12 months of no work - Sarah Deacon
Sarah has 28 years’ experience across the Skincare/Aesthetic industry of which 14 years have included commercial field sales roles for B2B & B2C sales. This includes companies such as L’Oreal, Dermalogica and Skinbrands, however, 2020 was a year that Sarah will never forget.
Sarah has taken the time to share with HELP Recruitment what the last 12 months have been like for her and hopes that her experiences and lessons will help others realise they are not alone.
Back in March 2020, at the start of this pandemic, I have to say that anxiety started to creep in when I was furloughed. I was also informed at this point that my job may have been at risk of redundancy.
Personally, in my mind, there was no “maybe”, it was a done deal but the company I had worked for for eight years had to follow formality and procedures, but deep down I knew what was coming.
And then, the inevitable call came, my role was being made redundant, no room for negotiating. I knew it was a business decision and the industry was in an unimaginable state, however, I still took it personally, despite being told not to, unfortunately, I just did!
While having some downtime from working in such a fast-paced role was wonderful, the novelty of not working soon wore off.
I was lucky enough to have received a redundancy payout, but I could not go anywhere to spend it, I couldn’t travel or even treat myself to a spa day.
I had gone from living in and out of a suitcase, travelling the depth of the country, working long hours and hard (I am not complaining because I loved it) to 24/7 confined to a one-bedroom flat, living alone.
I previously managed a large team and was in constant communication with them, alongside clients on a daily basis. So now having to spend the days alone was a huge transition. In all honesty, this was quite difficult, but I did realise, I suddenly had time to reflect, think and put myself first.
This had not happened for a very long time!!
I will not lie, I have struggled mentally over the last 12 months, because I was always busy, always seeing friends, away with work and attending fancy parties and charity events. To suddenly have that taken from you overnight with no clear future direction is daunting. It is the first time throughout my career I had found myself within this position.
I had also gained weight at the start of last year, the post-Christmas party celebrations type. Health and fitness had not been a main focus of mine over the last few years, honestly, with work and life, it had just slipped down the list of priorities. So I decided with this extra free time to make it a focus. I am a swimmer, so I decided to get back into heading to the pool and getting back into it…until of course, the pools closed. Back to climbing the walls again!!.
I had never been a fan of walking or running but I had to do something, I could not just sit around using my 10,000 steps to walk to the fridge to see if I had somehow missed some chocolate. So, I started running, walking, and even signed up to Les Mills on demand and started to do body combat and pump. This totally changed my mindset. It would be the first thing I did when I got up and I actually looked forward to it. I am so pleased as I have lost weight in lockdown, I feel healthy, my hair and skin look great and I have more energy too. .
Another positive from spending more time at home is that I only bought my flat back in April 2019 so I have finally been able to enjoy it…whoop! I’ve been kept busy decorating and building many ‘flat pack’ pieces of furniture. I have had the opportunity to put my stamp on the place and I can safely say it now feels like home. Under normal circumstances, this may have taken a few years to finish such a project
This pandemic has made me realise that you get to a certain age and you no longer want to live to work but work to live.
Until I stepped out of that situation and finally had time to think, I realised I do not want to go back to that lifestyle of packing a suitcase every two or three days. Missing out on friends weekends away, nights out, nights in. My next role will be incredibly rewarding without long days and travelling. Do not get me wrong, I am not shying away from hard work, I have always worked hard but really want to find a healthy balance now between my work and home life.
Losing my dad to COVID-19 in January 2021 was not the best start to my year, unemployed and having lost the most incredible man in my life, things cannot get worse. I am a positive person; my glass is half full kind of girl. I know a role will come my way and that really excites me. HELP Recruitment has reassured me along the way and Jo and Claire have been so supportive.
Let’s face it, our industry is closed for another few months at least and I have finally learnt I cannot take this personally.
I am so excited about our industry opening again, I am getting calls about jobs and have interviews lined up. Despite the horrific pandemic and losing my dad, I think the last 12 months will end up on a more positive note! If one thing this past year has taught me life is too short. Cherish your life, love life, and love your family and friends because it and your loved ones can be snatched away from you at any time.
