Life under lockdown.

Key points I will talk about in this story:

1. Short summary of whats going on in the U.K./world at the moment.

2. My thoughts of the situation. And how I’m coping/how it’s affecting me.

3. Ways to keep your mind and body busy.

*** or scroll to the bottom to find TEN things to do in lockdown***

What’s going on in the world right now? 🌍

Unless your completely clueless to the world around you, most people will know the current situation of the world and the pandemic we are currently facing. At the moment the world feels like a very surreal place to live in.

In the U.K. the main change was implemented on March 23rd 2020. When Boris Johnson placed the whole of the U.K. in a mandatory police enforced lockdown to reduce the spread of the corona virus. (a virus that effects your lungs and airways.) Everything from cafes to cinemas even schools and colleges across the United Kingdom have closed with immediate effect.

And now on April 24th all of theses rules and lockdown are still in place after being extended for another 3 weeks which will then be revised and looked over again. Which in my opinion will most likely be extended until the infection/death rates have reached their peak and have started to decrease.

For many there doesn’t seem like there’s an end point but I want to use this section to thank all of the key workers from Doctors, nurses,carers,paramedics,supermarket workers, delivery drivers and All of the people who are still working to make sure that everyone can function during this difficult time. Thank you.

How has this affected me? (An 18 year old college student)

Before lockdown was even mentioned I truly thought that there was no chance that my college would close at this important point in the year. But boy was I wrong.

I was roughly 4 months off finishing my second year and my college journey forever. I had just started my final major project for my photography diploma which I had been studying for the past two years getting ready and preparing for my last 12 week photo project that I would document the whole way through. I was also at a stage of potentially late applying to university and looking into potential internships but because I was so indecisive I left it too late. And all of it was ended in an instant.

In the beginning I was hopeful that it would all be cleared up and lockdown would be over in a couple of weeks and that I could still carry on with the most important project of my whole college experience and get the final grade I was aiming for. But soon after those dates came and went and exams where cancelled it became apparent that finishing my 2 year course would not happen in the way that it was meant to. So now the whole 2 years of my course ended on a random thursday in March with no clear send off or final goodbyes or even a grade because most of us didn’t know it was coming.

I fully understand that this situation is more important and serious than just missing my last year at college and there are thousands of people who are ill and I fully empathise with the people facing this horrible virus. And my situation may seem small but to me it has been a huge source of stress and anxiety which I’m still worrying about. But I’m slowly trying to come to terms that I’m no longer a student and just a young adult who needs to start coming to terms with the whole situation.

What I’ve been doing in lockdown.

I could lie and say I’ve been super productive and motivated the entire time I’ve been home now that I have the chance. But the reality is there’s some days I’m just in my room with Netflix and A LOT of snacks..

However I have been trying to sort out a few things that I’ve been putting of with the excuse of not having enough time. One of these things was fully sorting and going through everything in my room. So far I’ve cleared out useless things that I kept just for the sake of it. And to be completely honest it feels great to have a set purpose to keep myself busy with.

That is one thing that I will recommend and that is just to do something and try to keep busy. It could be anything. From tidying your room, painting, reading or even sorting out the dreaded ‘chair’ or pile in your room that is piled high with clothes that aren’t even dirty you just can’t be bothered to put back... (Everyone has one😂)

TEN THINGS TO DO IN LOCKDOWN:

- Read a book.

If you don’t have any at home there’s hundreds of free apps and websites that you can read on. (Wattpad, BorrowBox etc)

- Try some arts and crafts.

It could be as simple as sketching a flower or bringing out your inner child with some adult colouring. The amazing thing about the internet is that everything is available at a touch of a button. You can even download and print colouring pages straight from the internet for free!!!

- simple exercising or yoga.

Exercising is a proven way of Relieving stress you can find beginner workout videos on YouTube that are completely free to watch.

- learn a language!!

This is one thing that I was excited to start now that I had more free time. I’ve currently been trying to learn sign language and so far I can sign the alphabet and colours of the rainbow!!

- start a journal 📔

It may seem silly but writing down all of your thoughts and feeling can help you organise your thoughts and you may even start to feel inspired.

- WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES!

This may not apply to everyone but for me washing my makeup brushes is the most boring task I could possibly think of but why not now when you have time?

- Get out in the garden

If you're lucky enough to have a garden, make the most of it.

Eat your breakfast outside, pull some weeds, kick a ball about - anything to get you out of the house and into the fresh air.

- Make a post-lockdown list

Make a list of all the things you're going to do when life gets back to normal - whether that's buying a takeaway coffee, having a BBQ with all your friends, or going to the cinema.

This lockdown won't last forever, and it's good to have things to look forward to once it's all over.

- Do a jigsaw

If you have any jigsaws in the house, pull them out and have a go with your family. You can also do jigsaws for free online.

- most importantly Relax.

This is a stressful and worrying time for many, so don't put any pressure on yourself to make the most of your time stuck indoors. By following government advice and staying at home, you're saving lives.