5 tips for making the most of staying at home during lockdown 2.0

Hello to another lockdown in England… Let’s just embrace it, 2020 has been a stay-at-home kind of year, and chances are that’s the way it will end. Now, as lessons learnt from the first lockdown – countless hours of Netflix series, kilos of Doritos and 24/7 social media scrolling (fill in the blank) does not really make us happy – let’s make healthier and more productive choices this time around. So let’s talk about the ways of making the most of staying at home.

5 tips for keeping sane and happy while staying at home:

1. Take care of yourself

Exercise

Gyms are closed, it’s sad I know, but have you ever asked yourself why you can’t work out at home? What’s your excuse? My excuse was lack of motivation, as I always felt inspired and motivated by seeing others working hard at the gym. Being stuck at home for a few months was a great kick on the backside to at least try working out at home. And you know what, embracing home workouts was the best thing that happened to me during the first lockdown.

We all miss gyms, but imagine how liberating it would be to be able to exercise anywhere at anytime! Yoga, pilates, hit, circuit training – turn on and follow along! Thanks to YouTube there are thousands of on-demand videos to follow at your own time.

Here are two of my favourite YouTube channels for yoga and home workouts: Yoga with Adriene, Move with Nicole.

It does take getting used to, so make it a habit. First thing in the morning is the best way to work out – it’s done and you can carry on with your day. But believe me, it gets addictive very fast: as soon as you get used to breaking some sweat everyday, it doesn’t feel right without it.

Meditate

Meditating is another awesome habit to try while staying at home. Do you feel stressed? Looking for inspiration? Meditate! It helps clearing your head and improves attention.

If you haven’t meditated before and need a little guidance, check out guided meditation on YouTube and Spotify. Close your eyes, and follow instructions – simple. This video really helped me when I was introducing myself to meditation, and I hope it helps you too – How to meditate: A Guided Meditation with Jack Canfield.

Sleep

Finally, there’s no need for an alarm at 6am. Enjoy an extra hour or two in bed completely guilt-free.

2. Nourish your body and soul

Eat well

If you don’t have time for cooking, with lockdown you don’t have this excuse anymore.

Raise your hand if you choose fast/ready-made foods when you simply don’t feel like cooking (I’m so guilty of it). Fatigue and low energy levels might have a correlation to food choices. So, while at home, why don’t you try to eat more raw fruits and veggies. Raw foods retain natural enzymes and essential vitamins (which can be destroyed while cooking), hence they help to improve digestion, aid weight loss and give you more energy.

Eating well doesn’t mean cooking a complex meal from scratch. If you’re feeling lazy, think basic like a salad, wrap, or sandwich – just with healthier ingredients. My favourite quick meal is a protein salad: chopped veggies, canned beans, tofu, lemon and olive oil. It takes 5 minutes and keeps me full for hours thanks to lots of protein.

Here are top 100 UK food bloggers if you need inspiration. Experiment with new flavours and have fun.

Read

We all have a few books at home that have been gathering dust. Woohoo now there’s time to dive into reading and finish that 500-page you’ve been telling everyone you’ll finish any day now.

I don’t remember the last time I read an actual book. Normally I listen to educational podcasts, YouTube videos or audio books squeezed into my schedule while walking the dog, eating, or retouching photos. For last few days I’ve been forcing myself to read. It feels so refreshing and nice to find another way to improve concentration.

If you’re not a fan of books, online blogs are also great resources. Lifestyle, business, motivational, cooking tips (you name it), all in bite-size articles that are easy to read.

3. Create content

Are you a small business owner? Did you know that this is the best time to double down on content creation? As people are staying home these days, they consume online content more than ever. During the first Covid-19 lockdown, my blog stats went through the roof: double the amount of readers compared to pre-lockdown.

Get into blogging, start a YouTube channel or a podcast, or keep posting on your Instagram feed. Don’t worry, if you don’t have brand new content – we are all in the same boat. No-one will expect you to create new work during lockdown. Get creative and create ‘home-made’ content, or revisit your archives and post some throwbacks.

Are you a fellow photographer? Check out these actionable business tips for photographers during Covid-19 pandemic and ways to improve your photography at home.

4. Plan for when life is back to normal

The biggest asset we have now is time. Start planning for when life is back to normal and your business can operate again. Do you want to offer a new service or a product when we are out of lockdown? Start working on it right now. Do you already have a service/product and it’s ready to go – think about your marketing strategy. Are you planning a relaunch or rebranding? Message me and I’ll help you with your headshots and personal branding photography.

5. Be kind to yourself

It’s amazing to stay productive in the times like these, though don’t put pressure on yourself during the days when you’re not feeling it. Enjoy a longer sleep when you feel your body needs it; take a relaxing bath with a glass of wine and your favourite tv show.

Take a break when you need it, and wait for the inspiration to come back. As a result you will be rested, more efficient and more productive than ever!

I hope you found this week’s post useful. How are you making the most of staying at home these days? Do you have any tips I haven’t mentioned? I’d love to hear them!

Stay safe and speak to you next week!