100 days of lockdown: Eight ways our lives have changed

More than three months ago, on March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson uttered the words “You must stay at home”.

And by and large, the public heeded those warnings.

But our days are no longer the same – simple tasks like going to the shops or meeting friends have completely changed.

Gone are the days – at least for now – when you can visit your parents for a cup of tea (or get them to do your dirty washing), or head down to the local pub for a quick drink.

That’s all part of the “new normal” we had to live with in a bid to suppress the deadly coronavirus – and keep ourselves, our friends, our family and our colleagues safe.

Here, as we take a look back at 100 days of lockdown, we reflect on eight ways our lives have changed.

Supermarkets

IF you were to ask people this time last year whether or not they’d be willing to queue for extended periods of time before they even got into a supermarket, they likely would have laughed you down.

But needs-must, and the public obliged. Wind, rain or shine, car parks of our favourite supermarkets became filled with zig-zagging queues of people – hopefully wearing masks – as they all waited two-metres apart to get inside.

And let’s not forget the toilet roll and handwash wars of March. Did people suddenly think they’d be going to the bathroom a lot more than normal? Thankfully, things have calmed down in that respect.

Baking

IF there is one person dreading the easing of lockdown, it must be whoever has to review the entries to Great British Bake Off next year.

Taking a simple scroll on social media at the start of lockdown, you could easily have been forgiven for thinking you had accidentally followed Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and those Hairy Biker guys. You know the ones I mean.

Everyone and their dog decided to take up some form of home baking or fancy cooking – leaving supermarket shelves void of flour.

Some stores even resorted to bagging up their bakery’s flour in small bags to fill demand.

Online pub quizzes

FROM the best British baker to the next Mastermind – who knew our country was so talented?

Pints and pub quizzes were replaced with Zoom calls… and oh my did they get competitive.

Generations old and young have now embraced technology in a bid to stay connected with each other – surely one of the very few silver linings to come out of lockdown.

Daily walks

BEING cooped up indoors during lockdown has been tough on everyone – and with gyms closed there has been little in the way of structured exercise.

But from the very beginning, the Scottish Government did allow for one daily walk – later increased to unlimited outside exercise (provided social distancing could be in place).

It got so far, in fact, that there is now almost a feeling of guilt for not leaving the house for a daily walk.

One-hundred days in, Zoom call conversations can become pretty dull – so sometimes discussing the sights of your daily walk/jog/run or wheel can be the most exciting part of the day!

Working from home

AS offices across the country closed their doors, working from home became the new normal.

That itself brought a whole host of problems – dodgy Wi-Fi, sore backs from working from a coffee table or juggling child-minding duties to name but a few.

But there have been some benefits to working from home.

No longer do you have to endure that brutal busy commute in the morning – you could wake up five minutes before your shift and no-one would know.

You don’t have an ironed shirt? No problem. Unless you’re faced with Zoom meetings, you can work in your PJs and no-one would bat an eyelid.

Lockdown haircuts

KEEPING with the theme of personal fashion, hairdressers up and down the country must have a tear in their eye.

When the Prime Minister first announced lockdown back in March, it didn’t take an expert to work out we’d be stuck in this situation for a while.

Some men took the bold and brave option – shaving their entire head … because why not?

Some tried to keep it tidy with their DIY cuts, and we all know how well those went. And others simply just let it grow... and grow... and grow.

Hairdressers finally reopen in Scotland on July 15. Now that will be a sight to see.

New Vocabulary

DO you know your “R number” from your “socially distancing”?

In a pandemic that is constantly changing every day – and with politicians themselves trying their best to understand half the words to varying levels of success – it’s very easy to get confused.

Across the world we have all had to learn a new vocabulary of virus-related words and phrases – like “flattening the curve”, “herd immunity”, “PPE”, “self-isolation” and “shielding”.

Clap For NHS/Key Workers

THIS look-back has been kept quite light-hearted – but it’s important to remember the fact that we’re in the midst of pandemic, and the biggest crisis this country has faced in generations.

One change, which I’m sure we all hope will continue, is the realisation and profound respect given to our hardworking NHS and key workers.

While being stuck inside and working from home is difficult, these brave members of our community risk their lives on the frontline to help others.

Our Thursday night claps were important – but what’s equally, if not more, important, is that our respect and admiration for them continues long past 100 days.