How to Cope With the Lockdown and Isolation During the Coronavirus Crisis

2020 has become such a frightening year, hasn’t it? The news about the coronavirus is so overwhelming that I have to try to distract myself at times. I’m coping fine with the lockdown because, like many other people who live with chronic health conditions, I don’t go out much anyway. However, a lot of healthier people are struggling to cope with the lockdown and the isolation it brings. Most of them are used to living busy, active lives, therefore spending time cooped up at home is probably a difficult adjustment for them.

How to Cope With the Lockdown and Isolation due to COVID-19

At this stage, nobody knows how long the lockdown could go on. Hopefully, it won’t be for too long, but I hope it will be long enough to make a difference and slow down the spread of the virus. But, as time goes on, many people will really be struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. Despite being on a lockdown or if you’re self-isolating, it’s crucial to keep in touch with loved ones.

Don’t Lose Touch With People

It’s important to keep in touch with families and friends, for their sake as well as our own. They’re having to cope with isolation too.

Thanks to modern technology, we are able to keep in touch easily. Catch up with people using the phone, video links or set up groups online so that you can have family get-togethers.

If you know older or vulnerable people who are having to shield themselves for three months, they’ll be lonely too, so do give them a ring now and again for a chat. Helping them could help you.

Use Distractions to help Cope With the Lockdown and Isolation

I’ve written before that distractions can help people to cope with pain. They will also help you to cope with the lockdown and the isolation which comes with it as well as all the distressing news.

Here are a few ideas:

Hobbies and Crafts

Perhaps it’s time to take up a new hobby or rekindle an old one. No supplies? Look around you. Start quilting using squares of fabric from clothes you no longer wear. Grab a tin of paint from the garage and paint a piece of furniture you think looks dated. Cut some pictures out of magazines and decoupage them onto a biscuit tin.

Write

Start writing. There’s a saying that everyone has a book in them. Go on, make a start on yours.

Bake and Cook

If you’ve got the ingredients in your cupboards, you could bake cakes and cookies or you could batch cook meals to freeze.

Puzzles and Games

Jigsaws, crosswords, word searches and sudoku puzzles will keep your brain working. You’ll find plenty online.

Online Jigsaws
Online Sudoku Puzzles
Online Crosswords & Wordsearches

Board games like Scrabble or Monopoly will also keep you and your household entertained.

If you’re fed up or in need of seeing a friendly face, pop onto my Facebook group, The Virtual Village, for some friendly fun, quizzes and games.

Clean The House

We’re probably all reaching for the bleach more than normal anyway, so why not do some Spring cleaning. It might get rid of frustrations and use up energy. And you’ll end up with a sparkling house.

Declutter

Clear out your wardrobes and cupboards to declutter. Have you ever said, I need to do it but I don’t have the time? Now you do.

Gardening

If you have a garden, make the most of it and enjoy the fresh air. But also make the most of your extra free time by planting flowers or vegetables.

Obviously, you can’t go to garden centres just now because you have to stay at home and they’ve had to lock their doors. But many garden centres are still working and providing a delivery service because, if they didn’t, all their plants would be left to die. It would be sad to see that happen.

My Dad has just had some lovely plants delivered by Reynard Nursery in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. They take the payment over the phone, then drop the plants off with no personal contact.

Contact your local garden centre because most likely, they are still selling and will deliver whatever you need. You’ll have a lovely garden and you’ll be supporting a local, often family-run, business.

Exercise

You don’t need to leave your house or your own garden to exercise. Back in the eighties, keep fit videos were all the rage. My Mum used to exercise with Mad Lizzie every morning.

Now, with YouTube, we are spoiled for choice.

One guy who is doing a keep fit routine every morning is Joe Wicks, The Body Coach. The extra nice thing about Joe is that he is donating his Youtube profits to the NHS. Click here to visit his YouTube channel.

Virtual Tours of Places to Go and Things to See

Make the most of free websites which allow you to virtually visit tourist attractions, museums, art galleries, zoos etc.

Here are a few you might want to visit.

Virtual Tours of Places to Go

Scotland
Stonehenge
Taj Mahal
Eiffel Tower

Virtual Tours of Museums and Galleries

National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
The British Museum, London, England
The National Gallery, London, England
National History Museum, London, England
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., USA

Virtual Animals

Chester Zoo, Cheshire, England
San Diego Zoo, California, USA
Blair Drummond Safari Park, Stirling, Scotland
Wildlife Webcams in Scotland

If you’ve virtually seen all of these virtual attractions, then please check out this link by Helen’s Journey for some more amazing places to visit from the comfort of your armchair.

How to Cope With the Kids During Lockdown and Isolation

If you have kids at home, most of the above ideas will work with them too. But the internet is full of helpful posts. A blogging friend published this post earlier this week – How to Entertain Children for Free During the Coronavirus

Here are a few more:
Keeping Your Kids Happy, Busy & Learning if Their School Closes Due to Coronavirus
50 Cheap Activities to Keep Children Entertained
How to keep a preschooler busy

Dealing With Hair During Lockdown and Isolation

Coping with isolation is one thing, but you might struggle to cope with your hair. Depending on how long the lockdown goes on, we could all start to look a wee bit bedraggled.

Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to picking up the kitchen scissors and whacking a bit off my hair here and there. But if you do eventually want to be seen in public, that’s maybe not advisable.

However, if your locks are beginning to get that dreaded look about them, you could always turn to Youtube for some quick DIY tutorials.

Disclaimer: I’ve never used these tutorials so I can’t attest to their quality. In other words…don’t blame me if your hairdo becomes a hairdon’t.

For the ladies

For the men

For the girls

For the boys

For the dog

Volunteer

Volunteering could help you cope with the lockdown and help other people cope with the isolation it brings. It could help you but it will definitely help other people.

Local Groups

Most areas have set up local groups to check on vulnerable people or collect shopping or medication for them.

NHS Volunteer Responders

Volunteers must be 18 or over and fit and well with no symptoms. Those in higher-risk groups (including those over 70, those who are pregnant or with underlying medical conditions) will be able to offer support by telephone. 

Find out more

Volunteering in Scotland

Ready Scotland has some information about similar volunteering opportunities in Scotland.

Find out more

Remember to Breathe and Relax

This is a stressful time for everyone so remember to take time out to breathe and relax. Get into your garden, or if you don’t have one, open your windows so you can fill your lungs with fresh air.

I hope this post helps people who are struggling to cope with the lockdown and the isolation which comes with it. Please remember, it isn’t forever. You can do this.

Stay home ~ Save lives