5 Bad Habits To Avoid While On Lockdown

The COVID-19 lockdown has made vast and sweeping changes to our way of life. Every single one of us has had to make some sort of sacrifice. Sadly there are some who have lost friends, relatives, neighbours and loved ones to the virus. Even if you’re lucky enough not to have come directly into contact with it, it has likely made significant changes in your household. You may have suffered a substantial loss of income. You may be struggling to stay productive and upbeat while working from home. You may have been let go from your job entirely. But while neither the virus or the lockdown are our responsibility, how we respond to them most assuredly is. 

The heavy blow that has been dealt to our lives can push us into some unhealthy habits that can exacerbate our suffering in the long term. Here are 5 such habits that we’ll all need to avoid as we endure the remaining weeks of lockdown…  

Catastrophising

Our brains are hardwired to jump to the worst case scenarios and adopt a pessimistic outlook. And the doom and gloom clickbait-y news headlines don’t much help matters either. We all want to stay informed. But over-consuming the news can be bad for us and push us to catastrophising even further. Instead, try and focus on the things you’re looking forward to and the silver linings of the lockdown (like not spending our mornings or evenings in commuter traffic). 

Comfort eating

We’re all in need of an endorphin boost right now. And while the odd sweet, fatty or salty treat is perfectly fine, we need to make sure we don’t fall into comfort eating patterns. Comfort eating is like going on a shopping spree. We feel a fleeting high, followed by a grinding period of shame and self loathing. 

Getting dodgy credit

With our income reduced, many of us are reaching out for new lines of credit if we need to make household repairs of replace a car that has become a liability. However, if you have less than stellar credit, don’t assume that your only mode of recourse are dodgy lenders with exploitatively high interest rates. It’s entirely possible to get numerous forms of credit including Car finance with bad credit. You just need to know where to look. 

Spending all day in your PJs

We might assume that getting to spend all day every day in our pyjamas is one of the few perks of the current lockdown. But while this may be a comfortable and luxurious way to spend our day, it can actually make us less productive in our work while also not doing our self image any favours. You still need to dress to impress… even if you’re the only one you’re impressing at the moment. 

Isolation

Finally, the lockdown shouldn’t mean that you’re isolated from friends and family. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that nobody wants to hear from you. Picking up the phone or scheduling a video chat can not only do your own wellbeing a world of good. It can also be a tonic for your friends and family. You may not know just how desperately they need to see a familiar face and hear a friendly voice!

Claire x