To the surprise of no one who is paying any attention to what is happening, the UK government just announced this past Thursday that our lockdown has been extended another three weeks.

I can barely remember when the UK officially went into lockdown (it was March 23rd-thank you, Google) as time seems to move a bit funny these days. The government had announced that lockdown measures would be reviewed every three weeks.

I had to learn some new terms quickly, so I decided to put together a guide to all the new terms and rules that are now part of our daily lives.

Definitions (from the World Health Organization):

Pandemic: the worldwide spread of a new disease.

Coronavirus (CoV): part of a family of viruses which may cause illness in humans or animals. The common cold is caused by a type of coronavirus.

COVID-19: the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

SARS-CoV-2: the coronavirus causing COVID-19.

Definitions (from the BBC)*

Self-isolation: Staying inside and avoiding all contact with other people, with the aim of preventing the spread of a disease.

Social distancing: Keeping away from other people, with the aim of slowing down transmission of a disease.

Flatten the curve: To slow the transmission rate so the peak in terms of numbers of cases is flattened into a smoother curve when drawn on a chart, to prevent a very high instance of CoV cases overloading health services (see image below.)

Lockdown: Restrictions on movement or daily life, where public buildings are closed, and people told to stay at home. Lockdowns have been imposed in several countries as part of drastic efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Quarantine: The isolation of people exposed to a contagious disease to prevent its spread.

UK Government Guidelines

While on lockdown we’re only allowed to leave our homes for the following reasons:

1. Shopping for basic necessities (food, medicine) which much be as infrequent as possible
2. One form of exercise a day
3. Any medical need, including to avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
4. Travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home

These are exceptions to staying at home, and we need to stay 2 meters apart from other people.

Additionally, police have been given new powers to enforce social distancing. They can break up gatherings, ask you to go home, take you home, or arrest you. They can also issue you with a fine.

This seemingly unending lockdown is hard but necessary. Hopefully we’ll see a flattening of the curve in the coming weeks (I’d love to see a crushing of the curve, but more on that some other time) and a way forward to get out of this. It will be interesting to see the guidance on how we come out of this (even as lockdown is being extended,) whenever that time comes.

*I couldn’t find definitions for these terms on either the UK Government website or National Health Service website.

We’re in our fourth week at home. It’s been a lot of change that happened almost overnight, and it’s now our new normal-not just in the UK, but in many places around the world.

I am extremely extroverted, so this was a tough change for me. On top of that, I’m the type of person that likes having work and home life separate, and now my tiny flat is my home, office, and (in theory) gym. I also love routine and this means my normal routine, for the most part, is now out the window.

People NEED routine; it gives a sense of normalcy and sense of safety. People like to know what happens next, and one of the toughest things about this lockdown is not knowing when it will end; there is no hard deadline. Not only that, but we don’t know how it will end, what sort of permanent changes there will be, what the world will look like; there are too many unknowns. Uncertainty is never comfortable, but this is uncertainty on a whole new level.

Therefore, I’m trying to create a new routine; focusing on things I can control is all I can do. I’m still trying things out and adjusting. My initial attempt was to try to stick to everything I usually did, but I gave that up pretty quickly because I’m not doing most of the things I usually do (there is no need to put on a nice sweater when the furthest I’ll be going may be the balcony on a nice day.) A new routine was needed for my new normal.

I still get up at the same time every day. I had a morning routine that worked for me before the lockdown, and now I have adjusted it to fit my new normal. I still get changed but I don’t wear stuff I would wear to the office. I change into comfortable workout gear that I would usually wear to the gym. Aside from not wanting to be in PJs all day (tempting as that is,) I figure it will also motivate me to work out at home (it’s not working very well right now.) I have my coffee and breakfast and do some reading. I practice piano and I meditate. Then I start my workday.

I incorporate regular breaks to stretch and make coffee or tea. When I get frustrated, I’ll stop and meditate for a few minutes. I generally go for a walk during my lunch break, even if it’s just a short one around my neighbourhood. I time my walk so that when I get back, I can ease back into work by attending our new afternoon meeting: a quick pub quiz with our team. This has been something to look forward to during our workday; it’s a chance to chat with everyone and touch base and have some fun.

I generally have a call with a friend lined up in the evening; this is the best substitute that I have for actual socializing. I’m thankful we live in an age that makes it so easy to connect with others. Sometimes it’s a phone call; a couple of times it’s been a video call where it’s a virtual art date (I like to colour.) I set aside time to work on this blog, which is a completely new project.

I’m also investing more time into the hobbies I already enjoy. I’m baking and cooking more, and spending more time reading and playing the piano. I’m really trying to improve my meditation skills as I have found that this helps with my sleep. Occasionally I’ve spent some time gaming on the SNES Classic Mini Console-nothing like a bit of Super Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong Country to make you forget what’s happening in the world. I am limiting the amount of news I consume, and only check it once in the morning and once in the evening. I like to spend some time with my budgies and use them as my photography subjects (they are not amused.)

I also belong to a chat group that’s turned into a COVID-19 support group. We check in on each other, swap tips for coping, and try to stay positive. We’ll swap pictures of whatever art project or cooking project we’re working on. We also talk about the day that we can all hang out again, together, and give each other hugs and laugh together and cry together, and just generally soak in each other’s company. This does give me something to look forward to, even if I don’t know when this will be.

The lockdown probably won’t end anytime soon, so I’m reminding myself that even though being at home 24/7 isn’t fun (or normal,) it’s necessary and one day this will be over. And in the meantime, I’ll cope as best I can, and look forward to the day when I can travel again, walk into a grocery store without waiting in line, and, most importantly, make plans with friends where I can see them in the same room and share a meal and give them all big hugs.

It’s grim. I’ve been asked what it’s like living in London now that we’re officially in a state of lockdown, and that’s what I tell people-it’s grim. London is (usually) a bustling city; it’s part of the reason why I moved here. To see its streets practically empty, with everything ground to a halt-it’s just not right.

My office is right by Borough Market, one of the oldest and largest food markets in London. I took a walk there last week and it was very sobering to see a less-than-packed market on what would usually be a crowded afternoon.

I had been mentally preparing myself for a lockdown sometime at the end of February and the beginning of March. It seemed inevitable as I read the news about Italy, and then France. But how do you really prepare for something like this? Beyond understanding that this is where we were headed (and why) you can’t really prepare. You can plan for emergencies (of many sorts) but I don’t think the average person thinks about planning for a pandemic.

Yesterday marked the end of my third week working from home. But this statement isn’t completely accurate. I saw something on Facebook that articulates how I feel about it:

This is important to remember. Working from home is generally a great perk, and I’m grateful that I can continue to work, but this hasn’t come without its challenges-both the logistics of working with my team and dealing with all the emotional ups and downs with our new normal.

This is a pandemic. Things are not normal. Things are weird, unprecedented, and downright SCARY. It’s important to acknowledge this.

I went through a grieving process (that’s still ongoing) for all things normal-my normal. I miss walking to work, going to the theatre, and grabbing lunch or dinner with friends. I miss being able to walk down the local high street and popping in and out of stores to browse for things I don’t need. I miss being able to go into my office, to see my co-workers in person to discuss what books we’re reading and what we made for dinner the night before. I miss travelling. I miss being able to go grocery shopping and knowing I will find eggs or toilet paper! (I solved the latter problem by raiding the office and grabbed some of the chocolate for good measure. Small wins.)

The sheer number of emotions that I have cycled through in the last few weeks is enough to make anyone reel. Grief, sadness, stress, anxiety, panic, anger, worry, frustration, the list goes on. But I’ve also experienced hope, gratitude, and even joy. Right now, I tend to live one day at a time, focusing on things I can control.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks and what lasting changes this will have on society. The world will be a different place when this is finally over, and I hope that some of the consequences will be positive.