With COVID-19 forcing most of us into an unwanted break, it could be time to start considering how we want our life to look, after lockdown.
Maybe you lost your job, or the distance between you and your partner has shown you that you aren’t happy. Perhaps you’ve just had more time to think about where your future is heading. Whatever the reason, when life gets moving again, maybe it’s time for you to come out as a bolder version of yourself.
A fresh start doesn’t have to mean cutting off all the things you love and restarting everything. It could mean a new start in one area of your life. Maybe you’ve enjoyed some independence over the lockdown, and you’re determined to have some driving lessons when we can get back out. Perhaps you want to learn how to speak another language and travel a little more. Whatever it is you want to do, it’s possible if you are determined and committed.
If you have found yourself out of a new job, maybe using the rest of the lockdown period to retrain online could help you change your life. Sometimes we get sucked into a career by merely going with the flow, but we aren’t doing something that we genuinely love. So if you have spent the last 20 years stuck behind a desk, but your dream job is to be outside working with animals, do some research and make a change. How many people want to be a vet at school? Train up and look for veterinary jobs in your area, you’re in control of your own destiny, no one else.
Things in our lives can become stale mostly when we’ve gone with the flow since leaving home or our education. Sometimes it takes a crisis for you to know what it is you want to do. Use this time to get to the truth of who you are.
Relationships are another area that we neglect. Maybe you’ve started to realise that things aren’t heading in the right direction and you don’t feel happy anymore. The first thing is not to make a quick decision. You need to communicate with your partner and talk through how you feel. It could be that you both want a change; you have just been stuck in a rut with work or family stresses. Communicating your feelings with your partner could reignite the flame and push you both in a new direction together. Of course, it could also make you realise that it really is over.
Try to remember that while you may be ready for a fresh start, you do have commitments. Make sure you support people you have shared your life with and help them come to terms with your decisions. Give them space and understand they will be on an emotional rollercoaster of their own.
Perhaps your fresh start involves your health. You are committing to get fitter. Many people have taken up a new activity this year. Bike sales have gone through the roof. If you’ve discovered a new passion, then keep committed to it.
A fresh start doesn’t need to be a whole new lifestyle. Make some changes and move forward to a happier life.