I don’t know about you, but the lockdown has been tough for most of my friends and family. I am not the most social person on the planet, but I am starting to miss trivial things such as going for a coffee outdoors, spending time in airports, or talking to people at supermarkets. Just for a change.
Not to mention that my last holiday was last September. Yep. 9 months ago, and still counting. I am missing even the flight delays and cancellations.
The fact is that I have no idea when things are going to be back to “normal”. But meanwhile, I have found many ways of being sane during this lockdown and I would like to share it now with you. It may be helpful to someone else out there.
Read
I love reading. But I do confess that it sometimes takes ages for me to get into a reading pattern. I usually start several books at the same time and finish just one.
Surprisingly, I am reading more books during this quarantine. This month, I already read three books. That’s crazy! I think the fact I am reading more in my language and the use of Kindle is helping me feel more comfortable reading. And I am loving it.
I am currently reading The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic By Nadia Murad. If you are a non-fiction type of reader, this book is just for you.
For next month, I am looking forward to starting to read another best seller – Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Both are excellent recommendations for those looking for resilient women writers.
Mindfulness
One of my finest passions now is meditating. I have tried some mindfulness exercises in the past, but only meditation is making me feel at peace during the lockdown.
I have watched several videos on guided meditation, read some books to help me get focused and I also study Modern Buddhism to guide me through the ups and downs.
If you’re not a huge fan of books, another helpful tool is downloading apps such as Calm and HeadSpace as a simple way of chilling out. You don’t need to be a mindfulness expert to enjoy it. It works as a perfect relaxation tool.
You just need to look after your mental health and feel better during those difficult times. Don’t forget to be in touch with friends and family. It’s important to get around them even when the distance is still an obstacle.
I keep daily conversations with my parents and brother’s family back in Brazil to support them in everything they need.
Keep Your Routine
As I work from home since 2017 and my husband is a keyworker, I can say that our routine didn’t change that much when it comes to workload.
I have my weekly tasks started at the beginning of the week and to e honest, I have been busy teaching and sorting out even my new blog about responsible tourism – Eco Gaia Wanderer.
It’s quite important to keep our normal routine. It makes things a bit easier to cope with the lockdown. Of course, it’s not great when you know we can’t travel, go out with friends or visit shops frequently.
But at the same time, try not to push yourself to be the most productive person around.
Learn Something Different
If you are feeling 100% keen on learning something different, this is the time now. I lost count of how many courses and learning tools are available now for free. It’s known that online learning is the new normal, so let’s make the most of it. Keep your brain active even if it means doing a jigsaw puzzle.
It’s an excellent time to start learning a new language or studying a subject of your choice. You can find teachers from all over the country at Tutor House. I have been studying Japanese for quite a while now and I can guarantee that studying remotely is much easier than you make think.
I’m using LearningLanguages24 to study not only Japanese but other languages such as Chinese and French.
The platform offers several courses on 79 different languages to learn at your own pace. Whether you need to study for business purposes or just for travelling needs, it has been a perfect tool for my weekly studies.
All courses include lifetime access. They can also pass all of their courses on to their family and /or friends as rewarding gifts, at any time in the future.
By the way, do you want to learn 2 languages for the price of 1? If you want to join LearnLanguages24 you just need to purchase a course now and receive another language of your choice for free.
After purchasing the course of your choice, send an email to info@learnlanguages24.com mentioning Simone – from Midlands Traveller and the second language of your choice to have your free course guaranteed.
You can also get other skills from different websites such as Udemy and even YouTube tutorials can be helpful.
Conclusion
Even after nearly three months since we started the lockdown, it’s still a bit difficult to keep our minds busy all the time or relax without feeling guilty about our procrastination.
Remember that the most important now is respecting your limits and the fact that everything is different now. This is not normal. And it’s okay to feel confused now and then.
It’s okay to procrastinate and live one day at a time. Sometimes, doing nothing is everything you need for that day. Take it easy and be safe!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links with no additional cost for you, however, I will earn a commission if you click through them.
