How to make lockdown suck less Vol. 2

How did you spend your free time during the lockdown? This question may come up in a future interview, and it may be helpful to have a good answer. We all deal differently with the pandemic and have different personal circumstances that may affect how we spend our free time. Whatever your situation, showing what you have learned in this challenging time will be good.

First, I want you to remember that it is okay not to feel okay. Stay longer in bed if you need to, go for a longer walk, and call your friend to talk about your worries; they might also need to hear from you! The most important thing is to feel what you need and not let it consume you. Appreciate and be grateful for what you have, forgive yourself when you make a mistake and celebrate your little victories.

Uncertainty has been the central theme in marketing planning since March 2020. It is a challenge for anyone to predict the best strategy. As a young marketer, I know that even market leaders fail when they are not responsive to change or cannot adapt to it. When thinking about the global pandemic from a student’s perspective, it is easy to fall into the trap of negative thinking. Why not focus on the positives? Everything that’s happening in the world right now is nothing you or I can change. But more than sure, we can try to control our response to it. Stephen R. Covey, the author of “The 7 habits of highly effective people,” says:

“We see the world, not as it is, but as we are─or, as we are conditioned to see it.”
(Covey, 1988)

In the book, Covey prioritises the change within ourselves, which needs to happen to better respond to events. You are in charge of the time spent on things that should or shouldn’t be prioritised in your life.

I will write more about this book when I finish it. So give it a read, or wait for my book review first, which is coming soon!

Dear student, dive deeper into what has always interested you, read about it, specialise yourself in the niche topic, and dust that Spanish for beginners book. If you cannot specify your subject of interest, read a lot about stuff from different areas. Then, you can learn what gives you that little excitement trigger when you want to dive deeper and research the topic, or on the other hand, you may find out what you wouldn’t like to spend your time on. What I have learned in the past year is if you try something new and it turns out it is not for you, at least you have learned that, and that’s also a valuable lesson.

It’s been a year since the pandemic. Very recent research found that hobbies and new activities have a significant, positive impact on our mental well-being. So get your hands dirty in your new pursuit and mind occupied by a new activity, or re-connect with an old hobby. You will be surprised how this help with anxiety and boredom, plus how amazing it will be to show in your, e.g. future job interview what you learned and how you used your time at home.

I wish you lots of joy in finding new interests or cultivating hobbies.

Bye for a week!