We don’t think anyone woke up on New Year’s Day 2020 thinking this is where we would be 7 months later. No one could have predicted lockdown, and we imagine the impact of it will change quite a few things going forward.
Yes, it has been a very stressful and emotional time for all of us, but there have also been lots of positives.
With that in mind, we asked our Hustlers to reflect on the past few months and to let us know what they have learned.
Here are their top 10 lessons from lockdown:
1. “I’ve gotten to know different people as I have not been training at my usual time and have developed a stronger relationship with those that I already knew”.
This was a very common answer from a lot of our members. Training at home meant that Hustlers did not have to stick to their regular times as work and regular commitments had changed. This gave them a great opportunity to train with Hustlers they never normally got the chance to. As well as that, our private members Facebook page has never seen so much activity! Our Hustle family has come through this and we are stronger than ever.
2. “I didn’t realise how important exercise was to me until now”
The benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight loss. Exercise is just as important for mental health as it is physical health. It releases happy hormones so helps boost our mood, it reduces stress and anxiety and helps us feel good about ourselves. At Hustle, we strive to change our member’s perception of exercise from something they ‘have to do’ or ‘should do’ to something they ‘want to do’ because they value the positive benefits exercise gives to overall health & wellbeing.
3. “Be content with what you have and the situation you are in”.
It is human nature to always want more in life. But if lockdown has taught us anything, it is to value what you have and those around you. If you are always focused on what’s next you don’t take the time to appreciate what is right in front of you.
4. “People have come together to help each other through this. More people are talking to each other now than before whether that us waiting in a queue outside a shop, when you make the wrong turn down the aisle in a supermarket or when you are out for a walk. I hope it continues”.
Lockdown has definitely strengthened relationships and brought people closer together as we all have a common bond. People have gone out of their way to help neighbours who have been shielding, have started conversations with strangers and made friends with delivery drivers. Let’s hope that this level of community support is here to stay.
5. “Look for the positives where you are and focus on them rather than striving or worrying”.
Everyday we are faced with both good and bad situations. When things are going well, we rarely worry about what’s going to happen next. But we also tend to take things for granted and don’t appreciate all of the good things we have.
On the other hand, when situations are not going so well we often lose sight of things. No matter how bad the situation is, there is always something positive to be gained even if we don’t see it right away. If we look at lockdown as having a lesson to teach us, we will all learn something about ourselves.
6. “Everyone needs to go through something that destroys them so that they can figure out who they are and what is important to them”.
If we only ever had positive experiences we would have no room to grow and no life lessons that would challenge us to become more resilient, determined people. Going through something that breaks us and tears us apart will ultimately rebuild us into a better version of ourselves.
7. “Time management is so important”.
This skill has been particularly important for any parents. It’s been tough working from home, home schooling your children along with your other regular household tasks. When you have a lot to do it is very easy to become distracted and flit from one thing to another. Suddenly you look at the clock and a couple of hours have passed and you have achieved absolutely nothing! To help overcome this make a list each day of the top 3-5 things that MUST be done that day. Those are your priority. Anything else achieved on top of that is a bonus.
8. “There will never be the perfect situation or time so start now!”
We are all guilty of waiting for the perfect time to start, especially if what we want to achieve is difficult or puts us out of our comfort zone. But really, there is never the perfect time. If you always want to wait until the perfect time to start something, chances are you are never going to start anything! If you really want to do something and have your mind set on it, just do it!
9. “The things you want are never easy”.
We know that nothing ever happens in our comfort zone. So if you want to achieve your goal you are going to have to step out of it! It won’t be easy but ask yourself these 3 questions:
A) Is change so bad?
B) Are you willing to stay comfortable but live an unfilled life?
C) Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and create exciting new adventures?
10. “Don’t be afraid to have a go and try something new. You never know what you may discover, who you may meet along the journey, and how a simple decision to do something will have a positive impact on your whole life. Even if you don’t enjoy it you can at least say you gave it a go and won’t look back thinking ‘I wish I’d just……..’”.
It says it all!
What will the rest of 2020 bring?
We have no idea! We have no say in what goes on around us but we can control how we react to situations. Hopefully the lessons that our Hustlers shared have inspired you and that the rest of the year will continue to be one of positives.
We can’t take full credit for this article so thank you to all that contributed!
Bonus lesson:
“Richi & Eimear have more patience than I ever thought possible!”
If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message to either [email protected] or [email protected]
Or if you need more help and support with finding an exercise and nutrition programme that works for you, give our 30 day trial a go and let us help you get in the best of shape you’ve ever been in. And not just for the short term, but for life.
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