The coronavirus pandemic continues to keep many people in their homes. Although relief from some measures of the lockdown looks like it might be coming soon, we still don’t know exactly when we’ll be able to return to life as normal; indeed, many are saying that there will be no normal for some time yet. You might be growing bored with your house; after having seen so much of it for so long, you’re yearning to be anywhere else. You can enjoy life in lockdown without having to leave the house, though. Here are 10 ways to make the most of your home during lockdown.
1. Think about what to do when you exit lockdown
While it may be a little dangerous to entertain fantasies with time limits – that is, “I’ll do X in Y amount of time” – there’s nothing stopping you from imagining what you’re going to do to your home when you exit lockdown and things return to normal. Why not, for example, look into room remodelling with a service like DIY Homefit? How about planning a vacation for when travel opens up again? By keeping your mind open to possibilities post-lockdown, you’re reminding yourself this is all temporary.
2. Start a creative project
If you’re stuck at home with nothing to do, why not start a new creative project? Whether it’s writing, painting, or sculpting (provided you have the materials, of course), now is the perfect time to stop putting off that project you’ve been dreaming of starting. Of course, you don’t have to be productive in any sense during lockdown if your mental health won’t accommodate it. However, this could be the perfect opportunity to write the novel you’ve always meant to write.
3. Work on your garden
If you are one of the 27 million people lucky enough to have a garden and to be able to do regular work on it, the coronavirus should provide the perfect excuse to renovate it or touch it up. Why not grow your own fruits and vegetables? That way, any bouts of panic buying or food shortages will have much less impact on your everyday life. If you’re not feeling the task of growing your own food, you can still create a beautiful garden arrangement that will make you glad you’re stuck at home.
4. Spend time with your family
Modern working life is extraordinarily busy. Everyone is working far more hours than they probably should be in the pursuit of looking after themselves and their families. During the coronavirus pandemic, many people are working from home, meaning there’s a lot more opportunity available to spend time with their families. If that’s you, be sure to set aside some time every day to be with your family, because the closeness of that unit is more important than it’s ever been.
5. Play some games
Nobody said lockdown couldn’t be fun. Why not use your newfound free time to play some games, either with the family or by yourself? There are a number of excellent board games available that will dull the monotony of lockdown life. Alternately, if you’re more of a videogame fan, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a whole raft of games out there with incredible longevity, either thanks to a lengthy single-player story or constantly refreshing content.
6. Catch up on albums or podcasts
We’re slap-bang in the middle of a podcast golden age, and that’s only likely to become more true as the lockdown continues and more folks turn to their condenser mics. Similarly, music streaming services are enjoying something of a boom. You’re likely to spot streaming services offering free trials or offers for multiple months, so now’s the best time to take a look at some albums or songs you might have missed from the past few years, as well as to check out some of the best podcasts around right now.
7. Binge-watch Netflix (or check out some films)
It won’t come as any kind of a shock to you to learn that Netflix’s popularity has skyrocketed during the coronavirus crisis. Naturally, this is a great time to catch up on some of the excellent content the streaming service is offering. In a similar vein, Disney Plus just opened its doors in the UK and is offering some top-quality content at a reasonable price. There’s plenty of excellent TV and movie content out there on streaming services, so fill your boots.
8. Just…relax
Your home is your castle, as they say. There’s nothing wrong with simply letting the troubles and worries of the day wash over you and relaxing. Take some time to soak in the tub, read a book, or just sit still in the quiet. There’s a massive influx of news each day that threatens to upend your mental stability, so if you can’t take the constant stream of information, try to tune it out. Turn off your phone for a while or set it on silent. Don’t rise to every single notification.
9. Redecorate
Have you had redecorating tools and paints lying around for months because you simply haven’t had the motivation to begin work on your house? Now could be a great time to start that work. Make sure to stagger the project out; you don’t want to exhaust yourself more than you would have done prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Think of it as a beautification project, a way to make your surroundings that much more exciting. You’ll be glad you did.
10. Try to go about business as usual To as much of an extent as possible, it’s a good idea to maintain your routine during the coronavirus outbreak. If you can’t find space for the activities you used to do before the outbreak – or you can’t do those activities because they’ve been outlawed – then it’s a good idea to create a new routine for yourself. Try to complete the same activities at roughly the same times each day. By doing so, you’ll ease yourself into a new normal and your home will feel all the more welcoming and inviting, rather than feeling like a prison.
