If you live in the UK you will know that, without using the word "lockdown", our Prime Minister grounded us for three weeks starting today.
I know it sounds hard, being stuck at home without working for three weeks. I know only being allowed out to buy food, or medicine sucks. I know that going out for exercise once a day alone or with your household sounds hard, and it can be. However I am here to make it easier for you. I have some experience in losing your independence for an extended period of time. I am two years cancer free, and that time has flown by. I am confident there are things we can all do to pass the time and not cause ourselves unnecessary stress so here is my list of how to survive being locked down
1. Don't Panic
"In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and was widely regarded as a 'bad move'"- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
In the words of Douglas Adams, "don't panic". Panicking really doesn't help in a situation you cannot change. Yes, this is a stressful time, but it is not permanent. This is temporary, and necessary, and you absolutely can get through it. Just like I got through operations and treatment when I was sick, I can stay home for three weeks, or even three months, if it will keep me out of danger. So can you.
Yes watching flights get cancelled and planes get grounded when you had a trip booked is incredibly stressful. Yes its upsetting that tickets for shows have been cancelled for the time being, but they will be rescheduled. Yes, having your kids stuck at home frustrated is stressful. I don't have kids so I don't know a great deal about how to occupy them, but I do know there is a plethora of resources made available online you can use including audible doing free audiobooks, kindle doing a two month free trial, Scribd making their library free to access, Joe Wicks is doing PE classes at 9am Monday - Friday. Contact your teacher friends, they may know of other resources made available. Do things your kids are interested in! Don't force them to sit down and learn like in a school, they can feel your stress, as well, make this time as easy for them as possible.
Don't sit on facebook all the livelong day and watch people posting their idiot opinion about coronavirus. Nothing will stress you out more than some muppet asking if the caravan park is still open and can we come down. The government says no, dumbass. If you want to keep up with the news then do it once a day, check a reliable source, listen to the government announcements on TV and for the love of God heed their advice.
Add structure to your day. For me, when I was being treated for cancer it was getting out with the dog in the morning, and eating breakfast before getting ready to go to treatment. Coming home and making dinner, showering and resting. Every day. This time I am not going to hospital four or five days a week. I'm staying home. Decide how you want your day to pan out. You don't have to plan a week ahead, unless you want to, just decide what you will do that day. Get up and dressed, you have no idea how different you'll feel just for wearing clothes. If you're working from home it can make you more productive. If you are home alone, or alone for a period of time each day and your mind runs away with you, stick on the radio- as I type this Ken Bruce is broadcasting from home and Pop Master is going ahead as usual and that kind of structure is great for life going on as normal in the smallest of ways.
I can't believe I'm about to say this because I have a very cynical view of it, but here goes:
Practice mindfulness, and by that I don't mean buy all these crappy self help books that tell you things you already know if you think about it. I mean dig out that colouring book you bought and sit and colour in your Harry Potter pictures, or in my case the Very Sweary Colouring Book. Another thing you could do is yoga. I plan on starting a free course- and there are loads on YouTube to pick from, too- a week today. Yoga is meant to be good for your mind as well as your body, I want to learn to balance more, so I decided that I would include yoga in my morning routine.
2. Learn a new skill
Polly will be pleased to know that I have some intention of trying to learn to play my ukulele that I bought for a fiver from Facebook marketplace and I've only really picked up a handful of times. I've also bought an online TEFL/TESOL masterclass that will end up with a qualification to teach English as a foreign language, reed.co.uk are offering a lot of courses for around a tenner a pop so its worth looking into if you stuck at home with nothing to do. I thought about trying to monetise this blog, but I think the market is saturated and this post is for family and friends- and anyone who finds it that wants to read it! I think there will always be people who need to learn English no matter what happens, and the ability to teach English online is probably going to help me with money in the future. As well as those two things I have added the duolingo app to my phone so I can spend some time each day practising my Spanish.
3. Find a hobby
I live in a small one bedroom flat in the centre of town, but as a I sit at my desk, under my Glastonbury poster maps with Simba (from Lion King the musical), watching over me I know that I have plenty of things to mess around with in my house. We have Game of Thrones monopoly waiting to be started in the games cupboard, we have Uno and Llama line- up, Escape the Dark Castle and Castle Panic all waiting to be played. We have the Sims for Playstation, and Polly has a whole host of other games to play. I want to learn to become more self sufficient and have a whole youtube channel saved on how to start a vegetable garden in a small space- our 'courtyard' just has the Christmas tree in currently & I'd love to start an 'upwards' garden to grow some of my own vegetables and fruit. We've got more books than even an enforced 3 month lockdown will give us time to read.
4. Take advantage of being allowed out once a day to exercise
I'm not saying we all have to become mega fit and exercise. I am saying take advantage of being allowed to go out once a day for exercise. Polly and I will be sharing walking the dog so we each get time outside every day. My parents don't have that luxury in their lockdown, so I'm telling you to take advantage of it whilst its an option. Get out, enjoy the sunshine, walk around your closest park, avoid other people.
4. Have a home spa day
All those toiletries you got for Christmas come into play now. If you're lucky enough to have a bath (I envy you) run one, sit in it with candles around the bathroom and read for a while before attending to all your pampering needs. Give yourself a pedicure and put cream on your feet that will make them soft and smooth, shave and moisturise your skin. Give yourself a face mask, paint you nails. Paint your girlfriends nails or your boyfriends. We all deserve a pamper with the stress that this apocalyptic life is putting on us.
5. Play on your Phone
Just because your alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely. FaceTime is great, and you can video call on a ton of apps these days. After the lockdown I'm going to take my Nan to get a smart phone so she can FaceTime my mum and I. I have text her this morning, and since she does not drive and isn't allowed out or visitors I offered to order her an online shop- although I believe some supermarkets can't deliver for more than a week at the moment I'm hoping by the time she needs stuff that will have calmed down. Snapchat is your friend, you can see your friends faces on it. Use it. My parents live in the Canary Islands and have been on lockdown for a week today, they haven't achieved a great deal in the last week, but they have had a plethora of memes posted on their facebook walls to entertain them. Today's really was a gem; 10 hours of watching paint dry!
6. Veg Out
Yes, this is the exact opposite of having structure, and sometimes we just need to rest. Spend a day, or two or even a week, wearing your pyjamas all day. Binge watch a ton of netflix series, or your favourite movies (hello, again, Harry Potter). Scroll through your social media, text your friends. Eat pizza in bed. Take advantage of the time you've got to do this without working.
Lastly as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, remember above all things that this is not permanent. This is a temporary measure to save lives, including yours. Stay safe, stay home. Enjoy spending time with the people you live with.
I know it sounds hard, being stuck at home without working for three weeks. I know only being allowed out to buy food, or medicine sucks. I know that going out for exercise once a day alone or with your household sounds hard, and it can be. However I am here to make it easier for you. I have some experience in losing your independence for an extended period of time. I am two years cancer free, and that time has flown by. I am confident there are things we can all do to pass the time and not cause ourselves unnecessary stress so here is my list of how to survive being locked down
1. Don't Panic
"In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and was widely regarded as a 'bad move'"- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
In the words of Douglas Adams, "don't panic". Panicking really doesn't help in a situation you cannot change. Yes, this is a stressful time, but it is not permanent. This is temporary, and necessary, and you absolutely can get through it. Just like I got through operations and treatment when I was sick, I can stay home for three weeks, or even three months, if it will keep me out of danger. So can you.
Yes watching flights get cancelled and planes get grounded when you had a trip booked is incredibly stressful. Yes its upsetting that tickets for shows have been cancelled for the time being, but they will be rescheduled. Yes, having your kids stuck at home frustrated is stressful. I don't have kids so I don't know a great deal about how to occupy them, but I do know there is a plethora of resources made available online you can use including audible doing free audiobooks, kindle doing a two month free trial, Scribd making their library free to access, Joe Wicks is doing PE classes at 9am Monday - Friday. Contact your teacher friends, they may know of other resources made available. Do things your kids are interested in! Don't force them to sit down and learn like in a school, they can feel your stress, as well, make this time as easy for them as possible.
Don't sit on facebook all the livelong day and watch people posting their idiot opinion about coronavirus. Nothing will stress you out more than some muppet asking if the caravan park is still open and can we come down. The government says no, dumbass. If you want to keep up with the news then do it once a day, check a reliable source, listen to the government announcements on TV and for the love of God heed their advice.
Add structure to your day. For me, when I was being treated for cancer it was getting out with the dog in the morning, and eating breakfast before getting ready to go to treatment. Coming home and making dinner, showering and resting. Every day. This time I am not going to hospital four or five days a week. I'm staying home. Decide how you want your day to pan out. You don't have to plan a week ahead, unless you want to, just decide what you will do that day. Get up and dressed, you have no idea how different you'll feel just for wearing clothes. If you're working from home it can make you more productive. If you are home alone, or alone for a period of time each day and your mind runs away with you, stick on the radio- as I type this Ken Bruce is broadcasting from home and Pop Master is going ahead as usual and that kind of structure is great for life going on as normal in the smallest of ways.
I can't believe I'm about to say this because I have a very cynical view of it, but here goes:
Practice mindfulness, and by that I don't mean buy all these crappy self help books that tell you things you already know if you think about it. I mean dig out that colouring book you bought and sit and colour in your Harry Potter pictures, or in my case the Very Sweary Colouring Book. Another thing you could do is yoga. I plan on starting a free course- and there are loads on YouTube to pick from, too- a week today. Yoga is meant to be good for your mind as well as your body, I want to learn to balance more, so I decided that I would include yoga in my morning routine.
2. Learn a new skill
Polly will be pleased to know that I have some intention of trying to learn to play my ukulele that I bought for a fiver from Facebook marketplace and I've only really picked up a handful of times. I've also bought an online TEFL/TESOL masterclass that will end up with a qualification to teach English as a foreign language, reed.co.uk are offering a lot of courses for around a tenner a pop so its worth looking into if you stuck at home with nothing to do. I thought about trying to monetise this blog, but I think the market is saturated and this post is for family and friends- and anyone who finds it that wants to read it! I think there will always be people who need to learn English no matter what happens, and the ability to teach English online is probably going to help me with money in the future. As well as those two things I have added the duolingo app to my phone so I can spend some time each day practising my Spanish.
3. Find a hobby
I live in a small one bedroom flat in the centre of town, but as a I sit at my desk, under my Glastonbury poster maps with Simba (from Lion King the musical), watching over me I know that I have plenty of things to mess around with in my house. We have Game of Thrones monopoly waiting to be started in the games cupboard, we have Uno and Llama line- up, Escape the Dark Castle and Castle Panic all waiting to be played. We have the Sims for Playstation, and Polly has a whole host of other games to play. I want to learn to become more self sufficient and have a whole youtube channel saved on how to start a vegetable garden in a small space- our 'courtyard' just has the Christmas tree in currently & I'd love to start an 'upwards' garden to grow some of my own vegetables and fruit. We've got more books than even an enforced 3 month lockdown will give us time to read.
4. Take advantage of being allowed out once a day to exercise
I'm not saying we all have to become mega fit and exercise. I am saying take advantage of being allowed to go out once a day for exercise. Polly and I will be sharing walking the dog so we each get time outside every day. My parents don't have that luxury in their lockdown, so I'm telling you to take advantage of it whilst its an option. Get out, enjoy the sunshine, walk around your closest park, avoid other people.
4. Have a home spa day
All those toiletries you got for Christmas come into play now. If you're lucky enough to have a bath (I envy you) run one, sit in it with candles around the bathroom and read for a while before attending to all your pampering needs. Give yourself a pedicure and put cream on your feet that will make them soft and smooth, shave and moisturise your skin. Give yourself a face mask, paint you nails. Paint your girlfriends nails or your boyfriends. We all deserve a pamper with the stress that this apocalyptic life is putting on us.
5. Play on your Phone
Just because your alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely. FaceTime is great, and you can video call on a ton of apps these days. After the lockdown I'm going to take my Nan to get a smart phone so she can FaceTime my mum and I. I have text her this morning, and since she does not drive and isn't allowed out or visitors I offered to order her an online shop- although I believe some supermarkets can't deliver for more than a week at the moment I'm hoping by the time she needs stuff that will have calmed down. Snapchat is your friend, you can see your friends faces on it. Use it. My parents live in the Canary Islands and have been on lockdown for a week today, they haven't achieved a great deal in the last week, but they have had a plethora of memes posted on their facebook walls to entertain them. Today's really was a gem; 10 hours of watching paint dry!
6. Veg Out
Yes, this is the exact opposite of having structure, and sometimes we just need to rest. Spend a day, or two or even a week, wearing your pyjamas all day. Binge watch a ton of netflix series, or your favourite movies (hello, again, Harry Potter). Scroll through your social media, text your friends. Eat pizza in bed. Take advantage of the time you've got to do this without working.
Lastly as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, remember above all things that this is not permanent. This is a temporary measure to save lives, including yours. Stay safe, stay home. Enjoy spending time with the people you live with.
Lockdown by Brother Richard...
ReplyDeleteYes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighbourhood.......
(there is more..a lot more)...
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/coronavirus-lockdown-poem
Did I hear this being read on radio 2 this morning or did I dream it?
DeleteYes the Earth is recovering and that is sooo great! I’m so pleased about all those things and I try to keep it in my mind. However the last 7 days in the U.K. have been very stressful! Hopefully we will find a vaccine for this virus soon and then strike a balance between economy and environment. I am hoping there will be a new peaceful normal
Here! Here! Totally agree..! :).
DeleteHeHe! What's a radio..Seriously the poem may have been..
I like to look up poems relating at all sorts of issues, and l'm
a big fan of 'images'..there are several links on line with poems
relating to the Coronavirus and Lockdown..!
And a vaccine..Yes! Lets hope so...!
Hey, I've just found your blog and I love it! Lockdown is hard, but we will get through it!
ReplyDeletehttps://martistelling.blogspot.com/