Source: Priscilla Du Preez
Lockdown has posed problems for us all, both practical and emotional. The frameworks that kept us sane have been shredded up or shaken.
Here are some hints and tips to keep you smiling and on track as we look forward to a return to more familiar ground:
Keep In Touch With Friends and Family
Missing those dearest to us is one of the hardest aspects we as a nation are facing. Some new ways of keeping in touch and seeing the familiar faces you know and love have become available to us recently. Zoom and other online video conferencing apps, such as Google meet and Skype are great for seeing familiar faces and loved ones, in as close to a sociable way as lockdown allows. Great for those shielding and fun for a regular family get together. It’s not quite Sunday lunch with the parents, but with a little imagination, some word games, maybe even a family quiz, a handy way to keep the whole family smiling.
Keep Your Routines and Make New Ones
Sticking to a routine brings structure to life, helping us remember what day of the week it is, and ticking off the days to easier times. Most of us will have our little routines, if furloughed; you may be missing your breaktime walk to get lunch. Replacing it with vacuuming the house may not seem like much fun, but the exercise is rewarded by feeling good that you have a clean comfortable home.
It is a good time to take care of those nagging to-do’s on your list, from sorting out the junk accumulated in the spare room, to painting the porch or kitchen. Online delivery services are great for bringing you decorating materials and supplies for your endeavours. You’ll never have achieved so much by not leaving your house!
Look After Yourself
Taking advantage of the rules for exercise is important, both for physical and mental wellbeing. Even on a colder day, a brisk walk, or bike ride will get your heart rate up. Its important to make sure we get enough daylight, this helps in so many ways. Being cooped up indoors isn’t fun, especially when its beyond our control. Vitamin D, being derived from sunlight, is something we all should be aware of during lockdown, your doctor may advise you to take a supplement, if you are indoors more than usual.
Make New Friends
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all have local groups you can join, so useful in keeping in touch with your neighbours in the community. You may be surprised how many hobby and pastime groups there are, so if your passion is anything from knitting to motor cross, you’re sure to find a group of likeminded people to share experiences with.
Expand Your Knowledge
With extra time on our hands, it’s a perfect opportunity to educate ourselves on a subject that we’ve been interested in, but just never had the time. This could be a more formal qualification, not necessarily one that costs money either. There are plenty of schemes running at present for free educational courses. Google will lead you in the right direction, possibly even ones that will help your career and skill set stay current in these times. Or take a just for fun approach, read a Wikipedia page on a historical subject or place of interest, maybe it will spark your imagination to be creative and produce your own media or literature on the subject.
