You’ve heard the news, watched the government briefings and now we’re all at home and as the days pass, the days get longer and you’ve already finished binge-watching that Netflix series, how else can you survive and enjoy living in lockdown?
It’s human nature for us to be very social beings, even the most introverted person is probably finding this all very overwhelming. We can still be social, the irony of hipster brand the ‘Anti-social social club’ is not lost on us!The team at RED Box Vape are working from home and have been sharing similar concerns about feeling lonely, missing family and friends, missing the freedom to go out when and where you like and so we had a little group message conversation with our favourite tips to ‘living through a lockdown’ and making the most of the time you have during this period.
Keep in touch with family, friends (and colleagues!)
Seems obvious right? But those daily small talk conversations are now gone. You know the ones, ordering your coffee, getting your bus ticket and buying lunch to the after-work drinks on a Friday – it’s all gone in a physical capacity. This can very quickly take its toll on your mental health.
But there are so many great apps and online tools available right now and many of them are free to use! So, our first tip is to stay in touch!
WhatsApp have their video calling feature, invite a couple of friends, pour a glass and have a good natter!
The House party app is free to download and is a great way to get lots of people together for a catch up – there are also games you can play whilst online and if anything else, it’s a good laugh and pick-me-up!
Zoom is a video conferencing tool usually reserved for work meetings, but why not download the free version, you get 40 minutes free meeting time at a time, but is a great way, again, to have face to face conversation with your family and friends.
Cocktail Hour
So you have your calls and you’ve had a couple of video calls the past week, your dad has told you about the garden, you’ve discussed the latest episode of the series you’re watching, how you’re coping with home-schooling (!) and you’ve poured over one another’s lockdown meal plans for the next week…but it’s coming up to the weekend and although your original plan was to go out-out, you are most definitely in-in!
Invite your friends to a video call (see point 1), send an invitation to your friends or family to bring their drink of choice to the call. Dress up a bit, get some nibbles out and enjoy the company of one another!
Even the RED Box team are jumping on to a Zoom call for after work drinks and a pub quiz…although, will expect there to be some epic loungewear game being brought!
Exercise
There’s no denying that exercise is a great stress buster and really gets all the endorphins going, something that we all could probably do with right now.
Whether you’re a regular gym goer or not, your daily physical activity will have diminished rapidly, and it will be having an impact on your physical wellbeing.
You don’t need to jump on a workout every day, try three or four times a week in addition to your daily government allowance of a walk a day (remember the guidelines, 2m distance and wash your hands).
There are some great workouts available on YouTube – Joe Wicks aka The Bodycoach, has so many workouts available for all levels of fitness and is even doing a daily ‘PE’ session at 9am live on YouTube for families with children at home!
Yoga is another great way to help manage stress and anxiety in a mindful and calm way. You can build strength and improve flexibility and is a really nice way to start or end the day. You can even get the kids involved too!
Again, there are lots of videos on YouTube, we recommend Yoga with Adrienne, she has lots of videos for all levels!
Movie day
Seems like an obvious choice, but a good one for the whole family. There’s not been a better time to indulge in a movie day and escape from the current situation to another world – all from the comfort of your home.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now TV and Sky all offer lots of movie options and you can watch a classic or a trilogy, get the popcorn out, out your feet up and enjoy! This is especially great for when the weather isn’t so great out and just takes you on a world of adventure!
Self-care
Throughout this period of uncertainty, which, let’s face it is surreal, scary, strange, overwhelming and stressful, it is really important that you take care of yourself.
Yes, keep washing your hands and following the government guidelines, but take time out to put on a face mask and zone out to your favourite music or podcast.
The weather is brighter, and evenings are longer, if you have a garden (or not!) take a book and lie down and read it. Open the windows and let the fresh air in and be sure to take some time out for you.
If you are working from home during this time or home-schooling your children (or both!), you’re probably getting up from work to go to the kitchen to make dinner and this is now your routine. Try and lockdown some time for you and do what makes you feel relaxed and calm.
Some people find baking therapeutic and enjoy the process as much as the result, some enjoy organising their space to keep their heads clear.
Whatever you find calms and clears your mind, please make sure you take the time to do this every day. You never know, once this has all passed, you may have a new routine altogether with a new perspective.
Stay Safe