Rat Race

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For many of us, Life is a series of Commitments - whether social events, family reunions or business meetings. Lockdown has meant that our diaries are suddenly empty, and for those of us with hectic everyday Life , the change strong, difficult to adjust to. But for others, it is a wake-up call.

instead of lamenting The Loss of a Packed calendar, Some People have found that the quieter, slower Life , the offered by the coronavirus lockdown-a much-needed break.

Imthiaz Rehman getting used to the plan of his Life to the smallest degree. The 30-year-old, lives with a roommate in South East London, filled all the Windows on his calendar and was always thinking about the Next Project or Event .

Imthiaz for Jogging - a new found passion that I could for him in lockdown

"a madman's diary-planner," he says. "I would plan all of my work on Outlook and I had a really unhealthy habit of planning my entire Life on the Google Calendar .

"So I would work the long hours, then I would such things as self-improvement courses in My Own Time , than to write bits and to see friends. I never had free Time - it was always one thing after the other. "

Imthiaz background is to gather the work in communications for a charity, But he left his job before the lockdown, with plans to go traveling. True to form, his travel plans were carefully laid, of the in his Google Calendar .

"I would be obsessed and think about where I would go, how much things cost, and what was on my to-do list. It felt almost like work," he says. Not to slow of course, if the country-wide lockdown was announced, the spread of Covid - 19, Imthiaz the travel plans were-and he found himself surprised at how little of the disappointment he felt: "everything in my calendar a blessing in disguise was. "

It was not an easy transition, But . The First thing that felt Imthiaz, when the lockdown was announced, was "an overwhelming sense of panic and fear", due to the severity of The Situation and the uncertainty about what would look Life .

panic, followed by boredom - Something he had not felt in a while.

"boredom makes strange things to You ," says Imthiaz. "I was in yoga things to do to just take my Time , as online classes and running. I've never done before. You really lifted my mood and I feel stressed me less, it was like all of my self-imposed pressure had been taken. "

He would get Caught Up in the "sense of urgency", he thinks to himself as a young professional in a Big City . "I think a lot of people my age are in the mind-set of living in the rat-race and try to always push themselves," he says. "But one of The Unintended consequences of the pandemic is that we had to develop a bit of self-awareness. "

A couple of weeks in the "new normal", Imthiaz noticed that a break was Something he'd never done before - and that he does not miss his old style.

"the things I've done during lockdown have been better for me, as I would be on vacation. It made me think about what is really important in Life . "

Hayley was feeling less guilty for The Time off

Hayley Comber berry, 35, was the lockdown taught them The Need for work-Life balance. The self-employed designer who lives in Sussex with his wife and Dog , But says that her laptop was often always The Most attention.

"When You work for yourself, You can never switch off really, because There is not this guilt, if she's not responding to messages or posts on Social Media , You are on the job," she says.

"It's an emotional roller coaster is ride - You can get a great job and are really busy, and then two or three months, where There is nothing. It is feast or famine. I think that's always busy, I didn't think too much About That . I literally tried to cram to get as much as possible about me Out There . But I had a lot of social fatigue, because it was so constant. "

Hayley's Life style is so problematic, she says, because many of their friends are also self-employed. But the lockout forced them to reconsider, especially when your line of work is design and branding for The Wedding industry, which took a Big Hit when coronavirus forced the cancellation of weddings nationwide.

Originally, as Imthiaz, she panicked, and spent "Two Weeks crying and have no idea what to do with My Life ".

"The bottom fell out of the industry overnight," she says. "I suddenly had to cancel all my plans, and all around me, events and networking events have been canceled. Some of the companies for which I work was always this feeling of brides, because we don't know what's going to happen, There are no answers. People who are going to book me for jobs suddenly she said. "

Hayley was able to receive financial help from the government, if your last job ended, and now takes your business in a different direction.

"I have this feeling since Last Year that I finished this design I was not enjoying it so much more," she says.

"not so busy, I have to face feeling. But I have been forced to stop and say, 'I want to'. What do I do now for the establishment of a membership within the community for The Wedding is to be informed to the suppliers, marketing and PR. "

You will also be prioritize for days off and downtime as much as work"I think I have my work-Life balance. I spend days with My Wife , I have not done this before because I felt guilty, too," she says. "But it got me to see that There is more to Life than work and business.

"it was a Life -changing experience. I have edited all the negative things that I have hidden, and I feel so much happier and more content. "

For Liz L Pusey, 37, lives near Southampton with Her Husband and daughter, busy all The Time , and a full calendar of events, the way was afraid to fend them off.

Liz used to feel guilty when You are busy

"I'm always been someone, of course, things to do," she says. "I Am very much a people-pleaser, and I'm pretty social.

Liz also struggled with negative feelings about the idea of nothing to do. "I always had the feeling that this was unproductive, so I had to fill the space," she says.

"When lockdown hit, it was a really big change. The schools closed, a lot of my work ceased, and we were home the whole Time . The First few weeks were a novelty, it was really nice to enjoy a bit of relaxation, But then I found myself really low and irritable and bad-the fact that I had not a minute for me, because There were always people in The House . "

Now, almost 12 weeks in lockdown, Liz is trying to enjoy the downtime to retrain. "I'm trying to enjoy active, not so much," she says. "If My Daughter wants to play inside, or we stay in our pyjamas, Board games, that's fine. I'm also still fun. "

Liz wrote a reminder on her Instagram, in order to relax

It helps that Liz has a man, always found it easy to relax. "He is the complete opposite of me, he is Very Good to sit and say, 'I'm exhausted, I'm not going to do anything this evening,'" she says. "I'm not trying to learn from him, because he will feel guilty, and he has not missed anything, so I shouldn't feel. "

psychotherapist and author, Looking for The Phone workbook, Hilda Burke, she says several customers, to feel, like Liz, guilty looks, nothing to do.

"You are already receive often messages when You were younger, how Other People hear it described as lazy, and that would be the worst insult," she explains.

"These messages are deeply rooted. In the back of someone is of the opinion that laziness is equal to bad people. So busy Something will aspire to be, because You mean so busy that they are important. Can lead to over-scheduling, not only with work, But it overlaps in your social Life with cramming things and never turn down an invitation. "

Hilda is not surprised that Some People are on the search for lockdown "relaxing and therapeutic".

"not, It is some consolation, You 're not miss anything, because nobody There is really a lot," she says. "Nobody can accuse You that You are to be productive. "

In terms of keeping a healthier balance in how we advise the transition back into "normal" Life , Hilda determining the things You learned in lockdown, that You want to continue.

"It's about managing the Expectations of the people - Share with Your Friends , family or colleagues what they have learned in lockdown, and what do You want to continue. "

life, coronavirus lockdown measures, weddings, inspiring stories, employment, anxiety

Source of news: bbc.com