The Lockdown Log | Interview with Gabriella

Last updated on 20 June 2020

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Welcome to The Lockdown Log!

In this series, The Lockdown Log, I’m going to be interviewing some of my friends from New Zealand, to hear a little about what their experience was like during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Lockdown that our country went through in April (and continues, in some degree until we’re told otherwise). For some of my friends, life has radically changed, for others, it’s only a little different. But whatever has happened in the last few months, whatever their situation has been or will continue to be, they have a story, and one that I believe is worth sharing, if not for now, then for the future.

In this instalment of The Lockdown Log, I chat with my friend Gabriella*, a Solicitor in Auckland.

*Pseudonym

Hey Gabriella! Great pseudonym choice, by the way. Now I want to watch High School Musical. So you’re a Solicitor here in Auckland. Lockdown aside, what would a usual week look like for you?

Hey! My pre-lockdown week focused around my work, sometimes to a ridiculous extent. I had hobbies that I made a real effort to squeeze into my spare time – exercise, Church, Spanish class, socialising – but if work got too busy, you dropped everything to get the job done which sometimes meant only being out of the office to walk home and sleep.

Firstly, I love that you’re taking Spanish classes. My mum is bi-lingual (English and Spanish), and my biggest annoyance is that they didn’t bring me up speaking both languages. Sorry, Mum, you know this. I know some, but not a lot, and can definitely understand it better than speak it.

Secondly, sounds like work was pretty full-on! When we went into Lockdown in the last week of March 2020, were you able to do your work from home? How did that work, being a Solicitor?

So we were required to work from home from 23rd March – the same day [Prime Minister] Jacinda Ardern made the big announcement. I had just finished a substantial trial the Friday prior so instead of resuming working from the office, found myself in my small Central Auckland flat. There was initial excitement and novelty about the idea that wore off shortly after we heard that working from home would last a minimum of four weeks. The Government announcements on 23rd March were pretty striking. This was particularly so because I was not used to spending much time in my flat. I had gotten into a rhythm of busyness where my flat was a place to rest my head and get ready in the morning, but not somewhere I had rented with any intention of spending long stretches of time in. Most of my days were spent out – at work, at the gym, at restaurants – with mere pit stops at the flat.

It would definitely make a huge difference suddenly being in a place that you didn’t actually spend much time in prior to Lockdown!

Yeah, definitely. Also, my boyfriend was living in a separate flat. Once we realised the Government restrictions meant we wouldn’t be able to see each other for at least four weeks, we started looking for a workaround. Something that I’ve previously laughed at and dismissed when a colleague suggested it suddenly seemed like a legitimate option – travelling to my childhood home to stay with my parents in Timaru. My boyfriend and I talked about the options through and, in circumstances we never expected would exist, decided that a retreat to South Canterbury was, in fact, the most comfortable option. It meant space, a garden, separate rooms for us to work in. The next thing we knew, we were two out of three passengers on an A320 that Air NZ was charitably operating.

That first week was so full on! I feel like the country went into both shock at what was happening, and also just sheer frantic-ness. People were panic buying toilet paper and flour (or board games, in my case), you saw people walking down the road carrying their computer monitors home, or wheeling their work chairs down the footpath. And then there were people in your situation, who decided, smartly, to head off somewhere else for Lockdown. It was so good that you were able to do that!

What was like, being at home for four weeks, out of the city?

Lockdown was actually quite a special time. It was the longest I had spent with my parents in years. We celebrated two birthdays, Zoomed the extended family, went for lots of walks and cooked more frequently than we ever had before. We really appreciated the family time and just being able to enjoy quiet nights in.

The quiet nights in were pure bliss. In terms of working from home, how did you find it?

I tried to keep my working from home routine as similar to my office routine as possible. It wasn’t easy. I realised my productivity is actually fueled by the stern Law Firm environment and the awareness of my colleagues around me. My strategy was to get back to working from the office as soon as I could.

Yes, it’s been interesting hearing people talk about what they’ve realised about their work situations and their productivity when working from home. Some find it really easy, better even, and some really struggled with it.

Timaru, New Zealand. Image from Unsplash

What did you find the hardest about being in Lockdown?

The uncertainty. I was able to adapt to a quieter, simpler life. What I found most mentally challenging was not knowing how long the world was going to look this way, what the full extent of the damage would be and what the solution would look like. I normally stay motivated and positive by planning ahead and always having something to look forward to. Suddenly all my 2020 plans were gone. As I didn’t know how long the current situation would last for and had no ability to make future plans, time felt very expansive. I found it hard to be at peace in the now as I was used to always looking ahead to what was next.

That’s so interesting! I think that I was the opposite! I had perhaps too much peace about the now. I had so many things planned for April and into May that were suddenly ripped away, and I was surprisingly okay with that. Obviously I was super gutted about not doing things like heading to the Backstreet Boys concert on the 16th of May (postponed till next, never fear, friends!), but I actually found that I was so relaxed and ‘meh’ about so many things that I should have been doing during that time. I think, if it were just me missing out on things that I had planned, then I’d be really uptight and disappointed, but because literally nobody was looking ahead to what was next and nobody got to do anything, then I was okay with it. I found peace with the situation rather quickly I think, even though the first week was actually quite anxiety-ridden. It’s been so interesting hearing people’s experiences around Lockdown! This is exactly why I wanted to do The Lockdown Log!

Despite the struggles, were there things you were grateful for during Lockdown? Or in hindsight?

Two things come to mind: the slowdown and the doing without.

The slowdown. Particularly because the last six months or so have been full steam ahead with work, the sudden halt to that pace was refreshing. For once I was working my contractual hours – starting at 8:30am and finishing not long after 5pm. The imposed downtime meant I finally had the chance to pursue other interests that I wouldn’t have considered to be “productive” when life was so busy. I had time to pause and reflect. To think about what other aspects of my life I wanted to improve. To make time to really pursue my fitness. To take stock of who my nearest and dearest were and go and check in on them. To pursue hobbies just for fun and because I wanted to do them. And to do all of this in an environment where I was far freer from external pressure and the expectations of others than I’ve been in a long time.

The doing without. I realised how many poor habits I had inadvertently slipped into due to the fast pace of consumer culture. When life is so busy, there is no time for cooking. UberEats is a click away. When the week is over, you treat yourself, go shopping and see your friends which meant more indulging. I never thought the Government would have the power to step in and halt those habits. Going without made me realise how much of my consumption was unnecessary and how I could be satisfied with other interests and hobbies.

It’s amazing what can happen when you’re forced to slow down, isn’t it? I was so happy that I had the time and the space to do some of the activities that I’d been meaning to do or try for years now. Which was really enjoyable!

Is there anything that you started doing in Lockdown that you’d actually like to continue into level 2, 1 and whatever ‘normal’ we end up sitting in?

I cooked and exercised a lot more during Lockdown. Now that we’re in alert level 2, I am trying to maintain those habits – consistently exercising and consistently cooking rather than buying food. I’m also trying to make sure I make time to remember what’s important and to stay in touch with family and close friends.

Your UberEats bill is going to go down drastically! For those people around the world who are still in some form of Lockdown, or self-isolation, do you have any tips for surviving?

Reflect on what things you haven’t been making time for that you should have and work on self-improvement.

So good. And so important. And last, but certainly not least, in fact possibly the most asked question about Lockdown … did you do anything drastic to your hair?

I thought about it and am quite glad I refrained from doing so!

So much restraint! Well done! Although you never know, it could have been amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us on the blog today! All the best for keeping up your exercise and cooking!

To learn more about New Zealand’s alert level system, check out the COVID-19 website.