Once again, everything escalated very quickly over the weekend and a second national lockdown has been announced in England. Other countries in Europe have already made this decision so it was only a matter of time for us to follow. Is there anything more terrifying than announcing it on Halloween day? I doubt it… So if you’re freaking out and don’t see the end of this pandemic, just inhale slow, exhale slower, and have a read through my ideas below to avoid completely losing it.

At least an entire month not being able to do anything but the bare minimum – on top of depressing weather and temperatures going down every day – is not going to be easy. This time we’re facing a lockdown during cold months though, we could use it to our advantage. Think of bears, they hibernate several months during winter, a lockdown would be ‘easy peasy‘ for them!

1. Take a hot bath and relax
   • Use a nice bath bomb or anything with a lovely smell
   • Why not using some candles for a cosy ambiance?
2. Apply a face mask
   • It’s getting cold and your skin can get dry very quickly
   • You’ll do yourself a favour and it feels nice
3. Focus on your hair
   • Split ends? Dull hair? It takes time to properly take care of your hair… So this is the occasion!
4. Don’t forget about your feet
   • They’re often overlooked and they need attention too
   • Apply a nice pair of moisturising socks and leave them on for as long as needed
   • Buy yourself a comfy pair of slippers
5. Apply moisturiser on your whole body
   • Exfoliate your body and love yourself when doing it
   • It’s an excellent way to maintain good mental health
6. Sit down and drink your favourite beverage
   • How about a hot chocolate under a warm blanket?
   • Close your eyes and enjoy, put your phone away, no distraction
7. Read a good book
   • Even better if it’s a book that empowers you or takes your mind off the real world
8. Cook your favourite meal and eat it mindfully
   • Take the time to enjoy every mouthful
   • Don’t eat in front of TV (or any screen)
9. Write about your feelings
   • It doesn’t have to be in a public blog, you can write in your own private journal, just for yourself
   • It’s very soothing to put down your emotions and acknowledge them
10. Make a list of things you feel grateful for
    • It’s easy to feel low about tough situations but don’t forget to practise gratitude about positive things too
    • I’ve done that exercise already when I was going through a difficult time back in March this year and I regularly come back to my lists as a reminder
11. Prioritise your sleep
    • Make sure you get enough sleep to guarantee a sane and healthy brain
    • Take the time to dream, feel cosy under your duvet, forget about your potential issues, don’t think about work (or try not to)
12. Listen to your favourite playlist
    • Finally, if you feel like you need something to spend your energy on rather than relax, you can always dance like nobody’s watching to your favourite tunes (yes, it counts as a workout and it’s more fun)

That’s pretty much how I spent my day yesterday… Today I feel better and ready to kick start another week! We’ll get through this, we’ll fight this shitty virus together and we’ll come out of it stronger than ever before. And don’t forget, you got this! Keep in mind that one day this period of your life will be in the past and you will look back at it when it’s all over. What do you want to remember?

Big Girl x