre), going to restaurants, oh I can’t wait! Just to see the outside world again.
• Volunteering – I volunteer for a local sight loss charity, I am really looking forward to volunteering again at some point. It gives me some routine and a useful way to spend my time. I really enjoy doing it and seeing all of my friends who work there and visit there.
• Trampolining and yoga – In real life I go to a trampolining group and a yoga group. I try to do these every week, or as often as I can make it. I have tried a few bits of yoga at home, but it’s just not the same. I haven’t quite managed to try trampolining though, the lack of trampoline was a slight problem! 😀 When I don’t exercise enough I get so achy, especially my back and my hips. So not doing these things for so long has really made me achy. Physically I really can’t wait to start up again, but also mentally. Going to these groups regularly really helps to reduce my stress and anxiety. Trampolining is a physical way of letting off steam and any stress or anger. And yoga is very mindful and calming, it clears my head in a relaxing way. Doing both of these things really does make me feel good.
• Making plans – One way that really helps me to stay positive is making plans. Having things to do, places to go and people to see keeps my mind distracted from unhelpful thoughts. These thoughts are just things like feeling down or worrying about things. I like to have something fun to look forward to. It doesn’t matter what it is, or when it is, I just have to have something. Because this situation has been so uncertain, I haven’t been able to make any plans, nobody has. We can say “oh one day we’ll get to the cinema”, but one day isn’t a real day. It doesn’t help me. I need something solid and an exact date to focus on. If that date changes, that isn’t so bad, but I need a set date. That is just my way of keeping focus and heading in the right direction.
• Eating out – I am really missing having a variety of food from a variety of different places. Restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, fast food, I can’t wait!
• Having less sad news updates – Every day we are hearing the statistics of the infections and the deaths from this awful disease. Hearing such sad news every day is really tough. I really hope that one day soon, there will be no new cases to report. Let’s hope that all of the measures that have been put in place do massively reduce the number of cases.

xx ❤ xx