COVID-19 is a prick. In Victoria we’re in the midst of stage four lock down, unable to leave our house (which sucks for those of us in apartments), and the worst part of it, we’re in a better place than so many other cities around the world. I write this post with a sense of trepidation (and guilt), knowing full well that there are many people in much worst positions that we are – those who have lost their lives or loved ones, those in intensive care wards and those who have lost their jobs. I send out a sincere thanks to our amazing essential service workers and those in our health system who risk their lives every day so that I can live mine for many more years to come. I am deeply thankful and grateful for the hard work of so many people to make sure we can defeat this pandemic – but make no mistake, this F*#%ing sucks.
My wife and I have enjoyed a challenge and rewarding career in sport both domestically in Australia and internationally. We are exceptionally blessed to have experience everything the industry has to provide – that was until March when we were sent to work from home for a short-period while Australia got through the pandemic. I vividly remember comforting my wife, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine” I said.
One week later I was furloughed, in the first instance for a month (at this point of writing this it has been 4 months with no return in sight). A week after that, my wife was cut back to three days a week. On top of this, I’ve been informed I will be furloughed until the end of November. This will be 8 months without work.
What. The. Actual. F*#%.
How were we going to pay a mortgage, our utility bills and put food on the table on 30% of our combined income? Things were bleak, and unbeknownst to us it was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Six weeks after being sent to work from home we found out we were pregnant, a great piece of positive news amidst the COVID $#!+show. But, in the space of 6 weeks weeks we had gone from two well-paid careers to having to survive on less than a third of our income, all while planning for a new addition to our family. On top of the stress of living of reduced mortgage, we had to commence planning for a baby without any certainty of my professional future.
Despite this stress, we’ve noticed a few positive impacts of COVID-19. Firstly, our mornings are much less stressful. Pre-lockdown we’d begrudgingly jump out of bed at 5:45am, chuck on workout gear and get out the door by 6am. I’d drop my wife off at work (where she’d hit the gym) and then make my way to a gym near work. I’d smash out a workout in an hour, have a quick shower and get in the office between 7:30-7:45am. Today my alarm went off at 6:45am, and I rolled out of bed at 7:30am. By the time I’d showered, had breakfast and was ready to jump into my job search it was 8:30am – it was beautiful.
I’ve also found my time outside valuable. While I can’t get into the gym, we’ve been making the most of our allocated 1 hour daily outside time by hitting the pavement. Sometimes that’s a walk around the block with the wife and when I’m feeling really energetic, it’s punching out 12km on the local running path. Either way, I’m much more present in these moments and have found a new appreciation for where I live. The beautiful parkland, gorgeous houses and local bike paths create a beautiful ambiance that I’ve not previously appreciated.
Finally, the biggest impact on my time in COVID lockdown has been the opportunity to spend an abundance of time with my wife (and cat). I’ve always known what a brilliant woman she was, but to see firsthand the commitment she has for her job – and most importantly her team – has been an unexpected benefit of time at home. Beyond work, we’re spending more time doing basic things together, like cooking and cleaning – and it is wonderful!
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