Lockdown — Our Stories

The past year has been filled with a lot of uncertainties for many people. From changes in work routine and family engagement to reliance on digital platforms, we sit down with one of our employees to discuss how her life has changed this past year.

I would never have envisaged the past year in a million years. One day, I was chatting with work colleagues and planning holidays, and the next day, I was told that I’d have to work from home. I felt the pressure of having to move from an operational office desk to my dining table. At the start of the lockdown, I didn’t know just how much could change in such a short time. Like many, I felt it was a temporary situation, and then later, it started to look like the new norm. I am a loner by default, so I’m not too fond of human interaction. But there is a difference between seeing people and not seeing them at all. I live alone, so it felt lonely sometimes. Whilst other people had their spouses, children, or pets around. I had no one. This is not a sob story, but it does give you some introspection. It hit me when I had my first hug after a year; now that was gold. Finding an effective work routine was another thing that was challenging.

Most days, I’d get out of bed, shower, and wear my PJ’s all day (not very professional, is it?). But I found that I work a lot more whilst at home. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone but getting up for a break was hard. Outside work, I’d often entertain myself with social media sensations like the Tik-Tok challenges. I never participated, though, two left feet and all. Overall, my key takeaways were the need for human interaction and the annoyance of constantly spending time alone. Now, I find myself wanting to spend more time with people. Will I? Ask me in a few months.

Daily workouts have helped (Chloe Ting free exercises) if you’re wondering. I also work with some colleagues on Zoom, which has been nice. But yeah, that’s it.