So here we are, where we all hoped we would never be again – lockdown 2.0. If you have been feeling down, frustrated, perhaps angry or maybe just royally peed off then welcome to the club! A second lockdown is about as appetizing as swallowing a cup of sick. But now that the reality is here, how can we make ourselves feel better and get through lockdown 2. With that said. With that said, today I wanted to share my tips on how to get through lockdown 2 – because goodness knows we all need them (including myself!).
Recognise and release your emotions
Whatever you are feeling right now, rather than trying to sweep it under the carpet and saying “I’m okay”, admit whatever you are feeling by giving it a label. Personally, I’m feeling super frustrated at the fact we had come so far only to go back to square one all over again in what has been such a shambolic lead up to the inevitable.
Find a way to release whatever you are feeling (I promise it will feel so much better). So whether that’s grabbing a piece of paper and writing it all down, shouting into a pillow, ranting at your best friend, drawing how you feel or whatever works for you. Remember, we are all coming at this from empty so it’s totally okay not to feel okay about this. We don’t always have to be British and keep a stiff upper lip during these times!
Have some mental wellbeing tools in your pocket
Life is crap right now – that is without a doubt. But if we let our minds run away with this thought, there can be no end to the ever-decreasing circles we will end up spiraling down. Tools like meditation, positive affirmations, gratitude practices and mindfulness and all great ways of slowing down and taking ownership of your thoughts, and not letting your monkey mind run havoc with the negative narrative it so desperately wants to create during these times.
Give yourself a break
When the world feels like it is imploding and your motivation is on the floor, it can be super hard to be a good parent so give yourself a break! Remember, as lockdown 2 unfolds you are doing the very best you can during a pretty dire set of circumstances. We all have our own problems and struggles to deal with, and lockdown 2 on top of this all is a very heavy burden to carry on what has been an extremely challenging year already.
If you need to feel better as a parent then our free personalised affirmations for mums can really help with these. Simply click on the image below to download.
Avoid toxicity
Everyone is struggling right now, but some do it more vocally than others. If you have friends or family that can be very militant and toxic about the situation, try to minimise exposure to them or tune out when they go off on one during this time, politely saying you’ve got to go when they start getting toxic. Try to stay away from any social media profiles, groups or feeds where people are getting angry about the situation which will only make you feel so much worse about everything.
Get outside
As we march on further and further into Winter, with the weather being increasingly unpredictable it can be easy to think you just want to hunker down inside. But getting outside – and moreover – into nature is so ridiculously important for our state of minds, especially during lockdown 2. With no limit on the amount we can go outside to exercise, it’s time to dodge the torrential downpours and plan ahead using the Met Office by knowing when the decent weather is forecast for and plan to get outside then!
Wrap up on go on a family bike ride, call a friend and go for an early morning weekend walk and sneak away from your mum duties for a while, or stomp through your local woodland in a massive duvet coat after school. Do whatever it takes to make the most of nature’s powerful and instant impact on our mental wellbeing.
Do something silly
Life has become so hideously serious and dull don’t you think? I find at times like this, you have to dig deep and create your own fun. During the first lockdown, we became obsessed with making silly TikTok videos as a family and doing plenty of crazy dancing around the kitchen to lift everyone’s spirits and have a good old giggle. It’s at times like this that we need childlike playfulness more than ever. Have fun and try:
- Raiding your children’s dressing up stash and dressing up in the most ridiculous way you can
- Having a food fight (good thing to do in the garden and let nature take care of the mess afterwards)
- Have a cuddly toy throwing fight
- Have a silly face-pulling competition
- Walk backwards for an hour (or even a whole day)
- Have a tongue twister battle
Plus there are lots more ideas here.
Make a big deal out of small things
November is about so much more than Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day! During lockdown 2 you also have National Kindness Day (13th), Divali (14th), Universal Children’s Day (20th), World Hello Day (21st), Doctor Who Day (23rd), Thanksgiving (26th) to name a few (see full list here). Just think of all the fun and cool stuff you can do around those!
Recreate that neighbourhood vibe again
Remember during the first lockdown when we were all clapping for the NHS out on the streets with our neighbours, feeling like were part of something? We need to create some of that!
Could you organise a neighbourhood doorstep bingo? Or maybe a street window scavenger hunt for the kids? Could you simply organise a time when everyone comes out of their front door to wave at each other? Maybe you could start a letter chain between the neighbourhood kids? Feeling connected and part of a community can really go a long way during these times, and you can be the firestarter to make it happen!
Get some help
It can be super hard to stay motivated during these times. But luckily, there are lots of resources out there to help you feel better about your life and shift your mindset during these less than appealing times. Our Lockdown Power Hour Sessions provide you with a one hour mid-week boost to help you stop proscrastinating and develop positive daily habits during lockdown 2, feel motivated again and develop a growth mindset to end the year on a high no matter what life hands you.
Providing access to a range of brilliant coaches every Wednesday lunchtime during lockdown for only £14.99 for one session, our Lockdown Power Hour Sessions are the perfect way to quickly get out of the funk so many of us are stuck in right now. For more information and booking details click here.
Know that this too shall pass
We’ve been here before, and we know how this goes. Thankfully at least for the time being the schools are open which takes a huge amount of pressure off parents, despite the people up in arms about this (they should try homeschooling for six months while working!). Whether it really does end up being a month, or maybe it gets extended, or even if this doesn’t end up being the last lockdown we’ll experience, we can do this! We’ve done it before, we can do it again, because we know that eventually….whenever it will be….this too shall pass!
Create some short cuts
When you’re feeling overwhelmed with the situation, even the simplest of every day tasks can seem totally arduous. During these times, a subscription of two to do the thinking or planning for you can really go a long way. We recently took out a subscription to the Mindful Chef Recipe Box which comes with all the food and instructions you need to whip up a healthy family meal without the brain ache of planning and shopping for it. I can not tell you what a lifesaver it has been.
Equally, rather than thinking up craft etc activities or your children to do after school or at weekends, you could sign up for a Kiwi & Co box subscription which we absolutely love for fun and educational STEAM & Science activities. Likewise, we wouldn’t be without our National Geographic Kids magazine subscription which always provides much excitement when it lands.
I really hoped the above has helped you if you are feeling overwhelmed or seriously gloomy about this lockdown 2 we now find ourselves in. Remember, we all have to dig deep to make it through this, but with a little shift in mindset, we can make this new phase of quarantine feel better for us and everyone else in our family too.
Do you have any survival strategies for lockdown 2 you would like to add to this list? Do leave a comment and share them below.
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It’s unfortunate that we still need a post like this, but I’m glad you gave us one. These have been such tough times, and with numbers rising again, a lot of us are back to a lockdown of our own making just to stay safe.
I am not looking forward to lockdown 2 AT ALL. However we have to do what is best for us all I guess, hopefully it helps us come down a bit.
Avoidiing toxicity is a great tip. We don’t have much of a lockdown here, never really had one. So I can’t relate to a true lockdown as NH didn’t truly ever lockdown. I hope that others can cope.
It’s really frustrating,but of course, humanity’s safety comes first.
Getting outside, having “wine time” and talking daily with friends helps me so much!
Hopefully, the lockdown will be easier this time, especially with these suggestions. I hope that the lockdown will stop the virus from spreading.
I think what helps me the most is my early morning walks – it gets me out. Then, the next thing is, like you said to repeat “this too shall pass”.
I am glad to see some of the restrictions going away. Life has been tough this year.
Yes remains positive is most important this time. Restrictions are going away. Still COVID is pretty much here.