I will never forget the evening of 23rd March 2020. I visibly remember being sat on the sofa, next to my parents. We, like every other household in the country, were awaiting the Prime Minister’s broadcast to the nation. It was all that had been on my mind since the announcement was made earlier in the day that such a broadcast was to be made. We all knew what was going to said. Despite this, a feeling of shock came over me when we were told that we ‘must stay at home‘. All of a sudden, my living room was filled with a thousand questions. ‘What does this mean for work?’ ‘Are we going to be able to see my grandparents?’ ‘How long will this go on for?’
As I’m sure was the case for everyone, we just did not know the answers to these questions. But I did know one thing. I was going to need an escape to be able to cope with such a sudden change.
Something new
I was fortunate enough to have started working at Lidl just before the announcement, as I had pre-empted that I was not returning to complete my first year of university. This would offer some sort of escape. But I would still need to use my brain to some capacity. What I needed was something that allowed my mind to completely shut off, even for thirty minutes. And then it came to me.
I jumped up off the sofa, and immediately went to find my running shoes. Fortunately, as I had unpacked them a few days previously after moving out of my halls, I knew exactly where they were. They were in almost brand-new condition, as part of an unfulfilled promise to myself when I started university. I can assure you, I did get my money’s worth in the following three months.
If you have read any of my articles, you are probably aware of my immeasurable passion for sport. However, this is not to say I was a sporting star at school. The one sport I did find some level of success in was running. Even now, almost six years on, I feel immense pride for my victory in the Year 10 800 metre race at sports day. But, as I grew, my passion for running began to wane.
The decision to rediscover this passion during lockdown is arguably the sole reason I was able to keep my mental health in check during such a difficult period. Three or four times a week, I would take myself off, armed with nothing but my phone running Strava, with no idea where I intended to run to.
Ideal destinations
I am very fortunate to live in North Devon so, within five minutes (and one very steep hill), I was alone with nothing but rolling fields as far as the eye can see. It allowed me to switch off my brain, and to focus on nothing but my heaving breathing, and putting one foot in front of the other. Gone were the negative headlines filling my head, as well as the constant worries about the health of those closest to me. Or whether I had made a suitable substitution in my new job picking online orders at Tesco.
The exercise element ensured my body was kept in a state of relative fitness, even managing to run an unplanned half marathon one day. The feeling of returning after a run is unmatched. I had a huge smile on my face every time I stepped back through my front door.
This is not to say my personal experience of lockdown was without its struggles, as I’m sure is the case for everyone. But rediscovering my love for running allowed me the necessary escape from my own fears that was essential to me coping.
Read next: The ultimate revision playlist