We are living in very strange and unusual times at the moment with most of the world in lockdown due to the Covid-19 (aka coronavirus) pandemic. I know there are alot of people struggling with boredom or feeling cooped up having to stay indoors etc. but I’ve personally always been a homebody and therefore find a lot of fulfillment and enjoyment in being at home and finding things to do. Given this, I thought I would share my top 10 things that I’ve been doing over this period to perhaps give you some inspiration/ideas.
1.WATCHING NETFLIX/DISNEY+/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
This might be an obvious one but if you aren’t signed up to an online TV/film streaming platform I highly recommend it. When you’re bored there’s nothing better than to lose yourself in an addictive TV series, endless movies and catch up on all the shows you never had time for before.
I particularly like Netflix for my Kdrama fix but they have the largest catalogue of movies, TV shows and documentaries spanning every genre. Recently I’ve been hooked to a German TV series called Dark and it is incredible. It is like a grittier, darker version of Stranger Things which revolves around time travel. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s not in English, there are subtitles and trust me, by the end of the 1st episode you will want to binge watch the rest of the season.
I would also recommend the recently released Tiger King documentary that has caused a worldwide sensation. It is so farfetched and complete madness but really entertaining at the same time.
If you want more specific content and love Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel then Disney+ would be great for you. In recent days I’ve enjoyed some of the oldies but goodies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Parent Trap. Such nostalgic movies.
Then of course there is Amazon Prime Video. I don’t think their catalogue is as good as the other 2 but if you already have Amazon Prime then it’s a good alternative option when you’ve exhausted everything else. In particular I think it’s worth having just to watch The Fall. It’s a 3 season BBC drama about a serial killer and the cat and mouse game with the police. It’s probably one of my all time favourite shows and I have raved about it to everyone I know. I rarely watch TV shows on repeat (especially when I have so many new shows I want to watch) but I’ve seen this 2x already and have it on Bluray. That’s how much I love it.
2. YOUTUBE
I probably spend as much time on Youtube as I do watching Netflix. I don’t watch TV so I consider Youtube my own personalised TV channel because I can pick and choose what to watch based on my interests. For me personally, I enjoy watching videos about skincare, makeup, luxury, bags and mukbangs.
Mukbangs (watching a person eat huge amouts of food) might be weird for alot of people as its a very niche category that caters to specific people. My fiance does not understand why I watch them at all as he hates the sound of people chewing. For some reason I really enjoy watching people eat (a weird unexplainable habit I had as a kid), because sometimes if I have no appetite or I’m craving food I can’t get at the moment (since alot of food delivery companies don’t deliver to my area), then watching a mukbang really perks me up. It especially gives me increased appetite to watch it when I’m eating my own meal so if you’re ever feeling down and don’t feel like eating, give mukbang a try.
I don’t like any old mukbang though, I enjoy the ASMR ones simply because I don’t want to watch people talk about random drivel as they eat, I’m literally just here for the food eating and anything else just detracts from it. I also only seem to like watching Korean mukbangs which I think is down to the fact that I really miss and crave eating Korean food and I think they have some of my favourite and tastiest home-cooked dishes that I wish I could have.
3. COOKING
Speaking of mukbangs and food, that leads me on to cooking. Take advantage of the increased spare time and being indoors all day to learn and try new recipes. I find I’m eating healthier, more balanced meals and willing to put more effort into cooking simply because I’m able to work from home and not feel burnt out from doing overtime and dealing with the train commute. I have so much more energy and motivation after I finish a work day to start preparing a nice meal as opposed to eating bad things like microwave meals and fast food etc. I’m also able to be more adventurous and try out new things I’ve wanted to attempt to make and alot of my inspiration comes from recipes I discover through watching mukbangs.
4. SKINCARE PAMPERING
I wouldn’t have a beauty blog if I didn’t mention this in my top 10 things to do during a lockdown! Being house-bound is not an excuse to neglect our skincare routine and if anything, is a perfect time to pamper yourself. Pre-lockdown I was finding very little time for sheet-masking as much as I’d want to but now it’s enjoyable to have a little me-time away from everything else going on in life. I also find my skin has a lot less breakouts and issues now that I’m not going out because it’s less exposed to UV rays, pollution, free radicals and being makeup free. However that’s not to say you can’t put makeup on in the house; some people enjoy that morning routine as it helps add normalcy to the house-life situation currently and gets you in the mindset to start your work day. Also, some people’s skin won’t take well to the lack of fresh air so you might find your skin condition getting worse right now and therefore maintaining a skincare routine is very important.
If you’re in need of some great Korean skincare products, head over to Jolse.com as they are still doing international shipping and always have various different sales going on.
5. NAIL CARE
Another little self-care to throw in here. As I mentioned in my previous blog post ‘Top 10 Beauty Products of 2019‘, nail stickers are my favourite way to jazz up my nails and enjoy a little nail care fun. I never go to nail salons to get them professionally done but for those that do, this is a great alternative to now look into when you can’t go out. It’s so fuss free and easy, you can do it within minutes. No dry time, no mess, no chipping and also longer lasting than regular nail polish.
I have usually ordered direct from South Korea previously but a great option if you’re in the UK (international orders will resume after the lockdown), is my friend Shareen’s Ebay store (shareen_dee) where she is selling a large variety of nail stickers to choose from. Link here. I’ve tried them and been very happy with the results (as you can see from the picture above, they look so natural). Shipping is free and delivery time is super fast so I would really recommend giving it a try. Also there is a multi buy deal so if you order more than 1 you can save a little on price.
6. NEW HOBBY (LEGO & PUZZLES)
There are a lot of articles out there recommending you take up a new hobby in lockdown. Learn a new language, take an online class, do yoga, learn knitting etc.
For me, I have actually found huge enjoyment in building lego and doing jigsaw puzzles. Lego was a recently acquired hobby of my fiance and I kind of fell into it when he let me help him build. More recently in the past week or so, I have found a lot of enjoyment from completing my first 1000 piece puzzle and cant wait to move onto the next. I thought it would be frustrating or maybe I’d lose patience but no I’ve found the challenge so rewarding and really fun when pieces start to come together and the picture takes shape. It can be hard to get your hands on good ones at the moment because they go out of stock so quickly but I just keep checking back on websites like Amazon daily and they do come back into stock, you just have to be patient. They are also alot cheaper than Lego so I’m really enjoy my new found puzzle hobby.
7. GAMING
Being engaged to a Games Designer, its no surprise I enjoy gaming too (although this has been my hobby since I was a kid). Recently Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released on PS4 and I was like an excited kid at Christmas to finally be able to play the remake I’ve been longing for for years! It was an epic experience and well worth the 65 hours I put into completing it. I have also been enjoying my Nintendo Switch too and am addicted to playing Overcooked but there are so many other fun games to choose from on the Switch. Now is a great time to think about getting this console if you’ve been pondering it for a while as gaming really makes the time fly by so quickly and a great de-stressor.
8. READING
I love sitting down to a good book on my Kindle and being really engrossed and caught up in the story that I forget to do anything else. It’s such a fantastic escape from reality. One of my favourite authors is Jodi Picoult and I am currently re-reading The Pact which is my favourite book of hers. I remember the first time I read it and it stayed with me long after I finished it. When a book speaks to you that well that you can’t stop thinking about it after you’ve turned the last page, you know that’s damn good storytelling.
If you have a Kindle, then Kindle Unlimited is also a great way to read lots of books for only £7.99 a month, and you can ‘borrow’ up to 10 books at a time and cancel at any time.
9. ONLINE SHOPPING
This won’t be the case for everyone as we all have different coping mechanisms and financial situations but some people can find retail therapy and browsing online to be quite therapeutic. I personally have found myself buying less ‘big/expensive’ items in these times of uncertainty but I still enjoy the act of browsing online shops and seeing whats available and creating wishlists of things I want to buy when this whole pandemic situation is over.
I have found myself buying more ‘smaller’ items though that will provide entertainment to me in these times which tie in to the previous things I’ve mentioned such as books, games, puzzles etc. It is also a good time to take advantage of all the free delivery and sales on offer, as well as supporting those businesses that may be struggling.
10. RECONNECTING
Lastly, I have to add that this current situation is a great time to spend time and talk with your loved ones and maybe reconnect with friends you haven’t spoken to in awhile. If you live with your family, do more activities that require everyone getting involved. Appreciate the precious time you have with them and don’t let it go to waste. I don’t live with my family but we talk regularly through phone and video calls. If you live alone, make it a priority to call someone different every day. My fiance and I live together so we set aside time in the evenings when we can just relax and snuggle up to rewatch every Marvel movie in chronilogical order.
So that is my list of 10 things that I am doing in lockdown. Would love to hear how you’re coping during this time and what things you are doing to entertain yourself at home.
