Post lockdown: What we learnt during isolation

Isolation has been both an unusual and interesting experience for everyone. What feels like an eternity, has only been a few short months of confinement to the perimeters of our dwellings.

Unless you have been one of the heroes at the forefront of the pandemic, outings have been limited to essential activities such as buying food or exercising, and as a result, we have learnt a lot.

Through the various phases of iso-acceptance (disbelief, excitement, loneliness, baking and balance) we were thrust into strange new restrictions on freedoms we all took for granted.

We learned to live, work and coexist surrounded only by ourselves, our family or housemates, have had our businesses stretched into unchartered territories, and have had an unparalleled amount of time to reflect on ourselves, society and life.

We asked Nuzest employees around the world for some of the top things they learnt during their time in isolation.

The result? A lot of shared experiences (both good and bad) and an appreciation for delicious home cooking.

The good…

Humans have an amazing ability to adapt Our whole lives were shifted overnight, yet we managed to find the good through all the devastation and have found ways to thrive despite it all.

How lucky we are to be supported by front line workers From medical staff to grocery store clerks, we are so fortunate to have such committed members of society who have worked over time and at the fore front of the pandemic to support the greater good.

Happiness can be found in the simplest things We don’t need fancy meals or an abundance of clothes to be happy.

Life is best served slow We all put far too much pressure on ourselves and can benefit from the slower pace we have learnt to live.

The beauty of having more time in the kitchen How fantastic it has been being able to experiment with new recipes and new ingredients! More on this below.

More energy for work, exercise and hobbies With less time commuting and rushing around, we have found hours of extra time in our days for starting work refreshed, making time for exercise and reviving old passions and hobbies. In fact, isolation has done a lot more for our health than we could have ever imagined.

Scheduling is important for work-life balance. It took a bit of time to figure it out, but making a schedule and sticking to it is imperative for work-life balance.

Routine is important. Living your entire life from home can be tough on your mental health. Structuring a good routine for sleep, exercise, diet, nutrition and pleasure is important to ensure you are making enough time for all the things that make you feel good.

We know more now than we ever have before About ourselves, our partners, our families, our friends. We have had a lot of meaningful time alone and have learnt new aspects about all facets of life with those who live with us. Some of us have a newfound respect for our partners, and how hard they work (while others have a newfound respect for their partner’s co-workers who have to put up with them!).

Learning how to wash our hands properly. It’s a basic life skill, but one that is imperative to reducing the spread of many infections. Coronavirus has prompted us all to look after our immune health a little more and be diligent with hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and keeping our hands away from our face!

Distance has given us more time for friends and family. Despite being further apart, isolation has allowed us more time to catch up with friends and family. We have found new ways of making meaningful connections whether this be via a text, phone call or video message.

We wouldn’t be anywhere without technology. A lot of what we have achieved during this time (working from home, staying connected, keeping informed, keeping on top of our fitness) has only been possible due to the amazing state of technology.

Our pets have loved isolation Our pets have LOVED isolation and to be honest, we have loved having them around more too (we haven’t had quite the same response for children).

We may never have this opportunity again. A global pandemic is possibly (hopefully) a once in a lifetime occurrence, so make the most of the things you have learnt and enjoyed (as a small silver lining of what has been tough for so many). Do your best to take the positive practices and insights learnt during this time with you as we return to normal life.

The bad…

We were not ready for a global pandemic.. But hopefully we have learnt a few things to help prepare us better for next time.

We underappreciate key role players in our society.

The people that got us through this pandemic, medical staff, front line workers, supermarket staff, delivery services, aren’t always the ones valued most in society, but they definitely should be!

It took a global pandemic for us to slow down. It is unfortunate that it took a global pandemic for us to all slow down and breathe, but stepping away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life has been beneficial to the mental and physical health of so many people, and thus is a silver lining we can take away.

The fragility of our economies and our jobs. It has been a really tough time for economies around the world. Many people have lost their jobs and there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future.

Working from home can be hard It is challenging to get into a good rhythm of work/life balance when you exist entirely from one place. Working from home with kids can be extremely hard (and teachers deserve to earn $1bn a year!).

Burnout at home is real. Working more because you can, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. It’s too easy to sign-on early, sign-off late, and check your emails when your phone/computer is “just over there” all days of the week. Isolation taught us that we could probably work 60+ hour weeks on our jobs and still not be done. But it’s not sustainable and burnout at home is just as real.

There is no supplement that will prevent you from catching COVID-19. Despite all the sales pitches out there and your wish that there was a prevention method to access right now, there isn’t. The only thing that will protect us from contracting COVID-19 is a vaccine, which researchers are working tirelessly to develop. What you can do though is follow government guidelines to minimise the risk and reduce the spread of the disease and look after your health by supporting your immune system holistically.

We’ll all probably have a bit of germaphobia for a while.

With regards to touching shared surfaces or shaking hands – but this is probably necessary for a while yet to ensure we don’t have another spike in infections.

The delicious…

For many of us, isolation allowed us to rediscover our love for home cooking. Some enjoyed baking sweet treats, while others learned how to make sourdough from scratch (which Google trends can confirm was a global phenomenon).

We also had fun experimenting with new recipes using Nuzest products…which we can confirm was a global trend by the massive spike in delicious recipe tags we saw on Instagram!

Our favourite recipes, which we’ve created with a healthy twist, include:

Good Green Vitality Recipes:

Daily Immunity Smoothie, Green Power Bites, Good Green Doughnuts, and Green Smoothie Bowl

Clean Lean Protein Recipes:

Chocolate mint protein cookies, Feijoa and Coconut Cheesecake, Protein Mac'n'Cheese, and Plant-based protein burger

Kids Good Stuff Recipes:

Green Dinosaur Popsicles, Chocolate Boysenberry Mousse, Four Step Superfood Porridge, and Brownie Bliss Balls.

Just as it seems we were all getting used to our new way of life, finding peace and balance, our societies are finally entering the beginning stages of their shift to a new normality. A lot has changed during isolation and as strange as it sounds, a lot of what we learnt has made us healthier. Read our full article on how isolation made us healthier, including the top 10 things we will continue to do for our health post-iso.