How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

An interesting question. The covid-19 pandemic forced a lot of changes upon us all. There was a new routine, for a time, but with the end of pandemic measures, that routine has largely disappeared. Still, what did I do differently during that turbulent time? How did I adapt?

The first thing to understand is that during the first period of lockdown, I was furloughed. There was no regular work routine for me. Whilst this granted me time to write The Awakening, I had to adapt to, well, boredom. I would venture out for food shopping and other essentials, but my primary aim was to find things to do. It might seem great to have months off work, but work provides a form of stability; without the regular activity of my job, I did find myself going a little stir-crazy. I felt like I was in the way at home, and I had to find ways to feel vaguely useful. Hence why I would be the one doing the shopping runs.

Other elements were easier to adapt to. Giving other people a generally wide berth was not a problem! The availability of hand sanitizer and soaps can only be considered a good change. People being willing to clean down surfaces after use… again, that can only be a positive. I had no trouble with those changes to my routines, and indeed, welcomed them.

The second lockdown was a little different, for I had to go to work, albeit to a store that was not letting in customers! This meant getting used to a lot of alone time. I can be quite happy as a solitary meerkat, but not always. Whilst I had my then-manager for company for some days, I had days where I would not see a soul from when I left the house at around 7.45am, to when I returned home at around 5.45pm. My routine became one of ensuring I had reading material and snacks to keep me occupied. I didn’t so much ‘adapt’ to this situation as I did learn to tolerate it.

Post pandemic, I am still inclined to use hand sanitizer whenever it’s available, and wiping down work surfaces with some form of disinfectant remains a good practice. I am tempted to mask up when I have a cold, as a curtesy to others. I’d like to think those are my long-term adaptations to that rather surreal time.