How are you? What have you been up to? Have you found stuff to do? Have you been staying safe?

So we are all in a bit of a weird situation at the moment. Britain is in lockdown and we cannot go anywhere. I’m not going to go on about it as I know it is all that people are talking about right now. I am not even going to mention the word as we all know exactly what it is.

I have decided I am going to give you some ideas to do whilst in isolation/quarantine/hibernation, whatever you want to call it. Everyone is going to be extremely bored during the coming weeks and we all need stuff to do to keep us distracted. So here you go! Here are some things to keep you occupied instead of just endlessly scrolling through TikTok or Instagram.

1. Clean your room!

Not very interesting but it actually has been proven to be quite stress relieving and if you are like me and have a continuously messy room, then it will take up a lot of time. Also you will be spending a lot more time in your room and it isn’t nice to be surrounded by mess all the time!

2. Re organise your room!

This is something I do quite a lot in general. Sometimes it is good to experiment new ways of having your room. It is always nice to make the room seem bigger and more spacious so why not try?

3. Decorate your room!

Sounds like a lot of effort especially if you are not artsy which I certainly am not! You have to be in a specific mood to boost yourself to do it but once you get into it, its fun! You could print photos up and hang them up or stick them on the wall to create a photo wall. You could add some greenery like a plant or fake plants. In my house there are lots of fairy lights in the attic used occasionally at Christmas or parties, so if you have any fairy lights you could put them in your room too! There are loads of ways to decorate and personalise your space.

4. Build a fort!

It’s not like you don’t have time to build it and tidy it away! Bring out your blankets, chairs, cardboard boxes and if you have a younger sibling get them involved too. No doubt they will be even more bored especially if they are too young for phones and social media. And if you don’t have a younger sibling or don’t have one at all, who cares? Build it yourself!

5. Bake and cook!

Now this is a fun one! It takes up a lot of time and you get to eat it afterwards. If you don’t know how to cook/bake, now is the time to learn because you have loads of time. Dig out the recipe books or look up interesting recipes. You could maybe make a couple of meals for your family, I am sure they would appreciate it.

6. Exercise!

Exercise is a huge importance. It is very easy to sit and do nothing all day and not go out at all but it is important to get out. Especially if you are like me and do masses of sport. You don’t want to lose all your skills, stamina and focus. Try and set challenges for yourself or do a family challenge. Make your own workout, walk the dog, go on a run. It doesn’t need to be far but it is good to do. What we have done is bought new bikes. Cycling is great! It is great for your legs, core, mind and you can go for miles without getting tired!

7. Learn how to do the splits!

I know it sounds boring but to be able to do the splits is incredibly good for you. I am re learning them as I used to be a gymnast and I want to stay flexible for hockey, netball and tennis. Also means that every day you stretch a little which is good for you!

8. Self care!

Set a day in the week that you have a ‘self care’ night. Do a face mask, shave, deep clean your hair, do a bath bomb, spray lots of perfume, watch a film, eat food that makes you happy, paint your nails, just have a night that makes you feel relaxed and clean.

9. Watch a film (film review blog coming up)

Just sit down on the sofa or your bed or wherever you watch films and binge watch a series or find a film you have been meaning to watch but you haven’t. Maybe turn the lighting down and get some popcorn, blankets and pillows and make yourself comfy. What I see on Pinterest all the time are people watching films with pillows, blankets, low lighting and with them they have a bowl of cookie dough. Isn’t cookie dough the best?

10. Phone/FaceTime friends

I am actually not very good at doing this regularly, I usually get caught up doing something and then just am too tired to phone them up. But if you are someone who likes to talk to their friends a lot, call them up or FaceTime them! On Zoom (a FaceTime app) you can share screens and you can watch films together! That is something I want to do. And why not? We have all the time in the world to do so!

11. Do school work :/

This is the worst one but it has to be done. You can’t fall behind and forget everything you have learned. Maybe instead of just doing the work you can make your work look pretty. Use highlighters and cool writing to make it more creative!

12. Make a tennis court in your back garden

This is what me and my sister have done. Two chairs, boxes, blankets, stones, planks of wood. You just build that all up and voila! A makeshift net. Then just play tennis and try and avoid the neighbours gardens! (Don’t recommend doing it in the wind our net fell over!)

13. Do a photo shoot!

Just because you can’t go out doesn’t mean your insta can’t be updated or your VSCO or facebook or whatever photo sharing app you have! Dress up! Take fun pictures, put on a little makeup, dye your hair, try new looks! Maybe try and get out of your clothes you’ve been wearing for the past week. Not just to take photos but it actually makes you feel better!

14. Do a jigsaw, read a book, write letters to family/friends!

The last one I promise! These are all things that take more time. You can pull out old jigsaws that have 1000 + pieces and spend time putting it together. Sounds boring but when you get into it, its fun! Reading a book can be very relaxing if you are in the right mood. Before you go to bed I find is the best time to read, instead of looking at my phone. Writing letters may sound weird but I am sure we all like seeing our name on a envelope or parcel. It doesn’t have to be an essay but it shows you care and it is much more memorable than a text!

There are loads more things you could do so if you want a part 2 then just leave a comment or DM on Instagram! Hope you are all staying safe and please keep the ideas for new blogs coming. I like knowing what you want to read so if you have an idea don’t keep it to yourself!

Love Martha B x