What we've been up to in lockdown

It’s been 3 months since we packed up our kit bags and waved goodbye to our office for the foreseeable.

Since then, some of us have been working remotely from our homes, whilst others have been temporarily furloughed. As the weeks have worn on, we’ve made sure to have regular check-ins, zoom socials and even recently a (socially distanced) real life meeting with all staff, to keep everyone up to date and in touch. 

So, what has everyone been up to in lockdown? Here’s how our team have tried to keep themselves and their families happy, healthy and sane these past few months.

Hobbies

We’ve been dusting off our old hobbies and trying out some new ones. You name, we’ve done it - we’ve been crafting, sketching, reading, star gazing, practising calligraphy, and playing a lot of PS4.

Exercise

One of the real positives of the current situation is that it feels like many of us seem to be exercising more! Aside from doing far too many squat jumps with PE with Joe, we’ve found a variety of different ways to stay active at home.

Ellie has - of course - been working on her PB with regular family runs (as well as cycling, yoga, kettle bell, etc, etc!).

Back to nature

The slower pace of life allowed us the time and space to appreciate the beautiful spring and summer more fully than in previous years. 

We’ve been enjoying the opportunity to get stuck in with some gardening and to notice and enjoy the beauty in our own back gardens, local parks and green spaces. 

Sophie’s transformed her small, concrete yard into a bountiful ‘yarden’.

Katie’s enjoying a renewed appreciation for the flowers in her garden.

Si’s been keenly watching the progress of a family of local swans  (they even took to wandering around the local area).

Jamie and his family have been getting out for some sunny day trips to Yorkshire’s stately homes and beaches.

DIY

The free weekends and dry weather of early lockdown provided an opportunity to get some of those ‘I keep meaning to get to that’ tasks done.

 Katie and Simon got out the power washer and the wood paint and turned their neglected patio into an ideal social distancing hang out space.

Si discovered (too late) that he really does not enjoy painting.

Home schooling

Most of our team were kept very busy in their unexpected new roles as at-home teachers. 

If getting your head around new-fangled maths and phonics wasn’t hard enough, actually getting your kids to focus on schoolwork is complicated by the ever-present temptations of video games, smartphones and a sunny garden. 

Recent weeks have also seen the gradual return to school for some of our kids (which at least makes getting some work done a whole lot easier for a couple of days a week!).

Side hustles

Alongside her busy role at brightfive, Ellie is a self-employed sports massage therapist. Although she can’t actually work at the moment, Ellie has been putting her time to very good use, engaging in CPD with a particular focus on getting Covid-safe and ready to start seeing clients again, once it is safe to do so.

Sophie has been focusing on her illustration work, and has published a zine, based on her experience in lockdown.

Landmarks & celebrations

Life goes on, even in lockdown. We’ve celebrated birthdays via Zoom and with distanced gatherings. Sadly we’ve also missed out on holidays, family gatherings and important celebrations. But we’ve done our best to make sure these special events still feel special - and to look forward to a time when we can travel, party and celebrate with our loved ones safely.

Enjoying the little things

Although it’s certainly not all been fun and laughter, we’ve all been doing our best to find enjoyment, wherever we can. We’ve been painting rainbows and cheering for the NHS, playing games, dressing up, dancing in our living rooms, ‘meeting’ our friends for virtual pub quizzes and movie nights, soaking up the precious days of sun and - most importantly - spending a lot of quality time with our families.