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How to be second wave savvy – and what not to repeat from the first lockdown

The announcement of a second wave brings with it fears of a second lockdown - The Telegraph
The announcement of a second wave brings with it fears of a second lockdown - The Telegraph

The numbers are not looking good: 50,000 daily new cases of coronavirus could be a grim reality by mid-October, if no action is taken. This was the warning given by the Government’s chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, in his sober address to the nation. Left open was the question of quite what action might be taken, and when. While ministers are keen to avoid a full second lockdown, further restrictions now seem all but inevitable.

We don’t yet know how severely our freedoms are about to be curtailed, but we can be pretty sure we’ll be spending a lot more time at home again.

Yet while the first lockdown in March saw us caught like deer in the headlights, we’re becoming old hands at this now. We know what to expect, and perhaps a little more about how to optimise it.

For some, the aim of the game will be better protecting their physical and mental health. For others, the focus will be on pandemic-proofing their relationships, or changing their living space to better suit being stuck at home.

Here are some of the lessons learned and what we’ll be doing differently the second time round...

‘It’ll be a digital detox for my daughters’

Judith Woods

Lockdown: The Sequel is going to follow a very different narrative in my house. I’m not proud to admit there were entire days when my two daughters sat in their respective rooms, online and off limits.

Even Post-Its on their doors bearing the woke slogan “they’re called cell phones because they imprison you” failed to move them.

Back then I didn’t know what else to do. Actually, that’s a lie – I was just too tired for conflict. But research has shown how badly young people’s mental health was impacted by a surfeit of social media first time round.

So henceforth access to screens will be strictly rationed, regardless of the door-slamming outrage and reproach as I confiscate smartphones and seize tablets. Including my own.

When it comes to the digital detox battle parents must lead by example. Not only is it the right thing to do but hell hath no fury like Mummy without her daily Sudoku fix, so victory is assured...

‘I’m starting the 5-Minute Tea Ritual with my wife’

Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Feel Better in 5

Dr Rangan Chatterjee prioritises making time for him and his wife Vidhaata to connect  - Andrew Crowley/The Telegraph
Dr Rangan Chatterjee prioritises making time for him and his wife Vidhaata to connect - Andrew Crowley/The Telegraph

In the past six months, most of us have had more time with our immediate family than ever before, but quantity has won out over quality. My wife and I were busy, distracted, not really connecting and niggles started to creep in. We had no time apart, but at the same time, no proper time together. When stress creeps in like this, people will turn to other behaviours to cope, such as eating in front of the TV, drinking more alcohol, staying up later on their phones and sleeping less.

My 5-Minute Tea Ritual involves us sitting down with a cuppa for five or ten minutes each evening, without our devices, and just talking. You can do a version of this with your children, too, or by yourself, by grabbing a coffee and taking yourself off for a walk around your local park every day.

I have seen time and time again with patients that when we don’t take time out of the daily grind we develop sleep problems, we become anxious, we crave junk food, we don’t feel like exercising and we can’t handle stress.

Taking time for yourself and your loved ones is like tooth brushing for your mental and physical health. A small, daily habit, that avoids a cascade of problems further down the track.

As told to Maria Lally

‘I’m making my garden the perfect hosting spot’

Hanna Chalmers

Hanna Chalmers is looking to the continent for garden inspiration - The Telegraph
Hanna Chalmers is looking to the continent for garden inspiration - The Telegraph

Since it seems we’re in this for the long haul, I’ve decided to invest in my garden in a way I never would otherwise. I’m a fairly sociable and outgoing person and couldn’t contemplate a winter with little social interaction. So if we can’t do this safely indoors, we’ll just have to do it outside.

Obviously the British winter doesn’t allow for prolonged garden hang-outs, so I’m looking to mitteleuropa for inspiration. If you visit Vienna or Berlin in cold weather, it’s all cosy heat lamps and blankets and lighting. I’ll be buying a firepit and a gazebo, and have already consulted someone about garden lighting. I’m even considering creating a covered area where we could hook up a projector and have outdoor film screenings.

If we’re going to be spending far longer in our own homes and gardens than we would in an average year, it makes sense to spend time and money making these spaces as appealing as we possibly can.

As told to Rosa Silverman

‘I’ve left London for the seaside’

Zoe May

When lockdown came along I was confined to my one-bedroom flat with my seven-year-old chihuahua Pomeranian, Bella. I began to feel claustrophobic. I found myself craving a garden and a greater connection to nature and began to reassess my life in London. Covid felt like a particularly grim game of musical chairs: wherever you were living in late March 2020 was where you had to stay. I threw myself into writing my most recent novel, Flying Solo, but realised I wanted more space and natural scenery.

Six weeks ago I took the plunge and moved to Hastings. The pace of life is much more gentle here, and the locals far friendlier. My new rented flat is just a stone’s throw from the beach – a perk that I’m sure will come in handy in the event of a second lockdown.

‘I’ve hired an online nutritionist to stave off unhealthy eating’

Saurav Dutt, 39

I used to make a point of walking the two hours to and from my Euston office every day. But working from home changed all that. I got through the first lockdown with the help of YouTube fitness videos, but next time I’m determined for something more robust, so I’ve hired a personal trainer for two hours each week. We’ve already discussed how, in the event of another full-scale national lockdown, we will meet in the park for socially distanced runs – or go online.

My diet also suffered first time round; my takeaway consumption increased dramatically. Stuck at home, I became bored and fidgety, and turned as a source of comfort to ice cream and cookies – snacks that were in no short supply thanks to the large supermarket deliveries we rushed to buy at the beginning of lockdown.

Now, I’ve hired a nutritionist. In weekly online sessions, I’m learning all about appetite suppressants, and how to stave off food cravings; how to time my meals at the right time to avoid getting hungry, and which ingredients to use. It will, I hope, steer my diet through the rocky months that lie ahead.

As told to Luke Mintz

'I discovered what it felt like to be terribly, terribly lonely'

Jane Gordon

Jane Gordon would look to join daughter Bryony during a second lockdown - Andrew Crowley/The Telegraph
Jane Gordon would look to join daughter Bryony during a second lockdown - Andrew Crowley/The Telegraph

Lockdown was a time of terror for me. I was a sixty-something granny living alone some 40 miles away from my adult children and my seven-year-old granddaughter, Edie.

I was terrified that actually I might die (something that had not really worried me before) of Covid, or maybe starvation as I struggled to get an elusive supermarket delivery. My home, lovely though it was, had become a kind of prison and I was in solitary confinement. I overdosed on vitamin pills, I talked (a little too much) to the dog and I absolutely lived for my daily face time calls with Edie. In short I discovered what if felt like to be terribly, terribly lonely.

There is, then, just one huge thing I will do the moment that any new lockdown is announced.  I will pack the dog, the cat and a suitcase in my car and drive – as fast as I can – to London. Begging Bryony to please let me into her bubble.

‘We’ll focus on domestic harmony’

Christine Armstrong, author of ‘The Mother of all Jobs’

Given that school has had six months to plan, we’ll be leaving the kids timetabling to them. Which means that instead of wasting time on colour-coded plans of school classes and Joe Wicks – that have less basis in reality than the Government’s testing plans – we can create timetables for us parents instead. Filled with the things that keep us calm and happy.

Stuff like, times for each of us to exercise every day (hello again Yoga with Adriene). An hour alone to watch rubbish TV, listen to podcasts, call a friend or just hide from the children. And a system to decide whose work video call is more important, which doesn’t involve us yelling about it as we dial in.

To help keep the house under control, we will take inspiration from Our Yorkshire Farm, and all jobs will be shared between kids and adults. Cleaning, washing, cooking, food ordering, gardening.

Obviously this will go extremely well and not end up in a squalid shouting match...

‘Structure, micro-breaks and kindness will see you through’

Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and author of The Key to Calm

Start by knowing you can face this uncomfortable possibility with confidence. The first time we have to cope with unexpected change is always the most challenging. You’ve already done that, which means you can do it again – and with the benefit of experience.

Here are three reminders to help you through:

Structure: Nothing is more important to convey a sense of control. Plan each day the night before. Include time to prepare and enjoy wholesome meals at regular intervals. Establish a regular bedtime and rising time, and recreate your favourite bedtime routine. Make sure you take at least 20 minutes of daily aerobic exercise. Set three small goals you know you can achieve each day. Write them down and tick them off at the end of the day.

Micro-breaks: What are your warning signs that stress is building – decreased concentration, inability to make decisions, fidgeting, irritability? Whenever you notice them, take a three-minute micro-break. Sit somewhere comfortable, close your eyes, and take 20 slow breaths: in through the nose for four, hold for seven, out through the mouth for eight. For added effect, envelop yourself in your favourite colour or scent at each in-breath.

Compassion: Studies across the US and Europe have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of kindness, both to yourself and to others – better mood, better physical health, increased tolerance of pain and distress, even greater longevity. Contact a friend every day, preferably talking and/or sharing screens rather than by email or text. Ask how they’re coping; listen non-judgmentally and with full attention. If you can, thank or compliment them genuinely. Finally, don’t let fear of imposed limitations sabotage your mood. Expect them instead – then every day there are none, enjoy the resulting sense of relief.

What did you learn from the first wave and will you do differently this time? Tell us in the comments section below