Dotty About Paper founder urges Brits not to forget what lockdown taught us
A greeting cards company founder is urging Brits not to lose the positive habits built up during lockdown.
More than a third of adults feel lonely according to a recent Ipsos survey – despite the fact that we’re no longer living with Covid restrictions. Dotty About Paper founder Lisa Forde says she’s not surprised.
Lisa, who has worked in the greetings cards industry for almost two decades, said the various lockdowns sent greetings card sales soaring as we all took a keen interest to ‘keep in touch’.
But now that life is going back to ‘normal’, Lisa is urging people not to forget all the lessons the pandemic taught us.
“2020 was a scary time for us all, but it was also a really humbling experience,” she explained. “The amount of cards we saw leave our doors with beautiful messages was quite something.
“People were hosting weekly Zoom calls, checking in daily with friends and family and sending beautiful surprises in the post. Whether a handwritten card, a bunch of flowers or a puzzle to keep busy, it was clear that people were taking an interest in others’ wellbeing.
“But it’s something, we’ve definitely seen drop off as restrictions eased – which I think is really quite sad.”
Lisa said communities were stronger than ever during lockdown as people stepped up to help those more vulnerable.
“Of course we’re glad to see the back of restrictions as we emerge from the pandemic, but there were so many really positive things that that time taught us,” she explains.
“Whether it was chatting to your neighbours more, checking in with your elderly family members or even just appreciating the small things in life like the birds chirping and the sun shining.
“Lockdown enabled us to slow down and think about what’s important to us – and we need to be careful not to lose that as the chaos of life picks back up.”
According to Age UK, more than 1.4 million people are lonely.
“It’s a sad statistic but there are small things you can do every day to help someone you think might be lonely,” Lisa adds.
- Look out for the signs – there’s a few things that might reflect that someone is starting to feel lonely. Maybe they are not eating properly, or not being themselves. They could be putting themselves down or neglecting their appearance and personal hygiene.
- Once you do suspect someone is lonely, simply being there for them can go a long way. It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture, a simple text, a card in the post or calling round for a coffee can be a great comfort and show someone you care.
- Have time for them – when someone’s lonely, or has poor mental health, they can get more irritable or feel misunderstood. By being patient and listening to them, you’ll be able to offer gentle assurance.