#QuarantineDiaries: Preeti Chattha

When I first heard that the UK was going into lockdown, I was positive about it - no more using the Central line during rush hour, wearing PJ’s all day and getting up at 8.59am to start work. It was a time for me to slow down my life, which was a relief, because we all do lead busy lives and it was nice to get away from it for a while.

So for the first couple of weeks I really enjoyed lockdown life. I loved having time to myself and spending time with my family. I was baking, FaceTiming my friends and I even started a 30 day yoga challenge. But as the weeks went by, I could see my positivity dwindle. I wasn’t motivated to do all this stuff anymore and this feeling of helplessness set in.

I started missing the little things like going to the gym, giving my friends a hug. I was feeling very restricted at home and realised that I achieved zero goals. Like most of you guys, I had a massive list of goals I wanted to achieve in 2020 but unfortunately couldn’t do them.

For me, that’s when I started struggling mentally because I felt like I was behind in life or thinking that this year was going to be a waste. There were a fair bit of tears but I also stopped giving myself the little wins- for example, I learnt to bake cookies (which is achievement for someone whose crap at baking), but I was in this space where I kept thinking I need to do more.

Something that helped me overcome this feeling was learning how to ride a bike and going for daily bike rides. The feeling of helplessness and being closed away from world wore off and I started feeling free. There was something about riding a bike that was so freeing to me, the wind in my hair and the idea that I was in control of this little thing in a time where not much was in our control. The daily bike rides for me were a time to clear my head and have a sense of normality which made me a lot happier.

For anyone whose been in a similar position to me or experienced a whirlwind of emotions during lockdown. One thing I will say is that it’s okay to have good days and bad days, just remember that it’s not going to be forever. None of us thought this would happen and we’re all figuring it out. Give yourself the little wins, because I’m pretty sure we’ve all achieved a fair bit during lockdown.

Right now, I’m in this space where I am very grateful for what I do have and positive about the future. I did go back to my goals list and ended up launching my own Podcast during lockdown, which is something I’ve been wanting to do since September 2019. So if you want to check it out it’s @preetipersonal on Instagram & Twitter, the first episode drops this week!

Hope everyone is keeping safe!

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