Irish country singer/songwriter
Lockdown was actually a welcome break for me as the last few years have been hectic touring with my band. In the beginning, I actually kind of forgot about music altogether. I tried to get into a bit of a routine. It was nice to relax and look after myself a bit more.
We have had festivals and gigs cancelled, but at the end of the day, we can’t have gigs until people can be safe and are able to relax. We’ll hold tight for another while.
After the first few weeks of lockdown, I wanted to reconnect with the people who have supported me and my music. I started doing Facebook lives and online duets with other artists. That gave me a focus every week. In May, I released a song with Philomena Begley called It Won’t Rain Forever, which was inspired by the pandemic. I have also released an album called The Road to Christmas and while there is country in it, I wanted to try and do something different and show people what I can do with my vocals.
The pandemic has taught us how to adapt. For musicians, online digital platforms have never been more important and social media is brilliant for maintaining that connection with people.
In terms of resolutions, I have started trying to be healthier and exercise more so I’ll try to keep that up. We just have to wait and see what will happen with the live scene. I always tend to look to the future rather than looking back. At the moment, we just have to keep going.
Coach, podcast host and best-selling author of The Fitness Mindset
Brian Keane at home in Galway
I have had a really good year in the sense that 2020 has allowed me to focus on life’s priorities. It is a case of if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I think you can put a positive spin on anything and that’s what I did during lockdown. I’ve been working harder on my fitness, spending time with loved ones and I even started writing my new book earlier than planned.
I have been very mindful of not falling out of the normal routine. I’m still getting up early to work out, I’m working throughout the day and spending time with family and friends. The only difference is I’m not traveling to and from a gym. My job has always been remote and all aspects of my business are running online as normal. That’s the pure luck of the draw, the cookie crumbled that way and I got lucky.
January is a hectic time for us as everyone is on the health and fitness bandwagon. The gyms, personal trainers and online programmes are so busy, but I love the January buzz. I love seeing people making a change and sticking to it – that keeps me going.
I don’t set new year’s resolutions because if I have a goal I want to hit, I will set it today or tomorrow. I never wait until Monday or the new year. I think that if you approach things that way, you tend to get a lot more done. When it comes to health and fitness, I’d advise people to start small because making small changes can lead to massive results. I think that concept is seriously underestimated.
Lockdown gave me a magnifying class and showed me that I was right in prioritising my time with loved ones. There’s no point in complaining because there’s always a silver lining. If all we get from recent months is to appreciate the little things and spend time with our loved ones, that’s great.
Nurse and model
Grainne Gallanagh on her family farm in Donegal
This year has been great for spending time with my family at home in Buncrana. My sister and I were helping out on the farm, something we haven’t done in years.
I went back to work, which was good for my routine. I had only been out of nursing for about six months, but it felt like years because so much of my life had changed since Dancing with the Stars. It was hard to get into the swing of things, but it was just a case of adjusting to the new normal. Every day holds something different in nursing, but it is so rewarding.
During lockdown, I try to stay positive by making to-do lists. I usually have a list for every single day and get such satisfaction out of ticking things off. I’m a mess without one!
It’s difficult to plan for the upcoming year, but I have a few new year’s resolutions. Firstly, I want to spend less time on my phone. I spend so much time mindlessly scrolling on social media when I could be doing something more productive. It’s so easy to get sucked in!
I also recently purchased a pair of rollerblades online, but don’t ask me where this notion came out of. I had a pair when I was younger, but my only memories are falling. I’ve bought all the gear; the elbow pads, knee pads and helmet. I’m going to practice and shock everybody. We’ll see how that goes.
Finally, I’m really going to try and make the effort to be positive and be grateful for what I have. We really do compare ourselves to other people especially online and I find myself doing that a lot more recently. I was never normally like that, so I’m just going to try be grateful for what I’ve done and what I’m doing.
I think we have all realised what we took for granted in normal life. I hope we’ll really appreciate all those things when we return back to some sense of normality.
European Commissioner
Commissioner Mairead McGuinness outside the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. \ European Union, 2020
2020 has been a very unusual year. For several months I worked from home before starting to travel to Brussels again in June. However, there was no return to normality. Moving from the Parliament to the Commission was not planned, but I am relishing the challenge.
It took a while to establish a working pattern. As time went on I settled very well. The weather was beautiful and I’m lucky to live on a farm. Slowing down did me good! My husband Tom and I walked in the fields every evening. For a significant part of my working life, I have been away from home most weeks. So being at home for a prolonged period of time was a new but wonderful experience.
In lockdown, I spent as much time as possible outdoors. I started running again and surprised myself at how I built up to 5k without much difficulty. I painted the garden shed, then continued painting inside the house! Because much of my work involves a lot of thinking, I find physical work very relaxing.
During lockdown, I think the challenge was to accept that this pandemic was going to last longer than we expected. The other challenge was poor broadband, which is now sorted!
I think once you cross the 60 threshold, there’s greater awareness of how time evaporates. And an even greater appreciation of the little things around us. I think a lot of people reconnected with the natural world this year.
I don’t have any plans for 2021 other than to put my heart and soul into my role. Regarding resolutions, I don’t write anything down, but I always try to rid myself of those things that hold me back or cause stress, but that’s easier said than done. I will continue to take life as it comes. I am also determined to plant more trees around the farm.
I always say that the most important thing is to be open to opportunities and to give your best in whatever role you are in. I am in a position today which was not on the horizon at the dawn of 2020. None of us know the road ahead. What matters most is health and to find joy in what is all around us – the things that don’t cost anything, but are priceless.
Read more
Brain training with Brian Keane
Are you dancing?
Irish country singer/songwriter
Lockdown was actually a welcome break for me as the last few years have been hectic touring with my band. In the beginning, I actually kind of forgot about music altogether. I tried to get into a bit of a routine. It was nice to relax and look after myself a bit more.
We have had festivals and gigs cancelled, but at the end of the day, we can’t have gigs until people can be safe and are able to relax. We’ll hold tight for another while.
After the first few weeks of lockdown, I wanted to reconnect with the people who have supported me and my music. I started doing Facebook lives and online duets with other artists. That gave me a focus every week. In May, I released a song with Philomena Begley called It Won’t Rain Forever, which was inspired by the pandemic. I have also released an album called The Road to Christmas and while there is country in it, I wanted to try and do something different and show people what I can do with my vocals.
The pandemic has taught us how to adapt. For musicians, online digital platforms have never been more important and social media is brilliant for maintaining that connection with people.
In terms of resolutions, I have started trying to be healthier and exercise more so I’ll try to keep that up. We just have to wait and see what will happen with the live scene. I always tend to look to the future rather than looking back. At the moment, we just have to keep going.
Coach, podcast host and best-selling author of The Fitness Mindset
Brian Keane at home in Galway
I have had a really good year in the sense that 2020 has allowed me to focus on life’s priorities. It is a case of if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I think you can put a positive spin on anything and that’s what I did during lockdown. I’ve been working harder on my fitness, spending time with loved ones and I even started writing my new book earlier than planned.
I have been very mindful of not falling out of the normal routine. I’m still getting up early to work out, I’m working throughout the day and spending time with family and friends. The only difference is I’m not traveling to and from a gym. My job has always been remote and all aspects of my business are running online as normal. That’s the pure luck of the draw, the cookie crumbled that way and I got lucky.
January is a hectic time for us as everyone is on the health and fitness bandwagon. The gyms, personal trainers and online programmes are so busy, but I love the January buzz. I love seeing people making a change and sticking to it – that keeps me going.
I don’t set new year’s resolutions because if I have a goal I want to hit, I will set it today or tomorrow. I never wait until Monday or the new year. I think that if you approach things that way, you tend to get a lot more done. When it comes to health and fitness, I’d advise people to start small because making small changes can lead to massive results. I think that concept is seriously underestimated.
Lockdown gave me a magnifying class and showed me that I was right in prioritising my time with loved ones. There’s no point in complaining because there’s always a silver lining. If all we get from recent months is to appreciate the little things and spend time with our loved ones, that’s great.
Nurse and model
Grainne Gallanagh on her family farm in Donegal
This year has been great for spending time with my family at home in Buncrana. My sister and I were helping out on the farm, something we haven’t done in years.
I went back to work, which was good for my routine. I had only been out of nursing for about six months, but it felt like years because so much of my life had changed since Dancing with the Stars. It was hard to get into the swing of things, but it was just a case of adjusting to the new normal. Every day holds something different in nursing, but it is so rewarding.
During lockdown, I try to stay positive by making to-do lists. I usually have a list for every single day and get such satisfaction out of ticking things off. I’m a mess without one!
It’s difficult to plan for the upcoming year, but I have a few new year’s resolutions. Firstly, I want to spend less time on my phone. I spend so much time mindlessly scrolling on social media when I could be doing something more productive. It’s so easy to get sucked in!
I also recently purchased a pair of rollerblades online, but don’t ask me where this notion came out of. I had a pair when I was younger, but my only memories are falling. I’ve bought all the gear; the elbow pads, knee pads and helmet. I’m going to practice and shock everybody. We’ll see how that goes.
Finally, I’m really going to try and make the effort to be positive and be grateful for what I have. We really do compare ourselves to other people especially online and I find myself doing that a lot more recently. I was never normally like that, so I’m just going to try be grateful for what I’ve done and what I’m doing.
I think we have all realised what we took for granted in normal life. I hope we’ll really appreciate all those things when we return back to some sense of normality.
European Commissioner
Commissioner Mairead McGuinness outside the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. \ European Union, 2020
2020 has been a very unusual year. For several months I worked from home before starting to travel to Brussels again in June. However, there was no return to normality. Moving from the Parliament to the Commission was not planned, but I am relishing the challenge.
It took a while to establish a working pattern. As time went on I settled very well. The weather was beautiful and I’m lucky to live on a farm. Slowing down did me good! My husband Tom and I walked in the fields every evening. For a significant part of my working life, I have been away from home most weeks. So being at home for a prolonged period of time was a new but wonderful experience.
In lockdown, I spent as much time as possible outdoors. I started running again and surprised myself at how I built up to 5k without much difficulty. I painted the garden shed, then continued painting inside the house! Because much of my work involves a lot of thinking, I find physical work very relaxing.
During lockdown, I think the challenge was to accept that this pandemic was going to last longer than we expected. The other challenge was poor broadband, which is now sorted!
I think once you cross the 60 threshold, there’s greater awareness of how time evaporates. And an even greater appreciation of the little things around us. I think a lot of people reconnected with the natural world this year.
I don’t have any plans for 2021 other than to put my heart and soul into my role. Regarding resolutions, I don’t write anything down, but I always try to rid myself of those things that hold me back or cause stress, but that’s easier said than done. I will continue to take life as it comes. I am also determined to plant more trees around the farm.
I always say that the most important thing is to be open to opportunities and to give your best in whatever role you are in. I am in a position today which was not on the horizon at the dawn of 2020. None of us know the road ahead. What matters most is health and to find joy in what is all around us – the things that don’t cost anything, but are priceless.
Read more
Brain training with Brian Keane
Are you dancing?
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