The 19 things I've lost since lockdown

I thought I’d best open this article by thanking the lord (or whoever you choose to believe in) that of all the things I’ve lost in the past few weeks due to everything going on with Coronavirus, a loved one - or indeed anyone I know - isn’t one of those losses. This article is more about taking a bit of a wider view of lockdown, and hopefully encouraging some compassion towards acceptance of people's 'other' losses during this tough time. I'm sure there are lots.

At the most dramatic points of my own lockdown days, I’ll curse at the news/ the cat/ the uninspiring contents of my fridge, and claim that I’ve lost all of my human rights because I can no longer leave my home just for the sake of it, nor enjoy the ability to buy toilet roll at my leisure on my subdued visits to the not-so supermarket.

Whilst the whole claim of losing said human rights may be a tad OTT, this really is a period of loss in the midst of Coronavirus, and I feel that there are many things that can be described as such during this time. Some of the things on this list I've written down because it's cathartic for my own mental health, and some of the things I've written down because I felt people could use a giggle right now. Either way, my ‘list of lost in lockdown’ reaching 19 seemed quite fitting.

In no particular order, here they are:

1. My patience with most people, things and situations – Although, to be fair, I didn’t have an ample supply of this prior to lockdown, so maybe this was a poor example to start with…

2. My sense of humour when it comes to social media – I can’t even laugh at people’s online stupidity anymore, because it’s actually too sad to think that pretty soon, these people are going to be free to wander the streets again.

3. My memory of what people I know look like in real life – Everyone’s just badly pixelated at best and a vague memory at worst – thanks for nothing, PlusNet broadband.

4. The ability to re-join the gym – I swear to god, I was actually going to do that in April (really)!

5. My hairbrush – I’ll have to face facts that there’s more than a slight possibility that it’s in my hair…

6. My love of Netflix – I never thought I’d say this, but that channel needs more documentaries about serial killers.

7. The will to live – I don’t care if that sounds over the top, because if you haven’t faced that feeling yourself to some extent in the past few weeks, you’re either lying, holding off, or just not as dramatic as me.

8. My keys – Probably, because I usually do lose them, although it’s not like I’m f**king going anywhere anytime soon, is it?

9. My loyalty to several of my service providers/direct debit takers – Would it kill them to take my money with a little more awareness and sensitivity of the current economic climate?

10. The willpower to ration food – How people managed in times of war, I’ll never know. Three and a half blocks of Blacksticks Blue cheese in the last three days… that’s all I’m saying.

11. Weight – Just kidding, see previous point.

12. My marbles – Figuratively and literally… I don’t know what I’m doing in life, and there are incomplete children’s toys everywhere…

13. My sh*t – At pretty much anyone who catches me on the wrong day, which right now, is every day.

14. My memory of how to drive a car – Seriously, I went to move mine off the driveway the other day and had to really think hard about what to do with the pedals.

15. My RedBull X-Fighters t-shirt – Not Coronavirus related, but still annoying.

16. Faith in common sense or common decency – Neither are really that common anymore, it would appear.

17. My place in the online queue at Asda (Walmart, to my American friends) – Because apparently, now you have to queue just to get on a website… ‘Technology will revolutionise our way of living after lockdown’, my ass!

18. Focus – Seriously, what happens next... and what do I do?

And finally, number 19. Clients.

Yes, I’ll admit it, as a business owner, I’ve lost clients. I’m not sure I entirely believe any freelancer, self-employed colleague or small business owner if they don’t make that same admittance. Some clients I expected to put me on hold, some I really felt for as their outsourcing became literally the least of their worries, but some I was totally blindsided by and it sucker-punched me. Yes, I’ve gained new clients too, and yes, my business model means I’ll power through, but that doesn’t make the loss any easier to cope with.

100% necessary as it is, it’s a bit sh*t all this lockdown and social distancing stuff, isn’t it? I hope people will read this article with compassion and take a minute to remember that everyone is dealing with loss of some kind, right now - whether it makes your list or not.

Right, I’m off to find my keys. They have to be somewhere around here, right?

If me banging on about everything that's shit isn't really helpful to you right now, then I've written another little something here that might be: ‘Current situation’ advice from a copywriter (that you didn’t ask for)

Oh, and PLEASE, if you are genuinely struggling with your mental health during lockdown - or indeed in relation to anything to do with the mental health impact of Coronavirus - please make this NHS Mental Health Link your first place to look for support.