In 2020, many Australians experienced constraints on their freedom for the first time. Regulations introduced to reduce the spread of COVID-19 meant that, for a short period, we weren’t able to go to shops, restaurants and other public places when we wanted. It was a rude shock for a population that up until that point took its personal liberties for granted. It was widely acknowledged that the strict lockdown conditions implemented in Victoria during the state’s second wave of COVID-19 infections — where people were allowed outside for only one hour a day and limited travel to within five kilometres of home — were enormously difficult to endure and unsustainable over the long term. Many commentators voiced concerns over the restrictions’ impact on mental health.