April 10, 2020, by Shweta

Things to do during lockdown (that isn’t baking banana bread)

Happy April everyone, and welcome back to my blog! I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. For those of you celebrating Easter, I hope you have a wonderful weekend (indoors, of course).

Being in lockdown, surrounded by all this chaos has been a bit of a change, to say the least. For many of us, our routines have been thrown out the window and productivity has hit an all-time low. Some of you, like myself, may have moved back home to be closer to family during these trying times. That, in itself, may be a major adjustment. Basically, this is a difficult time for all of us. Through it all, I’ve tried extremely hard to find new things to do in an effort to keep myself challenged, both, physically and mentally. Here are my tried-and-tested favourites to keep you going!

Being the sinful procrastinator that I am, I never thought that I would miss the routine and intellectual challenges of medical school. But that’s where Skill-share comes in to save the day! Skill-share is an online platform that has thousands of courses from graphic design to economics. Best of all, they’re usually only 1-2 hours long so if you’re anything like me and have a terrible attention span, it won’t be too hard to keep up with. Best of all, skill-share is offering 2-months free premium membership to everyone during lockdown. So far, I’ve learnt more about interior design, fashion design, photography and finance. This is the perfect time to learn something new that you may haven’t have had time for before.

Another way I’ve enjoyed my time in lockdown is by doing various workout challenges. I’m typically extremely lazy and unfit so this isn’t a very glamorous option. Having said that, it’s so fun! My housemates and I send each other videos of our attempts for both, motivation and humour. My favourites are the cha-cha slide plank and jump rope challenges. Finding a workout challenge to engage with will give you something to do every day for the period of the challenge, making you feel motivated and healthy.

Set up for your post-quarantine glow up! Off-late, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on my life. I like to think of myself as a grateful person but the current global situation has made me more aware of all the things I have to be grateful for in my life. And so, I’ve promised myself to come back better and stronger than before. For me, this means focusing on my mental health, analysing my financial situation in hopes of becoming a more mindful spender, and transitioning my very damaged hair back to its natural curls. These are just few of the things I work on daily that I believe will make me a more confident version of myself on my return to university. Jot down what these might be for you; however small or silly as it may seem. Think about all the things you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time or energy for. And then do them! Make a plan, invest your time and come out of this situation a better you.

Lockdown and social isolation can be extremely daunting for some people. Remember to take it easy, be grateful and positive, and remain healthy. All the above-mentioned tricks are great uses for your time, but only if you’re in the right head space for it. If you aren’t, don’t stress about “making the most” of this time or being insanely productive. Take a much-needed break and re-charge; a relaxed you is a glow-up in itself.

 

Until next time,

Shweta

Posted in Shweta