A year ago today, most of us looked at those who had the privilege of working from home as the luckiest people on Earth - as you stood on a packed City Loop train or frantically tried to find parking in the Burwood multilevel at 8:58am, you wanted nothing more than to be at home in your ugg boots on the couch. Now for the large majority of us, that has become our reality; and it is fair to say that the constant repetition of working and staying at home during the pandemic has well and truly lost its novelty.
The matter of fact is, we are in very unusual and uncertain times, and 2020 has been a rollercoaster for every person on the entire planet. Despite being around your family or with your partner, it is hard not to feel alone with limited human contact, and what was once a dream lifestyle has quickly become a dull reality for most. That is why taking care of yourself, physically and mentally, has become more important than ever. Although we are more than ready for these lockdown measures to be lifted so we can be free again, there is no certainty when that will be happening, which is why this post will share some ways to stay on top of your own health, and keep sane during lockdown.
Routine & Exercise
Although it can be easy to slip into a habit of late-night Netflix and long sleep-ins, especially when your classes are recorded; keeping a routine is essential to sustaining normality and a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a steady schedule of waking up and sleeping is a very big factor in feeling normal and not completely losing touch with reality.
Secondly, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is paramount during this time. Keeping up a healthy-eating and exercise regime will work absolute magic on the negativity and the blues that are being attributed to lockdown and being felt by everyone. Take advantage of the walking paths and parks around your house, take your dog for a walk, or just do some pushups on your bedroom floor - getting your heart rate elevated will release those feel good chemicals and prevent you from getting lost in the repetition of daily life.
Hobbies & Mental stimulus
Branching off from the previous point, keeping physically active is a great way to maintain feeling like yourself and feeling productive during lockdown - but it is equally as important to be mentally active. Make sure you are stimulating your mind and brain, and with all the extra time on our hands, now is a perfect time to take up that hobby you have been putting off, learning a new skill, or finally get around to learning that new language (Duolingo has seen a 148% increase in use since the start of lockdowns globally!) - and as little as 10 minutes a day can go on to turning a new interest into a regular part of your day!
Find joy in your old hobbies and breathe a fresh air of life into them - now is the perfect time to dust off your Nintendo DS and see how your Nintendogs from grade 3 are going!
Being Social while Distant
We are all craving social interaction at that point, and all thought it is not exactly the same as catching up with your friends - video calling is a fantastic way to stay in touch and catch up. Messenger, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, whatever it may be, are all fantastic ways of virtually catching up with your friends or family and staying in touch, and adds a bit more of a realistic touch than messaging or texting. Take advantage of the technology we all have at our fingertips this day and age, and use it to reach out to your friends - a simple video call can make yours and someone else's day. Add a bit of excitement by hosting a video call with your friends and playing a game or doing a quiz with each other - even games like Cards Against Humanity can be played online for free!
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