My tips to survive social distancing
It’s official: we can’t go out, we definitely can’t meet friends, so how are we going to spend all this time at home? I’m sharing with you how I’m spending my days and hopefully it will give you some ideas to make time go faster.
Social distancing and isolation sound scary and depressing. Not being able to spend time with your friends and family outside of your household is a tough one. Though being physically distant doesn’t mean you cannot socialise. We are all still connected through the internet and the “old school” phone! These days I chat and speak daily with my close friends and family as usual, but I am also taking advantage of the extra time to reconnect and check in with those friends who I haven’t seen or spoken to in a while. One friend a day, through message, phone call or videocall, get in touch and have a chat. It’s heart-warming.
Physical activity is also suffering from the new restrictions. We can still go out once a day for a walk, run or cycle being careful to maintain social distance. I’m not a runner nor a biker, so I’m trying to go out for a walk every day. I find being outside very soothing and relaxing, it’s a free and healthy good mood charger! While I’m out I take some precautions: I try to avoid streets with supermarkets and pharmacies, so that there’s fewer people around. If I do cross paths with people, I try to pass them at 2 metres apart. Also, at crossings I avoid touching the button to get the green light. Instead I am extra careful when crossing, thankfully there a lot less traffic around. If you feel unsafe to cross roads this way and prefer to call for the green light, make sure you sanitise your hands immediately after, or do not touch your face until you have washed your hands.
It is also possible to keep exercising at home. I am quite lazy by nature and I would not exercise unless there is a tutor guiding me and I have already paid for the class. Thankfully my regular pilates, tango, and yoga tutors have discovered Zoom and running classes online. This is a fantastic way to both keep in shape and help people in this self-employed category get their income. Check with your movement activity tutor if they are running classes on-line and support them if you can. If you are unable to pay at moment cause you’re also suffering the economic effects of the virus, have a look on Youtube for free workout videos.
With more time on my hands, I’m reading a lot. The time I used to commute to work I can now dedicate to books. This year I’m going to crush my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge! If you haven’t set one for yourself, this could be the right moment to do so. If reading is not your cup of tea, why not get creative? Pinterest is full of ideas for small craft projects, from free knitting and crochet patterns to DIY and interesting recipes. To make sure you don’t miss anything, they have created a Stay safe, stay inspired board. The choice is yours.
Our own fashion designer Chloe Dougan, founder of the brand ‘Call me Sophia’, has made a beginners tutorial to sew your own face mask. This is not an official protective face mask, but it could be an extra layer of protection if you cannot get hold of a proper face mask.
