So UK schools are officially closed and a London lockdown is imminent. As the world responds to a pandemic, we are focusing on how to stay positive and make the most of these extraordinary circumstances. Here are 17 ways to boost your mind, wellbeing and creativity during the coronavirus crisis.
17 ways to Boost your Mind, Wellbeing and Creativity
1. Read for Pleasure
This is an excellent time to catch up on that lengthy fiction list you’ve been building up. Not only does it take your mind off things, it’s a proven fact that reading literature heightens your intelligence, deepens your empathy and enhances your understanding of the world around you. Shake things up by reading outside your comfort zone e.g. historical fiction, memoir, poetry, screenplays or chick lit (if you’re usually more literary). Follow #shelfisolation on Twitter for inspiration.
2. Read for Growth
Reading for pleasure is important but you should also try reading with intention. Whether you’re stuck at home for self-isolation or a national quarantine, you can delve into some brilliant books on a range of personal development topics. Take a look at our ongoing series of 50 Inspiring Books that will change your life.
3. Listen to Podcasts and Audio Books
Take a break from the news and tune in to a podcast or audiobook. Listening to authors and creatives share their ideas can create a real sense of intimacy and community. We love The Guilty Feminist, Hashtag Authentic, The Moth storytelling podcast, Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday and Do it Scared with Ruth Soukup. Find a handy list of podcast episodes HERE.
4. Watch TED Talks
Instead of dozing through another episode of your favourite guilty pleasure on Netflix, why not turn to the genius of TED? These inspiring and life-affirming talks are guaranteed to make you think and move you to action. If you’re just starting out, we recommend talks by Elizabeth Gilbert, Chimamanda Adichie and Brene Brown.
5. Develop a Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness is about staying in the present, focusing your attention on what is happening right now. A mindfulness practice can involve conscious breathing, meditation, yoga, prayer, journalling, creative writing, music, adult colouring books… anything that grounds you in present the moment. Mindfulness can be really helpful if you suffer from anxiety or depression. Try apps like Calm or Headspace and keep up with our Mindfulness for Mothers series.
6. Boost Your Immunity
With a global pandemic on the loose, there’s an urgent need to prop up your immune system. While all around are buying toilet roll, you can stock up on what really matters. High strength Vitamin C (1000mg minimum, increase dose if you feel sickness coming on) and zinc, Vitamin D (oral sprays or droppers work well), magnesium, iron, elderberry syrup or capsules. Soups, broths or smoothies made with spinach, kale, raw ginger, raw garlic, turmeric root. And of course chicken soup works wonders if you’re poorly.
7. Walk and Talk
When you’re stuck at home, it’s important to feel connected to friends and family. Make sure you have a good phone plan, and free apps like Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom or Slack for video calling. One way to get your step count up during self-isolation is to ‘walk and talk’. In other words, keep walking while you’re talking on the phone. You can pace around your home or use headphones outside. Going out for a walk and talk with your partner or kids is also a great way to reconnect, especially if you’re driving each other nuts cooped up indoors.
8. Keep Fit
So you don’t want to go near a gym right now (germs, ew!), but there are plenty of ways to keep fit at home. Sign up for an app like Couch to 5K or follow a course teacher like Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. You can find any kind of fitness class on YouTube, from ballet to zumba. Commit to doing at least 20 minutes of exercise for a minimum of 3 times a week to help boost your stamina and your mental state (endorphins for the win).
9. Learn (or refresh) a Life Skill
Enforced isolation gives you time to pick up or improve an essential life skill. This could be anything from learning a language (try the free Duolingo app) to perfecting your sewing, changing a tyre, home DIY or even baking bread. Once again, you’ll find thousands of videos on how to do practically anything on YouTube for free. We also like the general knowledge website How Stuff Works.
10. Enjoy Quality Family Time
Divorce lawyers are rubbing their hands in glee and we’ve seen memes of mothers tying their kids up like hostages. Being stuck together for an extended period can be hard on relationships. But it’s also a chance to bond with your loved ones. Watch shows, movies and documentaries, read or listen to audiobooks, play board games, cook together, work on home and garden projects, and enjoy dinnertime conversation. Try these conversation cards for kids.
11. Launch a Digital Business
We’ve never felt more fortunate to be content creators and it’s not too late for you either. Take the opportunity to package your knowledge and expertise into an online blog or business. It could be the start of a fun side hustle or a whole new career. If you’d like to learn how to launch, grow and monetise a successful blog, get on the waiting list for our upcoming course!
12. Enrol in an Online Course
There are so many ways you can learn from the comfort of your own home. Platforms like CourseCraft, Udemy and Teachable have tons of courses on all sorts of topics. You can even take university style courses from major institutions using free sites like Coursera, OpenLearn from Open University and EdX. Why not brush up on your qualifications while you have a few extra hours to spare?
13. Spring Clean and Declutter
So it’s been on your to-do list for months but you haven’t actually got around to emptying your wardrobe and sorting stuff for charity? Now there’s no more excuses. Use this time to reorganise your household, declutter key areas (kitchen, toy box, kids’ bedroom), maybe have a complete revamp. It’s also the perfect opportunity to do some thorough spring cleaning and keep all your surfaces sparkling and coronavirus-free.
14. Take Up a Hobby
I’ve been talking about knitting for years without ever owning knitting needles. Now it feels like something really comforting to do and who knows what I could produce over the coming weeks and months? Doing something creative just for fun will boost your mood and your cognitive functions too. Try playing an instrument, teach yourself to code, cook new recipes, play chess, whatever takes your fancy.
15. Meal Plan like a Boss
Making a weekly or monthly meal plan can save you hours of stressing about what to cook for the family. When you’re under lockdown, being frugal with your supplies is even more crucial. Hopefully you’ve got enough essentials in your pantry to last for at least a couple of weeks. Here is a collection of store cupboard recipes to get you through this period.
16. Get your Sh!t Together
As you reorganise your home, it’s a good idea to reorganise your systems. When was the last time you did a full digital declutter, revamped your home office/desk space, sorted out your finances? Can your business survive if you fall sick for a week or longer? Would your home grind to a halt? Do you have a contingency plan for a worst case scenario? What would you save in a house fire? Have you made a will? Get your sh!t together, mama. We recommend tools like Trello or Asana.
17. Look out for your Community
If there’s one comforting thought at this difficult time, it’s that we’re all in this together. Some people react selfishly in a crisis but others come together and show the best of humanity. Reach out to vulnerable neighbours, sign government petitions to help renters, self-employed and low-paid workers, donate canned goods to food banks, buy gift vouchers or subscriptions to small businesses that can’t operate normally at this time. Share, comment, support your online community. Show up for your fellow humans and they will show up for you too.
Thinking of all those going through the worst of times and sending love and healing vibes to everyone who needs it. We will make it through this.
[…] ways to get through difficult times is to reach for a book. As recommended in our recent post on 17 things to help your mind, body and creative spirit during the COVID-19 outbreak, reading is more necessary than ever. This week for our ongoing series […]