We asked our ambassadors how they felt about going out again…

Although it’s been some time since lockdown, many of us are still struggling to get back to normality and do the things we enjoyed before COVID. We discussed this with our ambassadors, who had lots of different things to say but fell into three main categories:

People who got back out early

There were a few who had adapted back quickly, saying they had felt fine and didn’t struggle with going back out. This was the least common response.

People who got back out but are being cautious

Many of the ambassadors said they had found it difficult and were still being cautious, making sure to carry their hand sanitiser out with them. One thing they agreed on was that getting back out there had felt good once they’d managed and was well worth the wait.

People who’d lost their confidence

Some ambassadors said they still needed a bit more support to get back “to normal” and were especially worried about people who didn’t wear masks. This is very understandable, especially as the rules haven’t always been clear making it more confusing and overwhelming.

So, we decided to keep talking about the topic and see if the ambassadors had any top tips for those of us who need that extra push to get back out there.

Our ambassadors’ top tips…

A good discussion followed with lots of ideas, people had really got imaginative in the ways they could build their confidence back up. Someone even planned their month full of outings to do regular everyday things (like shopping), to start getting used to leaving the house. Although lots of the tips were specific to the individual, these are some of the ideas that they came up with.

• Just take small steps, do it gradually.
• Go to small, local places and work up to bigger places.
• Go to places where you can keep your distance.
• “Go, Go, GO but wear a mask!”.
• Keep in regular contact with the people you are close to, so you don’t lose the habit and can share how you are doing.
• Catch up with friends for coffee or lunch to make sure they are okay and so you feel confident and safe with them.
• Go and check somewhere out first whilst it’s quiet.

We then spoke about the best way to share these tips so that people could learn from them. The ambassadors decided that the best way was to make an advice sheet to help people. They also wanted to create photos and videos of themselves sharing their top tip as an easy way to get the information out there on the internet.

These all seemed like very sensible ideas so we decided we would start making videos and photos with those that wanted to at the next meeting. It is important that people know it is okay to still struggle and that it is always best to talk to someone if you are struggling and need help.

They may feel the same way too!