How to avoid losing it during lockdown

These days are not easy for anyone. We are in the middle of a world pandemic, and many of us are asked to stay home to protect the rest of the population. Lockdowns may seem alright at first, no work, Netflix and hot chocolate all day long … But it can quickly become quite depressing. Here are some advices I find helpful to keep a good and healthy rhythme – knowing that I’m a teleworking 20y/o only child locked down at her parents’ appartment with no garden or any under-fifty-years-old company except my cat.

1. Don’t stay completely alone !
   This might not always be possible, but if you can try to go somewhere with family and/or friends. I had to go back to France in a hurry before this thing got out of hands and they start closing borders and cancelling planes, buses and trains, and the trip was a nightmare but I really don’t regret having done it – otherwise I would have been locked down all alone in my 9m2 room.
   I have many friends that went back to their parents’ like me, but if you can’t for whatever reason, you can always stay with a friend ! It will stop you from becoming bff with your sofa or from having intense philosophical discussions with your miror.
   
2. Plan things
   That’s the key to a « healthy lockdown », if such a thing exists. It will keep you from losing track of time and from slacking.
   It can be drafting a whole program, but it can also be small stuff like what you are going to cook next week-end !
   I have trouble sticking to a weekly timetable … If you can, go ahead and do it, that’s amazing (and please tell me your secret in the comments, because it would be hella helpful !!). But if you don’t, here is what I do : every morning, I write everything I have to / want to do during the day on a paper, and cross or underline every task when finished. It’s a day-to-day method but it works quite well ! You don’t even need fancy pastel to-do lists and golden pencils, personally I use a double paper sheet (from the forgetten times I was studying maths) and a blue ball pen – doesn’t look very good but it’s efficient !
   
3. Do sports !
   I know, no one wants to hear that … but I swear that doing sports during the lockdown has several positive effects. First, of course, you will be fitter but that is not the main one. Thing is, it will give you something to be prouder about every single day. You will know that you are stronger than the day before, and that the next day, you’ll be even stronger ! It is simple self-development, and it only takes you 45 to 50 minutes a day !
   I also recomand to draft a program. Not only will it give you a timetable (see point 2), but it will enable you to find what you really want to work on !
   I will post mine on the instagram account soon ! (go follow @afrenchgirlincardiff you guys, we will support each other !)
   
4. Find new things to learn
   Just like doing sports, finding a subject to study is great for personnal development. It can be anything, just think of the one thing you have always wanted to learn but never had time for. It can go from the history of ancient Greece to how to do the split ! One of the easiest thing to learn when you are stuck at home is a new language, there are plenty of good websites and MOOCS for that ! At least we still have access to online ressources, and if you don’t, well I guess you can’t read that article (see what a genius lockdown has made me become ?) but books still exist (I swear they do) and they will probably save your brain.
   
5. Don’t lose your traditions
   With my friends in Cardiff, we made Mondays nights a tradition. Every Monday, to overcome the bad mood of the first day of the week, we would meet up for a drink. This way, we always had something to look foward to on Mondays ! Well it was one of the things I missed the most being away from them, but we found a way to keep it running through video calls ! Of course it’s not the same, and it’s always hella messy, but I still look foward to being Monday, and it’s always a good laugh and a happy time !
   Even if you did not have such a tradition before, make one ! Chose one day of the week, and one activity if you want to, and make it your knew favourite day ! It can be anything you want really, an afternoon of board games, a joint sports session, a meal, whatever as long as it makes you happy !
   You can have more than one, I have Mondays with my Cardiff team and Wednesdays with two of my best friends from Clermont, and it makes me happier every week !
   
6. Take care of your loved ones, especially older people
   If the lockdown is hard for students like me, it is way harder for eldery people. I have work to do, friends to videocall, I can do sports for one hour, but I know that this is not the case for most of seniors.
   Try to call them several times a week, they need you now more than ever ! With my mum we introduced my grandparents to a simple game that is very easy to play even from afar : the Dictionary Game (yeah sounds boring I know, have to come up with a better name for that). You just randomly pick 6 words in the dictionary every one or two days, share them with your folks, and everybody write a short text featuring all the words. Easy as ABC ! It will take you 20 minutes a day and keep your grandparents busy and happy ! Plus, it gives them an excuse to have you on the phone everyday or so !
   Bonus, it works for almost every generation ! My parents introduced me to this game when I was in secondary school – I didn’t write high literature texts but I still enjoyed the game and ended up being quite proud of my works (parents are gifted with the ability to make their kids believe they are doing great, right ?). So it can keep the whole family busy !
   So put your grandma and your kids or little bros up to it and may they all become talented writers !

I hope that you’ll find this article useful, take care of yourself and of your loved ones, and stay strong and fresh ! ❤