And… breathe. It’s been a long 12 months but there’s a definite sense that we’re nearing the end of an incredibly difficult time, for us individually and for the world at large.

The sun is out (occasionally), daffodils are blooming, and a large percentage of the UK population has been vaccinated against the virus that turned all our lives upside down. We have weathered the worst of this storm and now we can begin to cherish the small things we used to take for granted. As the adage goes, ‘Unless you have bad times, you can’t appreciate the good.’ Hopefully you managed to take a break over Easter to recalibrate your mind; we badly need it these days.

There will still be challenges in adjusting to post-Covid life. You may be expected to return to the office but not feel comfortable with that yet, or may have developed social anxieties after being isolated for so long. Don’t put pressure on yourself to bounce right back into life as you previously knew it. We have all been through a prolonged, unnerving period and need to be patient with ourselves in getting back to ‘normal’.

Much of the industry is experiencing some of the busiest times in years, and this is set to continue with the stamp duty holiday extension and new Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. FCA figures show the value of new mortgage commitments reached £87.7bn in the last three months of 2020 — 24.2 per cent higher than in Q4 2019 and the strongest quarter since 2007.

And there is a host of new products on the market to cater to the new working world and borrower requirements, including ultra-long-term fixed rates, high-LTV deals pouring back in, and lenders increasingly moving into specialist areas. It’s a lot for brokers to get their heads around.

While I’m sure you’d take a busy year over a quiet one any day, you have been inundated with work with little chance for respite. All the more reason to take it easy when possible. Schedule in time each day to do whatever gives your mind peace. It may sound indulgent but it’s crucial — if you burn the candle at both ends, you could get burnt.