If you are lucky enough to be in lockdown, unlike the saintly key workers and medics (including my incredible daughter and her partner), then you have an opportunity to reflect: to work on you. To address aspects of your personality that you would like to strengthen.

Covid-19 has forced unprecedented changes in the way we live, and we are on the cusp of moving into a new, stark, and uncertain era. But there is an old adage: “Where there is change, there is opportunity”, and in so, there has never been a better time to work on ourselves.

Consider the aspects of your personality that you would like to improve, and then find a way to work on achieving that. For example, if you want to become more patient, then learn how to make bread. It’s surprisingly easy and you’ll be delighted with the results. It’s not a five minute job, but every stage is enjoyable and your home will smell divine.

If you’d like to be more creative, then apply the same principle – write down your thoughts and try turning them into a poem. Keep to hand some paper and a pen because ideas will start popping into your mind at surprising times.

These simple ideas are not about moving mountains – they are preparatory work to inspire you. The more we address our foibles, the braver we become, and the more inclined we feel to address other aspects of ourselves that can help us grow as individuals. Draw inspiration from the people you admire, and together let’s work on creating a more content and grateful society.