Finding a Silver Lining in Lockdown

Being in lockdown has been tough to say the least. I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say that we are all hugely grateful for the NHS and all the other key workers who have risked their lives for our safety. 

However, being locked away in my home has taken its toll nonetheless. Right now, I’m imagining myself as a prison inmate who is tallying each day on my cell wall… but hey, at least I’m safe, so I can’t complain too much. 

During this uncertain and isolating time, it’s still important that we try and look after ourselves, whether that be continuing to do the things we enjoy (as best as we can!), staying in contact with our family and friends and so on. 

I know it’s easier said than done but I think the key is to try and stay as optimistic as possible and to make our day productive, using the seemingly endless time that we have on our hands. To be completely honest, none of the activities I’ve been doing to help pass time have been particularly extraordinary, but by doing the things you typically enjoy, you can’t go too wrong – so I’ll list them anyway! I’d like to stress that I’m using the term productive in inverted commas and that you shouldn’t ever feel like you’re not being “productive” enough. Relaxing and switching off is an important part of your daily routine.

1. Lie-ins have become my best friend: Ever since I finished my assessments, I have been lying in until about 10am. There’s no shame in having a good ol’ rest. Then, I make myself breakfast with a cup of coffee – what’s not to like?

2. A bit of escapism: Either I read my book (I’m reading ‘Shape-shifter’ by Pauline Melville at the moment!) for about an hour or I do my daily keyboard practice using the SimplyPiano app. I started learning right at the beginning of lockdown and now I’ve incorporated it into my daily routine. I love it because it keeps my brain occupied and I get a real sense of achievement whenever I progress to the next level.

3. Recipe for keeping busy: I’ve been trying to cook more now that second year is approaching.. and I’ll be cooking for myself. My favourite dish to make is enchiladas because Mexican food is one of my all-time favourites. I also like to bake when I can so once a fortnight I test out a new recipe – mostly cake recipes!

4. A healthy body means a healthy mind: It’s safe to say that lockdown has given me the push I needed to stay fit and work-out for an hour everyday. I spend about 30 minutes completing all of my core muscle exercises and then I go on my exercise bike for the remaining half an hour. It’s definitely made me feel a lot better in myself both physically and mentally and I always feel like I have much more energy afterwards.

5. The necessary Netflix addiction: I always like to end the day with my mum and I sat on the sofa relaxing and watching our favourite show or film together. We’re currently watching ‘Vikings’ (I realise we’re about 7 years late to the game) but I’m hooked. For something a bit lighter I binge-watch comedy series like ‘Brooklyn 99’ and ‘Friday Night Dinner’ because in times like these a bit of laughter can go a long way.

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