On the spookiest day of all (Halloween,) Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new one-month lockdown. This is the second official lockdown where I live (London) and the rules are slightly different this time but the reason is the same: cases have gone up and more and more people are dying.
Here’s a quick summary of what he announced, starting Nov. 5:
- You can only meet with one person outside of your household.
That means no outdoor socializing. No indoor socializing. - Non-essential shops, restaurants, pubs, must close (except for takeaway)
- Schools, colleges, and unis remains open (and teachers like Nik are still going to work)
- It is very recommended to work from home unless you can’t
- They will extend the furlough scheme until December.
The last lockdown was strange because it was all very new to us. A lot of us were scared and watching the news constantly, yet also enjoying the new realities of zoom calls and virtual hang nights with friends. People were buying toilet paper and pasta left and right, grocery delivery services put you on waiting lists, and no one was out on the streets. It was chaos and every day was different.
This lockdown feels different, at least to me, because it came right in the middle of a phase where a lot of us (friends, family, coworkers) have said that they’re just over it at this point. We’re going into lockdown with a lot less adrenaline. It’s less novel. We’re tired. Fatigued. Sad.
I know it feels a bit tough, but I wanted to speak a little bit to the lovely things I learned from the last lockdown and the things that brought me comfort, in hopes to encourage us all to not let this next one get us too down.
THE THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM THE LAST LOCKDOWN:
- Boost your mood by getting dressed every morning
- Don’t let pajamas steal your energy. Get dressed and watch your mindset shift. The days I let myself lie in, keep my pjs on, and try to have a ‘chill day’ are the days that I really feel my feelings. That’s all well and good once in a while, but I don’t find it mentally healthy for me every day. Plus, cute clothes, shiny earrings, and bright blue eyeliner give me a mood boost like nothing else!
Don’t let the pajamas steal your energy
- Write a plan for the day
- Write a couple of goals and to-do list items every night that you want to try to tackle the next day. (I don’t waste precious morning mental energy on making the list in the morning) And MAKE SURE to have at least 1 item on the list every day that brings you joy. Some days, the tasks I put on the list are as simple as: do the dishes, just fucking shower it’s been 6 days (pandemics are tough, dude) and call my family. Others are: write a blog, send x emails, paint something fun. For me, it helps my mind focus on the things that make me happy instead of the things that make me anxious and make me fall down the rabbit hole (news, social media)
- Check in with loved ones
- If you had a tough time during lockdown, you can bet that people closest to you did as well. But remember, you are a special, unique light in this world and you have the power to make someone’s day with a quick video call. Your friends and family will appreciate it. Go out there, spread some joy!
- Helpful tip: I definitely know that it can be a lot of mental energy to check in with friends via a long video call, an easy way for tiresome days is to send a video message to them instead of a text. It’s more special than a text and still shows that you care.
- If you had a tough time during lockdown, you can bet that people closest to you did as well. But remember, you are a special, unique light in this world and you have the power to make someone’s day with a quick video call. Your friends and family will appreciate it. Go out there, spread some joy!
- Get your glow on- self care, exercise, water, eat well
- Yoga, walking, lifting weights at home, dance breaks between works, pacing around the flat, whatever works for you, will help you feel better. I am one of those freaks that gets up at 5:30 am to do yoga before work, but anything goes! Water also increases my brain energy when hours of zoom calls zap it away. Add a couple of superfoods to your day as well (I like walnuts and avocados!) We gotta do what we can to feel good on the inside when the world is crazy outside.
- Be kind to others
- Mental health issues are on the rise, even more than it already was. Spreading kindness makes you happy too! So make a cup of tea for your roommate, send your grandma a letter because you miss her, add an extra video chat a week with your friend who lives alone, give a portfolio review/interview tips to a young creative student who is having trouble finding a job. Kindness is cool, mah dudes.
- Help out local restaurants
- I was so so sad to hear about some of my favourite spots in town closing (some for good!) because of lockdown. If you’re getting takeaway, consider trying one of your locals for a takeaway instead of a chain restaurant. Other ways to help your locals include featuring them on your instagrams, your blogs, and writing them a nice review online. Makes you feel good, feeds your belly, helps them out. Wins all around.
- Get creative
- You know what’s fun? Acting like a kid for a couple of hours to distract yourself from Lockdown 2. Get all dressed up in a costume, make something, and do a fun photoshoot, like my traveling ghosts post or my homemade cloud lights here. Or get out a canvas and finger paint. Read a book that you used to love as a kid. Learn how to play the recorder and even if you’re bad it’s fantastic. Check out this ‘recorder fail’ and laugh with me. Things like this bring me joy in ‘these uncertain times’
Some of the makeup looks I’ve been working on to fuel my creativity.
Painting is something I tried last lockdown. HAHA.
- Give yourself a fucking break
- Also, take this list with a freaking grain of salt. Not everyday is going to be good but we roll with it. This is just what makes me feel better and helped me through lockdown 1. If yours is pajamas, wine o’clock lunches, or chocolate for breakfast, you do you babe! We’re all just doing the best we can with what we’ve got and this is the best time to learn how to give yourself a little grace. (Trust me when I say this list doesn’t tell you half of what I went through. I once cried because I left the curtains open in the living room and that wasn’t my ‘normal.’) We just gotta own the weirdness and rock on.
Yes, this shit is hard, but we got this.
- Also, take this list with a freaking grain of salt. Not everyday is going to be good but we roll with it. This is just what makes me feel better and helped me through lockdown 1. If yours is pajamas, wine o’clock lunches, or chocolate for breakfast, you do you babe! We’re all just doing the best we can with what we’ve got and this is the best time to learn how to give yourself a little grace. (Trust me when I say this list doesn’t tell you half of what I went through. I once cried because I left the curtains open in the living room and that wasn’t my ‘normal.’) We just gotta own the weirdness and rock on.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
- What’s something you learned during the last lockdown?
- Is there anything you found that helped you cope a little easier?
- What’s the weirdest thing you’ve cried about during lockdown?
Stay strong, everyone!
Big Hugs,
Red
Follow me on IG so I know it’s real ❤
SpotTheRedhead | London Travel Blogger 