Slow Living || Indoor Ideas

Posted on April 1, 2020

Happy 1 April! This post is no April Fool’s joke, though we could probably all do with a bit of a laugh at the moment.

Now that all of us in the UK have officially been asked to stay inside, I know as much as the next person that it can be very trying on your mental health to do so. Isolation can be hard. So I thought I’d come up with a list of some ways to positively use your time and potentially take your mind off some of the anxiety and stress that is surrounding us all at the moment.

Indoor Ideas:

>>> Keep moving. I really highly recommend Yoga with Adriene’s videos. I’ve been following her for years and I love them. I’ve also recently subscribed to Melissa Wood’s videos. I’ve only done a few so far but I am really enjoying them so far.

>>> Bake something once a week. Pick out a day for your complicated (or not) baking project. I have loads of recipe ideas on my recipe tab.

>>> Take time for self indulgent self care. No spas or salons are open so light some candles and slather on a facemask or do your own nails. I’ve been cutting my own fringe (bangs) my entire life, which is a skill that I’m now quite thankful for.

>>> Plan dream trips for when the travel bans are lifted. It’s like window shopping but for wanderlust.

>>> Have a massive clean. My post from last week has recommendations of order and what to do.

>>> Dust off those family friendly activities like puzzles and boardgames.

>>> Add meditation into your daily ritual. I like the Calm app personally.

>>> Read a good book. Every few months I do reading posts which have loads of recommendations on them. You can also follow me on Goodreads.

>>> If your to-read pile at home is low, and you don’t have the funds to download something on your Kindle, look into the BorrowBox app. It lets you connect to your local library to borrow books on your phone or tablet. Also look out for Kindle’s 99p Daily Deals.

>>> Find a new podcast to listen to.

>>> Share your skills online. Whilst I am no longer teaching in person, I’ve been helping create at home resources for families that are stuck with little guidance on what to do with their kids. What equivalent skill could you share?

>>> Limit your time on Netflix. I love the good occasional binge as much as the next person, but spending too much time watching telly for an extended period of time is probably going to leave you feeling a bit drained.

>>> Arrange Facetime dates with your friends and family to have so socialising to look forward to.

>>> Have a think about what hobbies you can pick back up or learn afresh. Maybe you have a dusty instrument you’d like to re-teach yourself. Maybe you have loads of half finished embroidery projects around. Now is the time.

>>> Limit your time reading the news and scrolling through Twitter and Facebook. I realised one day when I was especially anxious and wound-up that I had spent hours on Twitter reading updates. I now set myself a news time-limit.

>>>Donate to an organisation in your area that’s helping people during the pandemic. If you’re in the UK, The National Emergencies Trust needs donations for supporting communities most vulnerable to coronavirus, Marie Curie needs monetary donations, the Leeds Food Bank desperately needs donations, and the NHS needs blood donations (which is something that you’re allowed to leave the house to do in the lockdown)

Is there anything you’d add to my list?