In the event of a lockdown, it is really important for your overall mental health to make sure you continue as normal. That means you need to establish a routine, do a small amount of exercise each day, eat as healthy as you can and do something rewarding each day so you feel like you are progressing. Since everyone's situation is different, I have created a list for solo lockdowners, couples or older families and families with young children. Don’t feel like you need to be categorised, any of these activities could be for you! The most important thing is that you don’t spiral and you focus on being productive and mentally healthy.
Things You Can Do Living Alone In Lockdown
Start a new project
Now is the perfect opportunity for you to start that project you have always wanted to do. Start that blog, work on that art piece, learn loads about how to build a car from youtube videos. You can even try learning that instrument you have always wanted to try!
Learn a new skill like cooking
Learning to cook or cooking itself is a rewarding experience and while you are isolated, you will need to do something that feels rewarding. Cooking also makes food go a little further so with the shops looking bare, you can learn so make a big batch of a slow cooker stew and spread it out with beans and vegetables so you have food for a few days.
Spring clean
It is still spring, take this time to completely spring clean all those nooks and crannies.
Volunteer online
There are many charities that could do with some help, specifically charities targeting loneliness in the elderly. You have facetime or a phone, you can spend an hour chatting and making a new friend. You can really make a difference to someone's life.
Join a virtual book club
If you do like reading or you want to get back into it, find an online reading club or start one! Read a book and each week, meet up and discuss how you got on with it!
Meditation
This will be important for your mental health, even if you feel like it hasn’t been for you in the past, try a guided meditation. It will be incredibly helpful to you when times get tough.
Knitting or needlepoint
Knitting is coming back into fashion, now is the perfect time to learn how to knit and get good at it. It is also a great profitable opportunity because the internet is calling out for knitted pop culture characters. Hobby and a side hustle all in one!
Online classes
If you are an instructor or a professional of some kind, you will have something to offer. You can run rewarding online Zoom or Skype classes teaching in your profession. A yoga class, how to do your taxes, meditation classes, fitness instruction, interior design! If you feel like you have something to offer, reach out and see if anyone would be interested in learning your skill!
Learn a new Language!
This lockdown will not last forever and we will go back to life as normal, which means, we can go on holiday! Learn a new skill for the future place that you would like to visit. It will help keep you focused and you will feel like you are achieving something, which is vital if you are to survive a lockdown in a good mental headspace.
Bucket list
You have some time, write a bucket list of all the places you want to see, all the things you want to do. Put the movie The Bucket List for inspiration on and write away! When this is all over, you can start ticking it off!
Make an online fitness buddy
Find a friend online and do a workout with them. Keeping active is very important, even if you live alone. By finding an accountability buddy, you will feel supported, less isolated and you will have a purpose each day.
Join a positive online community
You may not be able to see actual humans but you can still spend time with them, just online! These are scary times so it is important to spend time with positive people who help you to feel safe. You can’t control what you can’t control. Find a community of people who are doing their best to be positive in these times and finding ways to continue the hashtag Be Kind.
Things You Can Do Being Locked In With Other People During Lockdown
Re decorate your house
Perfect for solo lockdowners as well! Get painting, move furniture, mix it up completely. Move the living room around. Change is good, spring is the season to mix it up so why not use this opportunity to keep it fresh! Maria Kondo your home!
Catch up on all your TV
Start a box set together and sit and watch it! There are so many good ones to catch up on, ask for some references from your friends or just pick one at random!
Family workouts
Do little workouts together, if you are lucky enough to have a garden, you can do some in the garden, if not, you can do home go workouts in your living room. It will help with bonding and keeping morale up. Exercise will be the most important thing you can keep up on if you want to remain mentally healthy. Exercises release 4 happiness chemicals that will help relieve overall tension in the house.
Playing board games together
It creates a nice competitive bonding experience, just if tension is high in the house, avoid monopoly.
Have designed space breaks
Being locked in with the same person for days let alone weeks can be mentally exhausting, especially to an introvert so have designated space breaks where you go and chill out by yourself and recover.
Things You Can Do With Your Kids
The most important thing to start doing during lockdown is establishing a routine. The last thing you need to be is emotionally and mentally drained at the end of each day, by establishing a routine, you will be able to control the fun and make sure you get some rest as well.
Even with your kids being at home, that doesn’t mean they should stop learning, even if it is for 3 hours a day, most schools are providing online learning tools. Try creating a structured routine so they still do some school work each week day to help them continue learning.
10 minute clean ups. Have your kids help you clean up a few times a day to help take some of the load of you. They will love feeling involved and you get a friend to hang the washing with, even if it isn’t perfect.
Safety circles, this is just a suggestion but if you spend each day discussing their fears and reassuring them, they will remember that forever.
Now for the fun stuff!
Your kids will remember this time in their lives, the time school was cancelled and they had to stay at home. This is a really great opportunity to really bond with them, teach them different non school skills.
Have a no electricity afternoon, light candles and pretend your cave people.
Film a cute newscast of updates of what is happening in your house to send to members of your family. Your parents and grandparents will feel grateful to be included and they won’t feel isolated.
Indoor scavenger hunt
Full on fashion show
Throw an indoor picnic!
Board game evenings!
Lego project, build a massive castle out of all the lego in the house
Family yoga. There are plenty of yoga channels on youtube or local teachers who are doing online classes, your family can do a joint yoga class.
Scrapbooking and crafts. Challenge your children to create a craft out of some left over recycling and whatever paints and glitters you have lying around.
Blanket Fort!
Go for a walk in a national trust property. Until the lockdown is official, we are still allowed to go out, the ban extends to social gatherings so while you can, go to a national trust property and have a walk around.
Facetime your family and friends.
Create a time capsule! We loved making this as children and your kids will love it too!
Learn about climate change as a family and the small things you can do to make a difference.
Birthday party for your child's favourite toy!
Kind Things You Can Do During Lock Down
Lockdown can be really isolating for some people and it can also be really boring. Having a purpose or a drive to help your fellow humans is important so here is a list of kind things you can do to help your local community get through this together.
Send a cute message to your friends saying how much you appreciate them.
If possible, help someone vulnerable in your local community by bringing them supplies or walking their pets .
Donate food to your local food bank.
Make future plans with people to remind them that they are still important to you.
Support local businesses.
Call your friends and family with kids and offer to chat and entertain their kids for an hour so they can have a cup of tea.
Get positive on social media!
Foster a pet who needs a home
Fundraise online for a cause you care about.
Practice expressing gratitude, let the people in your life know how important they are to you.
Reach out to people who are struggling with loneliness or isolation, make them feel seen.
Adopt a vulnerable person! Find a person who is struggling and be there check in buddy. Call them everyday to check in and have a quick chat and send them helpful information.
Send people this article to help them deal with lockdown.
I hope this list helps you come up with things to do while we are socially distancing. Please remember that social distance doesn’t mean social isolation, reach out to friends and family and facetime them!
I would also like to offer my greatest gratitude and amazement to the NHS and any member of the medical professions. All the nurses, carers, private health care professionals that are working endlessly and at their own personal risk to help those most in need. These are the people who deserve medals.