I thought I’d make a little blog post of things we can all do to keep ourselves busy during lockdown. After almost 8 weeks, I think I’ve found some really useful ways to keep myself busy and not let my mind wander and start to worry too much about everything that’s going on!

Obviously we don’t all have loads of time on our hands right now so I’d like to say before I start the list that all the key workers still going to work in the UK are doing an amazing job and I really appreciate everything they’re doing!

1. Read! I’ve always wanted to get into reading more and now I finally have the time to dedicate to building a reading habit (I’ve also written a blog post about this!)
2. Start a new hobby such as embroidery, knitting, video games, cooking, baking… the list goes on! Try to really dedicate this time to really getting into a new hobby.
3. Puzzles are a great way to keep your mind occupied for hours on end. I recommend jigsaws but also puzzle books of crosswords or wordsearches etc. would definitely keep you busy too!
4. Online volunteering. If you can, you could try volunteering for organisations such as scouts, cadets, brownies, guides – anything like this!
5. Stay active and exercise! I’ve been taking part in a 3K a day for charity and its really helped to keep me active and busy during the lockdown. It’s so easy to just sit around all day and not be active at all, but it can really help your mental health as well as your physical health. I would recommend something like yoga or going for a walk a day just to keep your body moving.
6. Raise money for charity. Like I said, I’m raising money for a charity through running (SAMH). You could simply set up a fundraiser on Facebook or a fundraising website, or start your own sponsor event such as a sponsored silence or a sponsored 24 hours in your bathroom! There are plenty of ways you could raise money for charities that really need the money just now.
7. Socialise digitally with family and friends. It’s so tough not being able to see the people we care about the most during this time, especially if you’ve moved home during lockdown. Socialising digitally can really help you feel connected to the people you’re not able to see and again help your mental health.

I wanted to add that you don’t have to be productive or be doing loads of things during the lockdown. This is such a weird time and the unknown is so scary to all of us! Be kind to yourself and don’t worry if all you do some days is get out of bed! I’m sure you all have your own tips and ideas too so feel free to add them in the comments.