7 tips to help during lockdown
Rather than ramble on as to the reasons why we may need these 7 tips right now, I’ll just let you scroll and apply as needed. Stay safe and stay home.
- Get a newspaper or newsline subscription- it may seem annoying to pay for the information, when you find a reporter you trust it is invaluable at this time.
- If you only have the space around you while you boil the kettle for your next hot drink- do some squats or stand on your tippy toes like a ballerina and feel the power in those legs of yours.
- Get outdoors to walk, skip or jump. This is your time to own the body you have, to protect the community you live in and to still acknowledge this life is a good.
- Print the words THIS TOO SHALL PASS and out on your doorway, your fridge or your wallet. Across the a globe we are in this pandemic together and hope can trump worry. See here your PDF to download and enjoy.
- Books! I have made 2020 my year of reading and have loved three novels I have read recently- ‘Fear and loathing in las vegas’- not for the faint hearted. Other novels with less bad language that I loved include ‘Blood in the dust’ and ‘Where the crawdads sing’. Also ‘The Goldfinch’ will be a favourite for a long time to come. For the podcast called Voice notes (you can find here) that I host with Claire Kelly, we started reading Sheryl Sandberg ‘ lean in’ with our bookclub.
- Download the podcast app on your phone or Spotify for free and subscribe to podcasts. The great thing about podcasts and audio books is feeding the mind rather than sucking the mind of joy by scrolling social media.
Obviously I recommend my fun one mentioned above called Voicenotes. It is where my Scottish friend Claire Kelly and I talk about the everyday things that matter. You can listen and enjoy the light hearted topics but also our serious discussions Then I have my business podcast (here is a link to my recent episode about small businesses and the effects of coronavirus) but a few I love include ‘ feel better live more by Dr Chatterjee, ‘Sibling revelry’ by Oliver and Kate Hudson, my friend Grace in NYC has a book podcast called ‘Bad on paper’, Raise your hand just say yes’ a podcast first introduced to me by photographer Janine Boyd . Nomad podcast is great for my faith journey and if you are interested in meeting at 9pm for weekly prayer and scripture sharing a friend Sara-Louise and I have started an account on Instagram called @faithintimeofcorona . Best of Belfast podcast is super for local content and I featured in an episode that you can find here. The Pat Divily podcast for wellbeing, ‘ The Garyvee show’ for business.
- Apply a morning routine. We are creatures of habit and we thrive when simple actions are repeated. My friend Owen Crane of CFC Belfast took the words right out of my mouth on his live video last night. Try to turn our focus to meditation, scripture, the sky outside our window BEFORE looking at our phones or allowing the fear of this lockdown to settle in.
Stay safe and stay at home. Aly