Here we go… again

Shortly after the holidays our province announced, for the second time in this pandemic, the combination of lockdown and curfew. The omicron COVID-19 virus surged and it impacted our already worn-down and strung-out health care system and economy…. and seemed to have the same effect on everyone living the unpleasant upswing of cases and events.

This post won’t be going into what I think should or shouldn’t be happening – I’m definitely not an expert here. What I can say with certainty, however, is that my health and wellbeing took a hit from this series of events. As in, having the gyms closed (again) while living in a city far from the woods in the middle of a very cold winter has not left me a happy camper!

We have found ourselves back in lockdown and with an overnight curfew. As a result, I thought to share some of the things that I have been doing to take care of myself. Some things I do daily, others weekly, and others are just one-offs or things I have yet to try. I haven’t been perfect with any of it, because despite the forced retreat into the indoors, my lifestyle and health aren’t static. And thank goodness, or my life would be pretty boring.

What to do while living in lockdown

Exercise, even if it’s not what you want or how you want it

One of the biggest disappointments for myself and my partner is that the gyms are closed during lockdown. Living in such a cold and snowed-in winter has proven to be challenging in the city, because we are farther away from Nature to be able to enjoy many outdoor activities through the week. That said, we have scheduled every Sunday to be our Hike Day. We have the time to make the trek out to the countryside for a few hours, enjoying the trees and quiet, and to get our hearts pumping. During the week I have focused on taking a long walk around the neighbourhood every day, either at lunch time (when I get hope to get a bit of sunshine and vitamin D), or in the evening after dinner (but before curfew).

I also expanded my at-home workout gear and routine: I now have a small kettle bell, yoga mat, resistance bands, and weighted medicine ball. My partner also bought an additional 50lb bag with handles which, when I am feeling brave and strong, I try to use. Because I’ve found at-home workouts to be dull and not as motivating compared to being outside or at the gym, I came up with a few tricks:

• Video chat with my friend who also does at-home workouts. We motivate each other and share exercises to expand our respective repertoires.
• Listen to music playlists or stations for music that I’ve never heard before, or I’ll listen to a fun podcast or comedy skit. I want my brain to be entertained but still have the focus to train.
• Don’t always stay indoors. Explore what sorts of exercises or activities you can do outside. Try a new outdoor sport or activity. Any bit of movement and fresh air will do the body good.

Go beyond Taco Tuesdays

Alright, it’s time for the nutritionist to come in – hello! I can’t stress enough how important good nutrition is, especially in times of stress and during a pandemic. I’m sure we are all very aware that food prices have gone up, but there are some ways to work around that, and you can check out my previous blog post about getting nifty and thrifty with groceries, here.

Now that we’re in lockdown, I beg of you not to rely too much on those expensive delivery meals that, more often than not, aren’t optimal for your health. Try something new!

Being in lockdown has affected my eating habits and activity levels, and I found myself getting bored sometimes. This combination can give me a serious “case of the f***k it” and want to choose something easy and often not very healthy. Once in a while? No big deal. Every week? Time to reassess.

Trying new recipes can make things more interesting while remaining within your budget, whether that’s a single meal or lots of meal-prepping. Here are some ideas to tempt you into new, delicious and nutritious meals:

• Rent or buy new or used cookbooks (or better yet, swap some amongst your friends). Yes, there are millions of food and recipes blogs out there, and they are a fabulous resource that I recommend. AND cookbooks are a delight to look at and take the time to read, too.
• Cook with friends over video chat, either the same meal or different meals. This can make the cooking process feel less tiresome or boring, and eating the meal less lonely. I recommend this regardless of whether you live alone or with your family.
• Do you have some takeout or restaurant favourites? Try to recreate them at home! Even if one of your faves is some fast food like a burger and fries, changes are that you’ll be able to create something similarly delicious and yet less costly and more healthy.
• Spice it up! Try some spices, herbs, and flavours that you don’t typically cook with or eat. This will prompt you to try new recipes and increase your taste buds.
• Play with your food. Why on earth do we refrain from using anything but utensils, and who said eating couldn’t be fun? Use your hands to eat, make fingers foods, experiment with different flavours, colours and textures.

Explore

Yes, you may be finding yourself in lockdown with a curfew, just like me. And yes, you probably cannot easily travel international waters right now (or, at least not without running the risk of cancelling plans and not being reimbursed by the airline … true story, from yours truly). But that shouldn’t prevent you from exploring where you live, right in your own backyard!

• Geocaching started years ago and remains a fun activity to do alone or with friends. Find hidden treasures using clues set by others (usually complete strangers) not far from where you live.
• Be a tourist in your own city. How could you possibly believe that you knew your city by heart? Even in the pandemic some tours have stayed open, such as ghost tours, history tours, architecture tours, wild plant and mushroom identification walks, botanical garden tours and sightseeing tours. Check them out on a nice day!

Take on a new or existing hobby

The last two years have witnessed people taking on a whole lot of baking, home brewing, balcony gardening, TikTok dancing, virtual marathons, and trying new sports in the great outdoors. It’s motivating to see the projects people have tried. Many have even gone back to school or tackled new careers! What have you tried, and what have you been meaning to try?

In case you’d like some inspiration, here’s a list of other ideas to try out during lockdown, from the concrete to the banal:

• Join friends or family over live video to share a meal, trivia game or other game. Make family meetings fun, and share some laughs.
• Learn an instrument – try an electric instrument if you’re concerned about your neighbours who are also living a lockdown.
• Learn a new language, or even sign language (eg. ASL). Easy to do at home and so many online resources are available.
• Finally get through the list (or existing pile) of books that you’ve been wanting to read. Don’t have one? Check out the books highlighted for awards this year, or via newspaper or magazine reviews.
• Also, start writing! Whether you keep a journal, write lists, compose lyrics or enjoy writing poetry or prose, take advantage of these quieter days to write. You can even publish online and share with others on various platforms, such as the free writing and ideas platform called Medium.

• Wanna share something? Teach something? Create a video blog, such as on Youtube. Or, find some video bloggers (vloggers) and channels who can teach you about something that really interests you.
• Foster a pet. Give one a warm and happy home until they can find their next family, and hopefully forever home. Fostering won’t cost you and can be fun!
• Grow a jungle. In my humble opinion, everyone needs more plants in their home. Although not as fun as a pet, plants will help to liven your home and clean that stagnant indoor air. Maybe you can even sell a few plant offspring online to make some pocket change.
• Redecorate, renovate or PURGE! Chances are you might be living in your home a lot more than usual. Now is the time to tidy up and get rid of what you don’t want or need. And no matter the budget, have fun getting creative in reorganizing or decorating your home. Time to freshen up!
• Plan some adventures. Even in lockdown, you can still go on day-long excursions to enjoy the outdoors or some other activity. Just be safe, be smart, and have fun.

Share your ideas

I LOVE swapping ideas for activities, hobbies and other things to try.

What have you tried since the pandemic started, or even before then? What hobbies or pass-times have you enjoyed? What would you like to try?