Feel-good February (5 reasons to keep the faith)

It’s been a looooonnng winter.

Not only have we been contending with an extended period of lockdown, we’ve had a reduction of our social networks, and finally, in recent days, the coldest of cold weather.

So what’s going to lift our spirits as we gaze longingly toward the thought of Spring?

How do we keep our mojo and motivation when we can’t even start dreaming realistically of beach holidays and family get-togethers?

We’ve been asking our tenants for some suggestions, so here’s your Riduna Park guide to keeping the faith:

1. Home-schooling is nearly over (we hope)

That March 8th deadline, as outlined by the Prime Minister, is hanging there on the horizon.

As things stand, it’s looking like schools will be back more fully than they’ve been for several months, so those of us who’ve been battling the homeschooling regime alongside our other demands, can finally take a sigh of relief.

Won’t that morning coffee time feel peaceful now?

2. Employers are thinking differently about our work-life balance

It’s taken a pandemic to do it, but it seems more and more employers now ‘get’ the idea that we don’t need to be on the 5am train for a 90 minute commute each day to prove our productivity.

After all that we’ve been through, technology is now something we’re all so much more comfortable with, so we can anticipate a future where a work life balance is finally more attainable.

3. We know our friends and neighbours better

Weeks of standing on our doorstep and clapping the frontline workers has meant we’ve got to know neighbours we may have only nodded at previously.

This sense of community, and renewed feeling of ‘connectedness’ is a great asset as we go forward, and it’s likely to make us all feel much happier about our lives.

We may not want our neighbours to be a replacement for the friends and family we’ve been missing seeing, but we’ll certainly hold them in higher regard.

4. We appreciate what a great part of the world we live in

The limited amount of travel we’ve been able to do over the last 12 months, has, by consequence, caused us to get to know our own region better.

In the summer months, many of us picked a few days under canvas or in a rented house within the borders of beautiful East Anglia.

And, thanks to daily walks and bike rides becoming the norm, we discovered the rivers, woods and walkways we might have dismissed before the pandemic struck.

Long may this admiration for our county continue!

5. We know we can get through things we’d never have anticipated

Yes, you really are tougher than you think.

It’s hard to know how we might have reacted if someone had told us pre-Covid that we’d face such strange and troublesome times….but hey, we’ve done it.

We are finding strength and resolve and resilience in all sorts of ways, and we’re using that to help not only ourselves get through, but our friends, family and colleagues too.

Pat yourself on the back and toast your triumph. You deserve it.

*What’s keeping you focused on looking forward? We’d love to know what’s helped you stay motivated throughout the pandemic.