From the slower life to the rediscovery of the convenience store: lessons from the blockade – radar

Mieke (37): “Self-employed people can finally enjoy family life at the weekend”

Home situation Together with partner and daughter (9) in a spacious mansion in the city, with a garden. We change homework with work on the move.

Work situation We run a sustainable fashion business in Ghent. The focus is now on in-house deliveries. I spend a lot of time in the store that is now the warehouse and Thierry works as a flying courier and ad interim teacher. How many hours we work depends on the day.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Yes and no. The biggest difference is that we now have weekends with the three. Reading together, watching films, tinkering, lazing around, cooking, puzzling and wrestling: That was not possible for the closure.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? We try to take a big city walk with the three of us every day. Delicious.

Is there anything you learned during this time? The concept of our store – which I always saw strongly connected to a physical place where people come together – turns out to be remote controlled. I love that I can surprise people from a cardboard box too. It also turns out that a later morning rhythm is much better for us. Sorry school! And then there’s our daughter who can handle everything.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? How can we ever give up this wonderful weekend family life? Time to waste together is worth its weight in gold.

Laura (25): ‘ I am particularly sorry that people are only now realizing how necessary the care sector is. ”

Home situation I live with my friend in a city apartment with a small balcony. We are away a lot from our work, but we also try to have free time together.

Work situation My partner and I both work full-time as nurses in the hospital. He is in emergency care and I am in the intensive care unit.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not really, but knowledge can come after this period is over. Care is certainly more difficult because of all the protective equipment. At the beginning of the outbreak, I obviously had more unconscious stress due to reorganization in the workplace and the training of new colleagues because my heart was pounding.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I watch my food more so I can keep my mood high. So I make fresh meals in advance in the hospital instead of eating in the hospital. I also try to be less irritated and more tolerant of my partner and colleagues. This is a more difficult and stressful time for everyone.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I am particularly sorry that people are only now realizing the need for the health sector.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? If everything were back to normal tomorrow, my life would just go on, I guess. I don’t think of the big picture like the economy or education. At the moment I am busy caring for sick patients and their families with a heart under my belt.

Sylvia (38): “I’m afraid of the whole black hole after the closure”

Home situation Together with my husband we have a total of 7 children. My husband is military and therefore often away from home for a long time. The children really enjoy the fact that he has to work at home now. We have a big house where there is always something to do: this will finally be done.

Work situation I am a housemother and I am one of the kind who can easily let go. If the kids want to bake cookies, I like to leave the task I did.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Our youngest child has been going to school since last summer and my days were suddenly a lot of army. I managed to fill them up, but I still don’t mind that they’re all at home now. I have a job back. I am already afraid of the black hole that I will fall into after the closure.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Not really. I have two children with autism, so we try to keep the same structure as possible. It is clearly explained on the weekly schedule in the kitchen.

Is there anything you learned during this time? We live in Limburg and my whole family lives in Antwerp. My bompa is fighting for his life. Usually the first thing I do in such a place is to jump into my car. I feel extremely powerless because I can’t visit my family now.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My husband will often have to go to work. I will also meet my friends anyway. desperate housewives (laughs). I miss the chats with girlfriends. Some things you would rather tell them than your husband, even in a very good marriage.

Alex (33): “I scan social media as much as possible”

Home situation In Lockdown with my Italian girlfriend in an apartment in Brussels.

Work situation I am self-employed in the film industry. There are currently no vacancies there.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Even before measures were taken in Belgium, I was very informed about my friend’s nationality. This even led to an argument with a director and my cameraman when I didn’t want to shake hands in the morning.

My friend is very busy working in the European Parliament. So I’m trying to play more of the new guy in the household. But the most fundamental change in my behavior is that I use social media more. Obviously there are suddenly many more people with time and have to express a hateful opinion.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? A classic like games night with friends is happening nowadays via zoom. Friends who play online suddenly do this together. Grandpa’s and Grandma’s visits can’t be done for a while, but luckily video chat is easy to explain.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I hope that people use this time to take a critical look at the people they voted for.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I want to continue the way everything went. I would normally start filming a new series in late May. I want to start my own business before I start.

Griet (36): “I hope that education will find its core again”

Home situation I live with my adolescent in a row house with a Koertje. I try to walk every day as before, only now do I pull my son with me.

Work situation In education, but on sick leave.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not so, although it is quieter and I distance myself from the news and social media.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I try to slow down consciously, but I actually did it for Corona because of my burnout. The positive thing is that my guilt for sitting at home has now completely disappeared.

Is there anything you learned during this time? We are now seeing that education can be done differently. I hope that this training will find its core again later.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? Not much will change for me because I will still be on sick leave. But I’m going to celebrate really well!

Sarah (39): “We discovered how high-quality the range of convenience stores is”

Home situation I live with my husband and our two dogs in a three-story town house and a small roof terrace. I go to work every two weeks.

Work situation I make sure that all colleagues in the police have sufficient protective equipment and everything stays on the system. So I have enough work and I even work a little overtime.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? We live in the center of Antwerp and normally eat regularly, shop, drink, go to flea markets, … It’s all gone. The regular visits to my parents were also replaced by WhatsApp.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Now that I’m home, I’m taking the time to have breakfast instead of eating a yogurt or a piece of chocolate while checking my email. We also spend more time cooking fresh in the evening. In addition, we no longer go to the large supermarket, but buy more in the smaller convenience stores.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I learned professionally how practical video conferencing is. On a personal level, I discovered that I not only enjoy the hustle and bustle of the silent walks with the dogs.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? For the most part, yes. I am really looking forward to going through the flea markets in better weather. But I will make more and more local purchases after the block. In the smaller shops nearby we discovered delicious vegetables, fish and meat. The quality is actually better than in the supermarket, it’s cheaper and we take fewer things that we don’t need.

Bart, 58: “Employers are increasingly convinced that homework is an efficient option”

Home situation With a partner in a house with a large garden, children out of the house

Work situation I work as a professor at a university and it just continues from home. Communication with my students and colleagues takes place via digital platforms. It’s sometimes more efficient, but sometimes more exhausting.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not very much, except that there are no movements and the physical interaction with students and colleagues has disappeared. National and foreign conferences have been canceled or suspended. And of course I also miss the social contacts and, especially now that the weather is getting better, the opportunity to go on excursions or to take a terrace.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I’m getting up a little later.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I learned that digital communication can sometimes be more useful than physical encounters with the associated time-consuming mobility. But unlike some of my colleagues, I’m not convinced that radical digitalization by definition makes our lives and our jobs much more efficient. Physical interaction is still very important, especially for education.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I think, although I will let more non-meaningful professional activities be passed on, e.g. B. Sessions that are not efficient or useful. I hear that this situation has convinced many CEOs more that homework is a sensible option that makes their employees’ lives quieter (and therefore more efficient).

Katrien (37): “It is wonderful that the children can use the city again as a playground”

Home situation Every week I live with my two children, boys of twelve, in my city apartment with a large terrace. The other week with my love. We spend an average of five hours a day outdoors.

Work situation I run the wedding fair I Do I Do and a number of other events. They don’t go any further now, so apart from working on communication for an hour a day, this temporarily stops completely. My work in the local coffee bar (Vitesse) is also completely expressed in the queue . I volunteer for #postcoronamovement. It takes about two hours a day. I also often work in our vegetable garden and occasionally take part in a field of friends.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? I actually made the transition to a slower and more intuitive life in 2019. I recently worked a maximum of 25 hours a week so that I could spend a lot of time with my children, my love and in nature. So not much changes in this regard, but it’s a pretty solid adjustment for the kids to be at home all day.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Every morning I have a coffee on the terrace before the kids are awake and I think about what my day will be like. In addition, my children have transformed our apartment and the streets into the equivalent of a farm in the village. There’s a lot of game back, out on adventures, fires, spontaneously painted … It’s blissful!

Is there anything you learned during this time? That we were very violent. We were completely exhausted on autopilot ourselves, others and the earth. Corona proves that we can really live differently if we want to. I hope that the same determination to change the world consistently remains present. I personally also noticed that a simple life without too much is too much. And just hanging and ‘being’ can be nice instead of always ‘doing’.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I definitely want to hold the morning ritual on my terrace with the coffee. Unlocking and discovery by the kids should take time too. I want to continue to work for a kind of “new world” that will focus on the balance of human nature, working life, equality around the world and the strength of the local economy.

Loan (37): “I hope that a slower life in balance can now become more the norm”

Home situation Together with my friend and two dogs in a house with a city garden. I am mostly there now unless I have to shop, exhaust the dogs or take photos.

Work situation In March I was still working full time as a freelancer, but the second part of this task was postponed. So now I’m full-time.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not basically. The only thing that’s different is that I can’t drive my car to the Ardennes or the coast.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Above all, this time gives me time to do what I did: to develop a good structure for my days as a freelancer.

Is there anything you learned during this time? It’s nothing new to me, but this time confirms that we live too fast and want too much. Corona forces the world to take a good look in the mirror. I hope that delay and life in balance can now become more the norm.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I hope not, because something will change fundamentally. My plans to switch to self-employment as my main job will certainly have to be postponed. I’m looking for a job again. But I hope it can be linked to animals and nature, back to the roots .

Wim (55): “Difficult is also possible”

Home situation With my wife in a house with a garden. The two grown children are out of the nest.

Work situation I am a cook in a nursing home, but currently on sick leave after cancer treatment.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not so much. Since my cancer diagnosis, I have a different vision of life. I enjoy more every day, I don’t whine about anything. This block is a small part of it. I am at additional risk because of my medical history, but I am no longer very worried. I am particularly sorry that I can no longer take care of my mother and chat with my colleagues. And that I can’t fish either.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Not really, because I was already at home. I’d like to do a few more tasks, but you need material from stores that are closed. And I want to help my daughter, but I can’t.

Is there anything you learned during this time? Family and family have become even more important. I have to stay away from my mother now, so I call more often. It is difficult, but it is difficult to do.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I hope to be able to get back to work soon. I miss my colleagues so much.

Marleen (42): “I want to work more and more time with my family”

Home situation Together with my full-time husband and two daughters (8 and 10) in our semi-open buildings with garden (der).

Work situation nurse in the intensive care unit, I only worked 105 hours in two weeks. Now I’m on vacation, unless, of course, many colleagues would leave or patients would join.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Yes. In addition to my nurse, wife and mother, I have now become a teacher.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? To keep it feasible, I’ll put the kids in the household. They cook, fill the washing machine, clean the terrace … I no longer watch TV myself and try to sleep as much as possible.

Is there anything you learned during this time? That your family deserves full attention. And more so that you have to enjoy every day.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I want to change my life a little: I want to work more and more time with my family. And I want to give my children even more that you can enjoy nature and small things.

Home situation At home with my husband, dog and horses. We live in a family house with a large garden, surrounded by nature.

Work situation Currently in the Easter holidays as a half-time Dutch teacher, with my hole in the butter so fallen. In the past few weeks, as an experienced teacher, I have been able to use many teaching materials and tasks that I do not consider for this situation.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? I miss social contacts, especially my grown children. But otherwise I have to admit that there are also happy moments of rest.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Sleep longer and let me feel more awake and awake.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I see a lot more bird species that I have never seen. I want to do a course on this. I also found that social people in crisis situations are particularly social and selfish. Social people send cards, run errands for others, keep in touch, help each other. Unfortunately, there are also profiteers and they try to capitalize on the situation, for example by selling bad mouth masks at extortionate prices.

For my job, I have learned that personal contact between students and teachers is irreplaceable. I have already received a message from a student who said she never thought she would miss school so much.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I do, but I can imagine that many homeworkers are now realizing that they can continue working from home a few days a week. The environment would be included, but the work-life balance of the population would also be much better.

Koen (29): “I now enjoy the little things in life with my girlfriend more”

Home situation Living with my girlfriend in a small workers’ house with a city garden

Work situation At half-time as an independent physiotherapist, part-time psychomotor therapist (PMT) in a psychiatric clinic. My job was heavily adjusted during the ban. I now give a lot more one-on-one sessions instead of in a group, and outside when I can. But I can still work full time and I am very happy about it.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? On a social level, the fun activities after work, which give me a lot of energy, have of course also been partially lost.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? My girlfriend and I have recently been working on and experimenting with our city garden by growing our own flowers and herbs. Hopefully in a while we’ll actually see something grow and thrive here! We take more time to prepare our dinner and try out new recipes. So we take more time to enjoy the little things in life together.

Is there anything you learned during this time? Above all, I noticed how important social contacts and social activities are to me. I will appreciate these encounters with family and friends more.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I will definitely try to enjoy the smaller things in life that I don’t think enough about. Life in the here and now gives a certain calm. I am also more concerned with how we test our planet’s natural resources. Now that I have the time to shop more consciously and live more environmentally friendly, I will also try to maintain these small green changes in the future.

Sophie (32): “My new everyday rituals improve the quality of life”

Home situation I live with my daughter (5) with a friendly couple. Isa is with us part-time. The other half of the time she lives with her dad. Everyone has their own bedroom, we share everything else. There is no garden, but there is an outside area. We live less than 500 meters from Gent Nature Reserve De Bourgoyen.

Work situation I work full-time as a political representative for Groen in Ghent. This has happened at home since the ban. However, a five-year-old does not spend a whole day alone, so on days when Isa is at home, I change work blocks with the time I spend with her. Sometimes it works. Sometimes a little less.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? Theoretically it is (private and work are constantly mixed, the yoga classes have been dropped, I cook a lot more at home, there are no more family celebrations, …), but it doesn’t feel that way.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I am someone who is quite messy in life and yet now I need daily rituals more than ever. That’s how I dress every day, even on vacation, while I try to walk around in pajamas with Isa for a whole weekend. I bought a diary two days before the block began. I am now writing a number of lines that day before going to bed. I hope that my new little daily rituals will be deeply rooted enough to sustain them during this time, because I am convinced that they have a positive impact on my quality of life.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I was at home for a while after my divorce. I needed this time to redesign everything. It felt like a “personal lock” at the time, while the rest of the world kept spinning. That time made sure that I now have the basics to be fairly resistant to the block. This situation makes me particularly grateful for my domestic situation. The fact that I have friends who let life go on comfortably during this time is really an incredible and unique gift!

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I deliberately don’t want to just be the way it was before. I think working from home a day or two a week will surely be something that can go on. I would also like to immerse myself more in home school. I notice that I really enjoy the “educational moments” with my daughter.

Bie (37): “I go to nature every day and will be inspired by it”

Home situation single, in a studio with a sunny terrace.

Work situation I work daily on my start-up for sustainable fashion, B.Right. I’ve been doing this from my home for a few years, but I’ve started working in a co-working location since January. So this situation catapults me back in time.

Did your life change a lot during the ban? I have been passionate about my project for some time, so that my social activities were regularly on the brink. All of my activities for B.Right have been canceled, but I am still very busy. It’s called passion, isn’t it? Fortunately, my sisters are now shopping for the whole family in the center, so I actually do a lot less housework.

Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I move a lot more in nature. I even went to the park once before 7 a.m. for the large crowds. It’s nice to see how it wakes up. With B.Right, Corona makes me more aware that awareness is a key to sustainability.

Is there anything you learned during this time? I saw once again how much inspiration I can get from nature. I will remember that in the future. I also find it very nice to see how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Volunteer platforms are booming and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges.

Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term.

Home situation Together with partner and daughter (9) in a spacious mansion in the city, with a garden. We change homework with work on the move. Work situation We run a sustainable fashion business in Ghent. The focus is now on in-house deliveries. I spend a lot of time in the store that is now the warehouse and Thierry works as a flying courier and ad interim teacher. How many hours we work depends on the day. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Yes and no. The biggest difference is that we now have weekends with the three. Reading together, watching films, tinkering, lazing around, cooking, puzzling and wrestling: That was not possible for the closure. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? We try, to take a big city walk with the three of us every day. Heerlijk.Is you everything you’ve learned in that time? The concept of our store – which I always saw strongly connected to a physical place where people come together – turns out to be remote controlled. I love that I can surprise people from a cardboard box too. It also turns out that a later morning rhythm is much better for us. Sorry school! And then there’s our daughter who can handle everything. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? How can we ever give up this wonderful weekend family life? Time to waste together is worth its weight in gold. Home situation I live with my friend in a city apartment with a small balcony. We are a lot away from our work, but we also try to have free time together. Work situation My partner and I both work full-time as nurses in the hospital. H emergency care and I in the intensive care unit. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not really, but knowledge can come after this period is over. Care is certainly more difficult because of all the protective equipment. At the beginning of the outbreak, I obviously had more unconscious stress due to reorganization in the workplace and the training of new colleagues because my heart was pounding. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I watch my food more so I can keep my mood high. So I make fresh meals in advance in the hospital instead of eating in the hospital. I also try to become less irritated and more tolerant towards my partner and colleagues. This is a more difficult and stressful time for everyone. Is there anything you learned during this time? I am particularly sorry that people are only now realizing the need for the health sector. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? If everything were back to normal tomorrow, my life would just go on, I guess. I don’t think of the big picture like the economy or education. At the moment I am busy caring for sick patients and their families with a heart under my belt. Home situation Together with my husband we have a total of 7 children. My husband is military and therefore often away from home for a long time. The children really enjoy the fact that he has to work at home now. We have a big house where there is always something to do: this will finally be done. Work situation I am a housemother, and one of the kind who can easily let go. If the kids want to bake cookies, I like to leave the task I did. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Our youngest child has been going to school since last summer and my days were suddenly a lot of army. I managed to fill them up, but I still don’t mind that they’re all at home now. I have a job back. I am already afraid of the black hole that I will fall into after the closure. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Not really. I have two children with autism, so we try to keep the same structure as possible. It is clearly explained on the weekly schedule in the kitchen. Is there anything you learned during this time? We live in Limburg and my whole family lives in Antwerp. My bompa is fighting for his life. Usually the first thing I do in such a place is to jump into my car. I feel extremely powerless because I can’t visit my family now. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My husband will often have to go to work. I’m going to meet my friends anyway, including desperate housewives (laughs). I miss the chats with girlfriends. Some things you would rather tell them than your husband, even in a very good marriage. Home situation In Lockdown with my Italian girlfriend in an apartment in Brussels. Work situation I am self-employed in the film industry. There are currently no vacancies there. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Even before measures were taken in Belgium, I was very informed about my friend’s nationality. This even led to an argument with a director and my cameraman when I didn’t want to shake hands in the morning. My friend is very busy working in the European Parliament. So I’m trying to play more of the new guy in the household. But the most fundamental change in my behavior is that I use social media more. Obviously there are suddenly many more people with time and have to express a hateful opinion. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? A classic like games night with friends is happening nowadays via zoom. Friends those who play online suddenly do it together. Grandpa’s and Grandma’s visits can’t be done for a while, but luckily video chat is easy to explain. Is there anything you learned during this time? I hope that people use this time to take a critical look at the people they voted for. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I want to continue the way everything went. I would normally start filming a new series in late May. I want to start my own business before I start. Home situation I live with my youth in a row house with a window. I try to walk every day as before, only now do I pull my son with me. Work situation In education, but on sick leave. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not so, although it is quieter and I distance myself from the news and social media. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I try to slow down consciously, but I actually did it for Corona because of my burnout. The positive thing is that my guilt for sitting at home has now completely disappeared. Is there anything you learned during this time? We are now seeing that education can be done differently. I hope that this training will find its core again later. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? Not much will change for me because I will still be on sick leave. But I’m going to celebrate really well! Home situation I live with my husband and our two dogs in a three-story town hall and a small roof terrace. I go to work every two weeks. Work situation I make sure that all colleagues in the police have sufficient protective equipment and everything stays on the system. So I have enough work and I even work a little overtime. Did your life change a lot during the ban? We live in the center of Antwerp and normally eat regularly, shop, drink, go to flea markets, … It’s all gone. The regular visits to my parents were also replaced by WhatsApp. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Now that I’m home, I’m taking the time to have breakfast instead of eating a yogurt or a piece of chocolate, while I check my email. We also spend more time cooking fresh in the evening. In addition, we no longer go to the large supermarket, but buy more in the smaller convenience stores. Is there anything you learned during this time? I learned professionally how practical video conferencing is. Personally, I discovered that I not only love the hustle and bustle of the city, but also the silence when walking with the dogs. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? For the most part, yes. I am really looking forward to going through the flea markets in better weather. But I will make more and more local purchases after the block. In the smaller shops nearby we discovered delicious vegetables, fish and meat. The quality is actually better than in the supermarket, it’s cheaper and we take fewer things that we don’t need. Home situation With a partner in a house with a large garden, children from home. Work situation I work as a professor at a university and it goes on, but from home. Communication with my students and colleagues takes place via digital platforms. It’s sometimes more efficient, but sometimes more exhausting. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not very much, except that there are no movements and the physical interaction with students and colleagues has disappeared. National and foreign conferences have been canceled or suspended. And of course I miss the social contacts and, especially now that the weather is getting better, the opportunity to go on excursions or to take a terrace. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I’m getting up a little later. Is there anything you learned during this time? I learned that digital communication can sometimes be more useful than physical encounters with the associated time-consuming mobility. But unlike some of my colleagues, I’m not convinced that radical digitalization by definition makes our lives and our jobs much more efficient. Physical interaction is still very important, especially for education. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I think, although I will let more non-meaningful professional activities be passed on, e.g. B. Sessions that are not efficient or useful. I hear that this situation has convinced many CEOs more that homework is a sensible option that makes their employees’ lives quieter (and therefore more efficient). Home situation Week after week I live with my two children, boys of twelve, in my city apartment with a large terrace. The other week with my love. We spend an average of five hours a day outdoors. Work situation I run the wedding fair I Do I Do and a series of events. They do not go on now, so apart from working on communication for an hour a day, this temporarily stops completely. My work in the local coffee bar (Vitesse) was also put on hold. I volunteer for #postcoronamovement. It takes about two hours a day. I also often work in our vegetable garden and occasionally take part in a field of friends. Did your life change a lot during the ban? I actually made the transition to a slower and more intuitive life in 2019. I recently worked a maximum of 25 hours a week so that I could spend a lot of time with my children, my love and in nature. So not much changes in this regard, but it’s a pretty solid adjustment for the kids to be at home all day. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Every morning I have a coffee on the terrace before the kids are awake and I think about what my day will be like. In addition, my children have transformed our apartment and the streets into the equivalent of a farm in the village. There’s a lot of game back, out on adventure, fired, painted spontaneously … It’s blissful! Is there anything you learned during this time? That we will be very violent, one life. We were completely exhausted on autopilot ourselves, others and the earth. Corona proves that we can really live differently if we want to. I hope that the same determination to change the world consistently remains present. I personally also noticed that a simple life without too much is too much. And just hanging and ‘being’ can be nice instead of always ‘doing’. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I definitely want to hold the morning ritual on my terrace with the coffee. Unlocking and discovery by the kids should take time too. I want to continue to work for a kind of “new world” which will focus on the balance of human nature, working life, equality around the world and the strength of the local economy. Home situation Together with my friend and two dogs in a house with a city garden. I am mostly there now unless I have to shop, exhaust the dogs or take photos. Work situation In March I was still working full time as a freelancer, but the second part of this task was postponed. So now I’m full-time. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not basically. The only thing that’s different is that I can’t drive my car to the Ardennes or the coast. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Above all, this time gives me time to do what I did: to develop a good structure for my days as a freelancer. Is there anything you learned during this time? It’s nothing new to me, but this time confirms that we live too fast and want too much. Corona forces the world to take a good look in the mirror. I hope that delay and life in balance can now become more the norm. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I hope not, because something will change fundamentally. My plans to switch to self-employment as my main job will certainly have to be postponed. I’m looking for a job again. But I hope it can be connected to animals and nature, back to the roots. Living situation with my wife in a house with a garden. The two grown children are out of the nest. Work situation I’m a cook in a nursing home, but currently on sick leave after cancer treatment. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Not so much. Since my cancer diagnosis, I have a different vision of life. I enjoy more every day, I don’t whine about anything. This block is a small part of it. I am at additional risk because of my medical history, but I am no longer very worried. I am particularly sorry that I can no longer take care of my mother and chat with my colleagues. And that I can’t fish either. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Not really, because I was already at home. I’d like to do a few more tasks, but you need material from stores that are closed. And I want to help my daughter, but I can’t. Is there anything you learned during this time? Family and family have become even more important. I have to stay away from my mother now, so I call more often. It is difficult, but it is difficult to do. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I hope to be able to get back to work soon. I miss my colleagues so much. Home situation Together with my full-time husband and two daughters (8 and 10) in our semi-open buildings with a garden (the). Work situation nurse in the intensive care unit, I just worked 105 hours in two weeks. Now I’m on vacation, unless, of course, many colleagues would leave or patients would join. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Yes. In addition to my nurse, wife and mother, I have now become a teacher. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? In order to keep it feasible, I will put the children in the household. They cook, fill the washing machine, clean the terrace … I no longer watch TV myself and try to sleep as much as possible. Is there anything you learned during this time? That your family deserves full attention. And even more so that you have to enjoy every day. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I want to change my life a little: I want to work more and more time with my family. And I want to give my children even more that you can enjoy nature and small things. Home situation At home with my husband, dog and horses. We live in a family house with a large garden, surrounded by nature. Work situation Currently in the Easter holidays as a Dutch teacher at half time, with my hole in the butter fallen. In the past few weeks, as an experienced teacher, I have been able to use many teaching materials and tasks that I did not have to make special for this situation. Did your life change a lot during the ban? I miss social contacts, especially my grown children. But otherwise I have to admit that there are also happy moments of rest. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? Sleep longer and let me feel more awake and awake. Is there anything you learned during this time? I see a lot more bird species that I have never seen before I want to do a course on this. I also found that social people in crisis situations are particularly social and selfish. Social people send cards, run errands for others, keep in touch, help each other. Unfortunately, there are also profiteers and they try to capitalize on the situation, for example by selling bad mouth masks at extortionate prices. For my job, I have learned that personal contact between students and teachers is irreplaceable. I have already received a message from a student who said she never thought she would miss school so much. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I do, but I can imagine that many homeworkers are now realizing that they can continue working from home a few days a week. The environment would be there, but the work-life balance of the population would also be much better. Living situation Together with my girlfriend in a small workers’ house with a city garden Working situation Half-time as a self-employed physiotherapist, part-time psychomotor (PMT) in a psychiatric hospital. My job was heavily adjusted during the ban. I now give a lot more one-on-one sessions instead of in a group, and outside when I can. But I can still work full time and I am very happy about it. Did your life change a lot during the ban? On a social level, the fun activities after work, which give me a lot of energy, have of course also been partially lost. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? My girlfriend and I have recently been working on and experimenting with our city garden by growing our own flowers and herbs. Hopefully in a while we’ll actually see something grow and thrive here! We take more time to prepare our dinner and try out new recipes. So we take more time to enjoy the little things in life together. Is there anything you learned during this time? Above all, I noticed how important social contacts and social activities are to me. I will appreciate these encounters with family and friends more. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I will definitely try to enjoy the smaller things in life that I don’t think about enough. Life in the here and now gives a certain calm. I am also more concerned with how we test our planet’s natural resources. Now that I have the time to shop more consciously and live more environmentally friendly, I will also try to maintain these small green changes in the future. Home situation I live with my daughter (5) with a friendly couple. Isa is with us part-time. The other half of the time she lives with her dad. Everyone has their own bedroom, we share everything else. There is no garden, but there is an outside area. We live less than 500 meters from Gent Nature Reserve De Bourgoyen. Work situation I work full-time as a political representative for Groen in Ghent. This has happened at home since the ban. However, a five-year-old does not spend a whole day alone, so on days when Isa is at home, I change work blocks with the time I spend with her. Sometimes it works. Sometimes a little less. Did your life change a lot during the ban? Theoretically it is (private and work are constantly mixed, the yoga classes have been dropped, I cook a lot more at home, there are no more family celebrations, …), but it doesn’t feel that way. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I am someone who is quite messy in life and yet now I need daily rituals more than ever. That’s how I dress every day, even during the holidays, while I try to spend a whole weekend in pajamas with Isa. I bought a diary two days before the block began. I am now writing a number of lines that day before going to bed. I hope that my new little daily rituals will be deeply rooted enough to sustain them during this time, because I am convinced that they will have a positive impact on my quality of life. Is there anything you learned during this time? I was at home for a while after my divorce. I needed this time to redesign everything. It felt like a “personal lock” at the time, while the rest of the world kept spinning. That time made sure that I now have the basics to be fairly resistant to the block. This situation makes me particularly grateful for my domestic situation. The fact that I have friends who let life go on comfortably during this time, is really an incredible and unique gift! Do you just pick up the thread after locking? I deliberately don’t want to go back to how it was done. I think working from home a day or two a week will surely be something that can go on. I would also like to immerse myself more in home school. I notice that I really enjoy the “educational moments” with my daughter. Home situation single, in a studio with a sunny terrace. Work situation I work on my start-up on sustainable fashion, B.Right. I’ve been doing this from my home for a few years, but I’ve started working in a co-working location since January. So this situation catapults me back in time. Did your life change a lot during the ban? I have been passionate about my project for some time, so that my social activities were regularly on the brink. All of my activities for B.Right have been canceled, but I am still very busy. It’s called passion, isn’t it? Fortunately, my sisters are now shopping for the whole family in the center, so I actually do a lot less housework. Have you developed a new habit in the past few weeks? I move a lot more in nature. I even went to the park once before 7 a.m. for the large crowds. It’s nice to see how it wakes up. With B.Right, Corona makes me more aware that awareness is a key to sustainability. Is there something, what did you learn during this time? I saw once again how much inspiration I can get from nature. I will remember that in the future. In addition, I find it very nice to see how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Voluntary platforms and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. how much inspiration I can get from nature. I will remember that in the future. I also find it very nice to see how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Voluntary platforms and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. how much inspiration I can get from nature. I will remember that in the future. In addition, I find it very nice to see how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Voluntary platforms and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Voluntary platforms and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. how much beauty can arise in difficult situations. Voluntary platforms and people seem to be able to adapt. That makes me very hopeful. Change is possible: a nice lesson to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term. to meet the climate challenges. Do you just pick up the thread after locking? My gratitude for the wonderful people around me has only grown. I would like to pay more attention to this in the future. And then of course there are all the new projects bubbling up because I now have more time to think long term.