think ahead / your top tips

[eFestivals]

So we're stuck inside and we're wondering what to do. Right now most people seem to be thinking "a few weeks", but what if it's not? How can you improve your life?

Think about what you might do when at home - not just this week and next week, but for the whole summer. And think about what services might disappear while you're stuck inside. Amazon etc is still delivering right now, but will it still be delivering next week? 

If sitting in the garden is all we have to do, we might as well be set-up for it - so we've bought a garden sail for daytime shade and a stock of logs for evening fires.

What do you think people should keep in mind?

[Spacey]

Lucky enough to have a garden so stocked up on seeds and potting compost etc. Will be growing stuff to eat and make garden look pretty.   I think the garden will get a lot of use. 
 

[jparx]

We're *hopefully* moving to our first house in June so that should keep us busy. Thinking about ordering a load of paint, wallpaper etc now so we can crack on with decorating if they stop online deliveries.

[jump]

Learn to cook, if people are buying the ready made bolognese sauces and tin soups so they are always selling out just learn to make it from scratch. Hopefully with limited indigents people will start getting creative with the ones they do have.  

[Quark]

This is probably most suitable for people like us who are fully working from home now, but I would guess it'll be applicable to everyone to a greater or lesser degree.

Our starting point has been to keep structure within the day and the week as much as possible.  Getting a bit more kip as we aren't commuting, but the alarm's set so that we're up, showered and ready to sit down and get started at the same time as if we were getting into the office.  Keep lunch breaks, coffee breaks etc the same, and finish for the day at the same time as if leaving the office.

We leave our laptops etc out on the table during the week, but on Friday night it gets packed up and put away so we maintain that separation between Mon-Fri and the weekend.

Again one for the office / remote workers, but I've set up a series of recurring Skype meetings with my team at 10:30 and 15:00, just for 15 minutes, as a drop in meeting for anyone fancying a cuppa and a chance to chew the fat for a bit. Basically trying to replicate those conversations in the kitchen when you're making a tea and chatting in passing.

We're working between us on a list of jobs that need doing around the house. Not an unrealistic list like decorating the house top to bottom, but all the little niggly bits and pieces we never get round to.  We've both got about an hour back every day without the travel in the evenings, so we want to make a bit of use out of that.

[mcshed]

My brother has been through months of this in China and his main advice is exercise. He's not normally into that sort of thing but says it's the thing that keeps you going. We're moving out exercise bike out of the garage and into the house so it gets more use, doing daily exercise videos on YouTube with kids every morning. The 4 year old's dance teacher is posting a daily dance as well. Stay active.

[Paul ™]

Living full time in a van ain't a fun way of life just now!

[Woffy]

41 minutes ago, Quark said:

This is probably most suitable for people like us who are fully working from home now, but I would guess it'll be applicable to everyone to a greater or lesser degree.

Our starting point has been to keep structure within the day and the week as much as possible.  Getting a bit more kip as we aren't commuting, but the alarm's set so that we're up, showered and ready to sit down and get started at the same time as if we were getting into the office.  Keep lunch breaks, coffee breaks etc the same, and finish for the day at the same time as if leaving the office.

We leave our laptops etc out on the table during the week, but on Friday night it gets packed up and put away so we maintain that separation between Mon-Fri and the weekend.

Again one for the office / remote workers, but I've set up a series of recurring Skype meetings with my team at 10:30 and 15:00, just for 15 minutes, as a drop in meeting for anyone fancying a cuppa and a chance to chew the fat for a bit. Basically trying to replicate those conversations in the kitchen when you're making a tea and chatting in passing.

We're working between us on a list of jobs that need doing around the house. Not an unrealistic list like decorating the house top to bottom, but all the little niggly bits and pieces we never get round to.  We've both got about an hour back every day without the travel in the evenings, so we want to make a bit of use out of that.

Pretty much identical to our house, dude, from my work point of view. Holed up in my tiny study with my laptop, books and music: 6Music at the moment.

Although i'm expected to go into work on a rota in the coming weeks, depending on the decision regarding my key worker status (not front line work though).

But with a 4 year old (pre-schooler) and a 7 month old, Mrs Woffy has also structured little 'uns weekdays.

And around this I can do a bit of work and looking after Woffy baby.

So

Basic timetable Mini Woffy can understand.

Mix of fun activities: painting / playdough / garden time / board games / TV and educational stuff: practising writing letters and numbers (worksheets printed from online), reading practise. Usual story before bed every night.

By being timetabled - and her understanding it* - it's removed the 'getting-all-the-painting-stuff-out-and-then-her-wanting-to-do-something-else-5-minutes-later' situations. Just giving her some basic structure to her day that she can grasp.

We're incredibly lucky we've got - purely by chance - a large garden. So we've spent our Glastonbury Balance money and ordered a large swing, climbing, slide set. I'm just hoping it still gets delivered with the lockdown.

We're semi-rural in Andover, so we've got remote walks on our doorstep. Again, very, very grateful for that. We only moved here 'cos it was cheaper. Who'd'a thought being further from friends, work, family, people in general would be a benefit.

That said, Hampshire has one of the highest (known) infection rates in the UK. I cannot fathom why. Southampton and Portsmouth / ports?

The wife is half-Dutch and they're on lockdown until the start of June there - with fines for people breaching this (400E for individuals, 4000E for businesses), so we've based our expectations around that.

Strange times indeed, but self-expectation management is key.

 

@eFestivals

Great thread Neil.

 

*Little 'in has asked about the virus so we've had to explain it to her in terms she can understand. There's some good advice online as to the best way to do this if anyone is unsure. Again, the Dutch 'thing' means my wife tends to be incredibly honest - at the right level - with our daughter, so she seems to understand that things not being normal is the new normal, as a best as a 4 year old can.

[grumpyhack]

Working through clearing my overgrown veg patch.  It's got beautiful soil; much appreciated by weeds.  Then it will be planting time.  By the time stuff comes up it may be the only food we are able to get hold of.

[Quark]

1 hour ago, mcshed said:

My brother has been through months of this in China and his main advice is exercise. He's not normally into that sort of thing but says it's the thing that keeps you going. We're moving out exercise bike out of the garage and into the house so it gets more use, doing daily exercise videos on YouTube with kids every morning. The 4 year old's dance teacher is posting a daily dance as well. Stay active.

Definitely this.  Dusted off the gym gear in the garage as I've manage to accumulate quite a few bits over the years, but even if you don't have any kit as such there's loads of ideas on youtube for exercising at home. Joe Wicks and Athlean-X are my two that i watch. 

35 minutes ago, Woffy said:

We're semi-rural in Andover, so we've got remote walks on our doorstep. Again, very, very grateful for that. We only moved here 'cos it was cheaper. Who'd'a thought being further from friends, work, family, people in general would be a benefit.

We're similar, just on the edge of the South Downs and loads of farmland around us, so we can get out and about pretty well. As the weather's improved it's also dried out the worst of the mud patches on my usual running routes, so I can get back out and hit the trails without worrying about turning an ankle.

Depending on how long this all lasts I've got a few things to build in around getting work done on the house. One thing I've found for my brain is that if I make too big a list then I tend to freeze, so at the moment I'm just brain dumping all the stuff I've thought about doing, and maybe picking one or two to work on:

• Finally figure out where I want my career to go so that once things start opening up I can actually start working on the career move
• Re-learning the guitar
• Re-learning French
• Taking an online gardening course on growing your own veg (Mrs Q bought me that a while back and I've never got round to starting it!
• If I can get the parts ordered, building a Raspberry Pi arcade emulator

[WestCountryGirl]

Boyfriend and I don't have much in the way of a yard, and there's a lot of stuff out there we meant to take to the tip - our bad for procrastinating! 

Still, we have plenty of means to keep ourselves entertained in the way of games consoles, streaming packages etc.

We've already started a list of "different" activities to keep our minds fresh and occupied. We did some creative writing the other day and have downloaded a list of writing prompts that we're going to work through.

With my family group chat I started a thing where every morning we post a link to a song. Any song. I'm building a playlist of them all and it makes something nice to look forward to when waking up every morning.

 

[The Nal]

3 hours ago, jump said:

Learn to cook, if people are buying the ready made bolognese sauces and tin soups so they are always selling out just learn to make it from scratch. Hopefully with limited indigents people will start getting creative with the ones they do have.  

100%. 

Learning how to cook from scratch is a must. Its easy too. Amazed so many people can't cook at all. Much nicer, healthier and you'll save an absolute fortune. Also mental health benefits - keeps you busy, creative etc - and its fun!

[efcfanwirral]

My current pleasures are very simple - video games. I've spent years lamenting the fact I don't have the time to play games I used to love like Fifa and Football manager. I'm enjoying it again which is good. 

The warm weather will bring garden times and book reading.

On the delivery thing I actually used my Glasto money to order a new PS4 as my current old one sounds like its about to take off, so anticipating it breaking when I can't get a new one in I've got it coming today. , and the girlfriend got an xbox as hers is stored at her parents miles away so won't be getting that any time soon. Two tvs side by side as a gaming set up. Proper modern couple...

 

[The Nal]

Yes indeed, a perfect time for me to be playing Breath of the Wild. I've a load of backlog to get through aswell. 

On the cooking note, time to resurrect the old recipe thread. 

[feral chile]

I've had to self isolate most of the last 2 and a half years, the most important thing for me was being able to keep in touch with family via video calls.

[e2p2]

Great thread.

I dont really know what's going on in the UK and if or how this late lockdown is enforced, but here we're at a semi-lockdown for almost two weeks. The tips you guys wrote are great - have a routine/structure of day, exercise, learn and re-learn stuff and more but please, find time to speak or text your friends and family members. Not everyone can handle the stuff thats going on right now, or think of how to make a plan for the foreseen future.

[Zoo Music Girl]

I had a proper meltdown several times last week, but I seem to be adjusting okay at the moment. My partner and I are both working from home so that gives the days some structure and we work in separate rooms (taking it in turns to have the proper desk and chair!). We were also smack bang in the middle of decorating our bedroom so there's bits to finish off with that, but I will be so relieved when it's done and we can get all three rooms back to normal as everything is pretty chaotic currently. Plan to use the garden which we rarely do as the decking is in a sorry state, but it won't be sorted any time soon so will make the best of it. Might get back to doing some writing, which I usually think I never have time for. And cooking is definitely on the agenda, but still very hit and miss with shopping round here.

[Zoo Music Girl]

Oh and exercise! Tried out two online workouts today and have ordered a yoga mat. I was gutted not to be able to go to the gym so am really going to sort out a new routine for some decent classes at home. Makes the world of difference.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

One word. Pornhub. 

[kaosmark2]

I'm really struggling personally. I mangled my ankle at the beginning so was stuck at home before the self-isolation/quarantine was even a thing. Then just over a week ago I started getting really bad chest pains. I still can't walk properly, and can only make it up and down the stairs with my hands. The whole cocktail of meds I'm on means I can't maintain a sleep cycle or functionally focus, my ankle means I can't exercise, and everything I've been looking forward to is getting cancelled. 

In some ways, it was decent timing as it was before the hospital got completely rammed and unable to deal with me, or to infect me, but it's also meant I've got a notable headstart on insanity, not that I needed it...

[gfa]

Selling stuff. Moved to uni last year and have so many old christmas presents, books, cds and old toys that aren't used anymore to sell. Must have a good £500 worth of lego even second hand under my bed. Planning to draft everything up on ebay and once this is all over press the trigger and list it all in one go.

[feral chile]

14 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I'm really struggling personally. I mangled my ankle at the beginning so was stuck at home before the self-isolation/quarantine was even a thing. Then just over a week ago I started getting really bad chest pains. I still can't walk properly, and can only make it up and down the stairs with my hands. The whole cocktail of meds I'm on means I can't maintain a sleep cycle or functionally focus, my ankle means I can't exercise, and everything I've been looking forward to is getting cancelled. 

In some ways, it was decent timing as it was before the hospital got completely rammed and unable to deal with me, or to infect me, but it's also meant I've got a notable headstart on insanity, not that I needed it...

Join the club

I had 4 months worth of infections, so severe sleep deprived, ended up having a month off sick with stress after worrying about having to be off sick with lurgy.

[fred quimby]

I am working from home which gives some structure put around that here is what I have planned

Order more Wood from B&Q to construct a table raised bed to go in the yet to be erected poly tunnel so that I can extend the growing season.

Get the poly Tunnel up (blown down in the gales

Exercise routine. Have started running again and do kettle bells at home. I certain take on @The Nal suggestion of skipping as I have a rope somewhere

Pick a dance genre for 2 to 3 weeks and listen to a selection while running then another and another

Loads to do in the garden including protecting my wicker fence.

Cook some new stuff

Listen to my vinyl - I may start on the Reggae ones (About 75 of them I guess)

Load of Books to get through

Little bit of DIY

Interspersed with the helping folk in the Village and supporting my mum and dad (which is scaring me as I have to go and see them)

 

 

Should do for starters

[fred quimby]

16 hours ago, Rufus Gwertigan said:

One word. Pornhub. 

That is about 5 minutes of my day done

[lost]

I've signed up for the NHS volunteer thingy so I'm hoping to do that. Haven't been bored yet though the news is far too interesting.