Life under Lockdown: Keeping Yourself Busy At Home

The Coronavirus is having a massive impact on everyone’s lives, whether it is for front line medical staff, the elderly or families. As we see the infection rates going up the government are introducing increasingly stringent measures on people around the world, and one of those is that we begin to isolate ourselves physically from other people. 

Although this will potentially be a very challenging time for many people, this is a time when we can try to enjoy the fact that we will have a substantial amount of time at home. Just because you are self-isolating because of Covid-19, or indeed, social distancing, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things that you can be doing – maybe the things that you have been putting off doing for years… 

With this in mind, here are some ideas of things that you can be doing whilst self-isolating: 

Get the Garden Sorted 

We are heading into the spring now and that should bring slightly warmer and lighter days, so some time at home would be ideal for getting your garden sorted. Being outside and gardening is not only great for our physical health but also our mental health. 

There is always something that can be done in the garden but make sure that you don’t ‘over-cut’ your grass. As explained by lawn-mower specialists, Mowers Online, “As the growing season starts selecting the blade height to 50mm will give optimum grass blade thickness which is crucial for growth. This height may seem rugged at first but remembering that grass blades are solar panels for the lawn and the more energy created, the more luscious the lawn.” 

There is plenty to do in the garden during the Spring, so this is your chance to get on with it and make it the most stunning garden you’ve ever had. 

Enjoy the Benefits of Nature, Inside 

There is plenty of research to show that nature is good for your mental health and now is a really good time to be looking after your mental health. Even if it’s raining outside, one way that you can bring nature in is with an abundance of indoor plants. 

The kitchen is the perfect place to start, as you could add pots of herbs on the window sill or, as described by Stonehouse Furniture – bespoke kitchen experts, “Another way to add nature to the kitchen is by introducing houseplants. Pick simple greens such as succulents, ferns and spider plants, or add colour by incorporating your favorite flower.” 

Do your Spring Clean 

Even if you don’t normally do a spring clean, this is your opportunity to deep clean the whole of your home. You can sort out cupboards, give the kitchen and bathroom a thorough clean, decide which clothes to take to the charity shop, or go through your bookshelf. In a few weeks’ time you will have your home spick and span, super-organised and ready for the post-isolation busy-ness to hit! 

Get Cooking 

Un-pressured cooking is one of life’s greatest pleasures and now that you might have a little more time, you should be able to enjoy it a little more. You might also have a ton of ingredients that you have found in your pantry after your spring clean that: 

a)   Have inspired you, and 

b)   You need to use up 

So why not get creative, try out some new, nutritious recipes and justify those hours spent watching Masterchef by crafting some new and interesting food? Trying something new to eat is also a great way to change up the monotony of seeing the same place and the same people, for weeks. 

• There are also plenty of other smaller activities that you could consider, including: 

• Reading that book that you’ve had sitting around for a while 

• Getting creative and taking up painting 

• Playing some wholesome family board games 

• Chilling out with some films 

• Trying out yoga or YouTube aerobics classes 

• Virtual choirs 

• Learning a language 

• Learning a musical instrument 

• Writing poetry 

• Phoning friends and family and having a no-time-pressure catch-up 

• Put on some music and have a dance 

• Spend time with your pets 

• Get all of the DIY done that you’ve been meaning to do for years 

• Learn to knit or sew 

• Learn a skill like juggling or hula-hooping (if you have enough room!) 

If you are going through a period of self-isolation it is important that you look after your physical health and mental health. The important thing is to stay active, do things that you enjoy and keep yourself mentally stimulated.