Things to be Thankful for in 2020
Well after what has been a very difficult year for a lot of people, we have taken some time to reflect on what we have been most thankful for in 2020:
FAMILY – With the first wave of Covid in early 2020 by late March the vast majority of the UK were in lockdown, with schools and workplaces closed and going outside only for essential supplies and exercise. Many people were juggling working from home with childcare, often working around the clock to look after our kids and help with schoolwork and catching up with our own work and emails when they were asleep. However despite the challenges many people reported feeling happy with the increased family time they managed to enjoy. Our kids may have had way more TV time that we’d have liked and the juggling certainly wasn’t easy but the increased time together meant many couples and families enjoyed several months of quality bonding. It was certainly an experience we won’t forget.
TECHNOLOGY – Can you imagine lockdown without Facebook, Whatsapp, Netflix, TikTok or (how could we forget…) Zoom? As well as virtual conferences, exhibitions, classes and so on (PE with Joe Wicks anybody?) , technology was a lifeline for keeping in touch with family and friends that we weren’t able to see.
HOME – Whilst everyone knows the value of a roof over our heads, the pandemic has shown the importance of the family home as a safe haven from the outside world. More and more people are working from home for the foreseeable future, with some businesses moving fully to a homeworking model. We’re also exercising, eating, drinking and shopping from the safety of our homes as local lockdowns continue. Staring at the four walls meant the nation has gone DIY mad in the drive to improve their homes and after the first lockdown first time buyers enquiries went through the roof.
THE WORLD AROUND US – The smell of freshly cut grass, autumn leaves, the smell of the earth after it’s been raining, the view from the top of a fell. Many of the things that make us happy are right on our doorstep and most importantly are free. The UK is bursting with beautiful national parks, fells, craggs, mountains, lakes. Many of us took to rambling, hiking and running in nature whilst the gyms were closed to keep up both our physical and mental health. With house searches in rural areas increasing drastically in the latter part of 2020 it looks like an appreciation for nature and the world around us is here to stay.
