England is now in its second national lockdown of 2020.

This has lead to an increase in uncertainty and worry in many people’s personal and professional lives.

However, there are many things that individuals and businesses learnt from the first lockdown that we can use to make this lockdown better.

How Did the First Lockdown Change Our Day-to-day Routines?

The main difference between pre-COVID life and lockdown was how we spent our free time.

There were, and still are, many restrictions in place, meaning that many of us stayed at home more and had a lot more downtime.

While lockdown is a great time to relax and recharge, it is also the ideal time to focus on personal and professional development as it is unlikely that we will get this much spare time ever again.

This lockdown, whether you’re furloughed or you just have more spare time in the evenings after work, we highly recommend taking the time to develop your skills and strengthen your abilities.

What Lessons Can We Take with Us Into this Lockdown?

• Expect the unexpected
  COVID has made many of our lives unpredictable, meaning that we have to learn to expect the unexpected so that we are prepared for any future challenges. When making a decision or planning for the future, it is essential that we look at the risks and potential consequences, and how our plans may be impacted by potential future lockdowns or restrictions
  
  
• Resilience is more important now than ever
  In a time of worry, struggles and a lack of motivation, resilience is more important than ever; we need to be able to quickly and effectively bounce back from setbacks and remain positive and productive even in challenging times.
  
  
• Adaptability is essential for business success
  COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way the world operates and functions and businesses need to be able to keep up with and adapt to these changes to ensure they are not left trailing behind their competitors. One key example of this is that businesses have had to become much more tech-savvy so that they can operate in a COVID-safe way.
  
  
• Plan for the future
  While the future is uncertain, it is still essential that we have future action plans in place for yourself and your employees for when lockdown ends. These plans may not be certain, however, having something to work towards can help motivate employees and keep team morale high.
  
  
• Be considerate of others’ mental health
  Lockdown is a challenging time for many of us, making emotional intelligence and empathy extremely important. One of the most common issues employees are currently facing is burnout; you can click here for an article about the definition of burnout and how to avoid it.

In these difficult times, it is important to remain positive, productive and try to make the best out of a bad situation by using our extra free time to work on ourselves.

“Every bad situation has something positive; even a broken clock shows the correct time twice a day.”