One year on – lockdown reflections and what’s been making us smile

Today (23 March) marks one year since the UK first went into lockdown and, although the past year has presented challenges that have affected both our work and home life, there have also been some positives.

As we get closer to the easing of lockdown restrictions, we have been reflecting on a year like no other, some of the positive aspects of lockdown, what we’ve been doing to keep ourselves busy (and smiling) in our free time, throughout the past year.

Lottie moved back down south to her parents’ home at the start of lockdown. Thinking it would be just for a few weeks, she moved back in with a small suitcase, but is still there 52 weeks later. As her family had recently moved and downsized, she has helped to ‘project manage’ a new extension so they can upsize once again and reclaim the overgrown garden. Lottie never knew she could find such pleasure in gardening!

Lauren is still enjoying spending her free time with her family’s new puppy, Buddy, who is now six months old and quite a handful! After three cancellations, she is still waiting for her driving test and cannot wait to be able to drive her shiny, new car which has sadly spent much of its time on the driveway since she purchased it.

Alex is currently living on her family’s farm having recently sold her house. In between searching for a new one, she is spending a lot of her time in the lambing shed or on foal watch as she awaits the new arrivals. She thoroughly enjoys being able to step outside and straight into the countryside with her puppy, Elsie after a long day of Zoom calls.

Rachel has been busy training her black Labrador puppy, Willow, whilst also juggling house moves, DIY and gardening projects. Her latest achievement is helping to build a swanky new garden shed.

In the latter half of 2020, Intandem welcomed a new PR and Marketing Assistant, Rebecca. A graduate in English Language, Rebecca is juggling her work for Intandem whilst studying for an MSc in Global Marketing at the University of York. Rebecca’s Zoom calls often make us chuckle, what with all the banging and clattering as her family’s house undergoes renovations and her eight-week old puppy Harvey; lucky for us, Zoom has a mute button!  Learn more about Rebecca here.

As a team, we have been focusing on our wellbeing, both in and out of work. From our weekly Zooga (zoom yoga) sessions on a Friday morning to ensuring that we have one contact free hour so we can go for walks, we have seen a positive impact in our work and home life. We have also made sure that we celebrate our achievements both in and out of work, whether it be building a shed,training a new puppy, or winning new business!