The COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire world to a standstill. However, it has enabled me to do many things that I just never had the time for before lockdown.
Some days I keep myself busy catching up with work, while on others I have just put my feet up and relaxed. It’s still important to have a balance between the two.
So with this in mind, here are some things I have caught up with over the past few months.
This was the number one priority on my to-do list. The state of my garden has been giving my headaches for as long as I can remember. Even before the lockdown, I didn’t enjoy having friends over because I was too embarrassed about them seeing my garden.
So I got to work.
The main issue was the patio (or lack of). It was weed central, with all sorts of plants and flowers growing out of the cracks and creating a greeny-yellow walkway. With some rubber gloves on, a trowel and some weedkiller, I can actually see what was underneath. I then rented a jetwash to get the remaining dirt off the tiles.
Even though I focused on just this one area, it seems to have completely changed the appearance of my garden.
Needless to say, it has taken a lot of hours but I’m far happier now.
The next job I have in mind is to repaint the fence, but that’s for another day.
I’m sure I’m not the only that has been in this position, but I probably didn’t call my parents as much as I should have before the coronavirus pandemic. With what’s going on right now, I have realised how important family is.
Fort this reason, I have started to video chat with my parents on FaceTime at least once a week. It started out with just a check-up to see how they were doing and ensuring they were safe, but it’s developed into a stronger, healthier relationship. I have siblings too and they have joined in from time to time.
In fact, we’ve scheduled calls now for every Sunday before dinner. It’s great, we have a lot of fun, and it sets me up nicely for the coming week. I have encouraged my partner to do the same too.
I love to read non-fiction. I think it’s really important for personal and professional development. That said, you should also know that I am a huge sci-fi book buff.
Before COVID-19, I never had the time to read as much as I wanted. But with working from home cutting down on my commute, I have so much more time to read more than ever.
I’m currently reading “The Martian” by Andy Weir. I saw the movie (Matt Damon was awesome by the way) but from previous experience with other franchises – I’m looking at you Game of Thrones – the books can be far better and cover more detail.
I really encourage you guys to start reading for yourself. Make sure you check out this list of best sci-fi books and enjoy the adventures. There’s literally never been a better time to start.
Even though the gyms are closed, I decided that enough was enough. I have always wanted to improve my fitness ever since I got more tired than my dog after taking him for a walk.
So I hopped onto YouTube and looked at Men’s Health Magazine to find some fun exercises that I could do by myself at home with little to no equipment.
Barely 10 minutes in, I realized just how unfit I really was. But that’s the whole point of exercise – to get better and improve health.
Since my commute to work is just one flight of stairs from my bedroom to the living room, I have decided to use this spare time in the morning for my workout. I figured getting it done early in the day means I have the rest of it do get my work done and frees up my evening for other jobs around the house and hobbies.
Since I have made an effort on exercise, it’s just as important to get my nutrition sorted. They say the kitchen is where you make most of your gains so I have taken their advice and caught up on my cooking.
It didn’t take long to find some simple but healthy recipes. Just a quick Google search and I was ready to go. Of course, I needed to get the groceries to make that happen.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good burger and will treat myself once a week to something I really want. This way, I get to satisfy the cravings but not waste all my other efforts.
Like I mentioned earlier about work and life, it’s all about getting the right balance.
As a side note, I am also drinking more water than before. I keep a glass with me at all times. When it gets empty, I just refill it so I’m always hydrated.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made me realize that there is so much in this world that I haven’t seen or done yet. For this reason, I decided to make a bucket list.
There is no time like the present. When things get back to normal, I don’t want to be wishing I did this or that. Instead, I want to be out there experiencing all that life has to offer.
Plus, it’s really nice to think about what’s to come. As important as it is to know about, it’s a good change from having to listen to more coronavirus news every day.
Some of the items I have on there are to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, see the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and, being the sci-fi enthusiast that I am, visit the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
I cannot wait to start ticking them off.
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