50 THINGS TO DO IN LOCKDOWN TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND KEEP BUSY FOR UNDER £20

Hi everyone!

During the difficult times that we are all experiencing, we can find ourselves getting bored and stuck in a rut. I definitely have found this to be the case so I have put together a list of relatively cheap and accessible activities that would help me to keep on track. 

I think there is something for everyone on this list, particularly families. Nothing too strenuous either as it’s important to relax in the midst of an anxious filled era.

Put aside your work and household chores because I’m sure that we are all well aware of the responsibilities we hold. It can be hard to separate work from home but we need to make sure we still do this to improve the quality of our work and most importantly our mental health.

Also, feel free to alter this list as you wish - they are just suggestions and you may be able to create a better one! Continue to stay safe and responsible while doing so because by taking care of everyone around us the closer we are to getting some sort of normality back.

A tip to remember is to sanitise your hands before and after sending or receiving a delivery or travelling somewhere!

AND if you are currently enrolled in school or university, check unidays for discount codes for items.

FOR FREE

1. Dress up in your favourite outfit and have a photo shoot. Many of us may be letting our hygiene slip a bit in this lockdown so have a long shower and make yourself feel fancy.

2. Take a walk or a drive to a new (but near) location everyday or every week. It’s healthy to spend some time outside, even if it’s just walking your pets and you can even offer to walk other pets for people who are shielding! Remember to take a mask and sanitiser.

3. Subscribe to @Poetry_Daily on Twitter to learn about a new poet or read a new poem. Maybe have a go at writing your own about your experience in lockdown.

4. Start your own blog, even if it is just for yourself. blogger.com is a great, free website where you can start channeling your inner journalist.

5. Video chat a friend or family member in order to connect with people you can’t communicate with face to face. Tell them a new fact or share this list with them, keep it interesting!

6. At the end of every week, set yourself a challenge and see what dish you can make with whatever ingredients are left in your cupboard and fridge.

7. Split your family into 2 teams and look up quiz questions online. The losing team has to clean the dishes or cook the dinner the next day.

8. Treat yourself to breakfast in bed at least once a week and have a lie in, everyone deserves this time to come round to the day in a slow and relaxed manner.

9. Practice new yoga moves to de-stress and calm yourself down in hard times.

10. Join an online book club or start your own, bookeclub.com allows you to do both. This is a great way to make new friends who have the same reading passion as you and keep your mind activated on boring days.

11. Declutter your room and wardrobe and sell some unwanted things online to make some extra money. You can use Depop or Shpock.

12. Mix up your daily meal routine and have an indoor picnic, all you need is a blanket on the floor and your food.

13. Try and have a go at learning Calligraphy. You don’t need to buy any equipment, you can just watch a tutorial on YouTube and give it a try with any biro pen.

14. Play some online word games such as word searches and sudoku, this provides you with a goal to achieve and a skill to master.

15. This may sound silly but rearrange your room if you can. Organisation can often be therapeutic and a new layout or perspective could push your productivity levels up!

16. Dig out the board games that you haven’t played in years and spend some quality time with your family. Yes, you are all in lockdown together but many families are simply existing in the same house until it is over. 

17. Start learning a new language to try and further your list of skills to add to your CV. Duolingo is a great free app that you can download to start practicing the basics of many languages now!

18. A really beneficial thing to do would be to volunteer for Age UK or a another charity, as they are looking for telephone volunteers to talk to lonely people who are shielding!

19. Take 5 minutes at the end of everyday to do some self reflection and give yourself a new goal for the next day. Be realistic with what you want to achieve and don’t push yourself too much.

20. Take a free online course and gain new knowledge. This can be in any subject that you want, maybe something that you never got the opportunity to learn in school.

21. Have a look at the podcasts available on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Music. Overstimulation can often occur when you are having too much screen time so instead of watching a show, listen to one!

22. Video chat your friends and create a competition were you draw each others portraits and guess who has drawn who.

23. Wake up and see the sunrise and get your day going earlier than normal.

24. Just take a day to relax, sometimes you just need to sit on the couch and watch some movies because being productive is hard. Make sure you get up though even if it is just moving to the couch, keep your bed for sleep.

25. Set a challenge for yourself and take a break from social media and complete this list.

FOR UNDER £20

1. Escape from the Grand Hotel game from Menkind for £12. Despite not being able to visit a real escape room, you can create your own with challenges, puzzles and brain teasers.

2. Buy a scrapbooking start kit to channel your feelings and have your own safe creative space. An Etsy seller includes everything you need for £17.50-£19 depending on the size of the scrapbook you choose!

3. Involve yourself in some gardening if you are lucky enough to have a garden but this can even be done on a windowsill! A not on the high street seller offers a grow your own kitchen garden for only £16.50.

4. Get back to the art of writing letters which will only cost you 76p for a First Class stamp. This can be a therapeutic and fun way to communicate and definitely gives you the opportunity to brighten someone else’s day.

5. Try something new with a Candlemaking Craft Kit from prezzybox.com for £14.99. Another skill to add to your life which includes a nice smelling decoration for your house as well.

6. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath or shower with luxury items from Lush that you wouldn’t usually splash out on for a regular day. My favourite bath bomb is ‘Intergalactic.’

7. Invest in a fidget cube for the times when you feel anxious for £9.99 on the current sale. We are currently living in an unpredictable society and this could be really beneficial for calming purposes.

8. Adult colouring book and pen bundle for £10 from The Works. This proves as an easy way to unwind and practice mindfulness, unleash your inner child and don’t colour between the lines if you don’t want to.

9. Go to the supermarket and collect the ingredients for your favourite family meal and enjoy cooking it all together or spend some quality time with yourself without people getting in the way of the stove!

10. Make your own rainbow from yarn, cotton and wire for £15.99 on Etsy and show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and frontline workers! Decorate it for your room or doorstop deliver it to someone to give them a smile.

11. Learning how to play an instrument can be expensive..but not with Gear4music.com You can buy a Ukulele for £19.99 and use online websites to learn the chords!

12. Practice your hand-eye coordination and have a Quoits competition with your family. This can be a fun game to join in with in your garden or a clear space in your house, don’t knock anything over!

13. Choose a different country and enjoy a night filled with their culture and cuisine. Learn some of the language and traditions to enrich your life.

14. House of Crafts Soap starter kit from John Lewis for £12.49. A calming activity for you to enjoy at the end of the day or gift on to a family member or friend.

15. Although made for children, go ahead and relive your childhood! Buy a £12 set to make your den dreams come true.

16. Take lockdown to care and nurture for a more unique plant. Grow your own Bonsai tree with the help of Urban Outfitters for £15.

17. Try and learn how to do nail art with a starter kit from eBay for £19.99, you’ll have your friends asking for your help soon enough.

18. Have a go at painting your own picture with a canvas and acrylic bundle from The Works for £20. Maybe you could be the next Picasso.

19. Take a personal trip to the bowling alley and build your own lane at home! £14.99 from prezzybox.com giving us another perfect gift.

20. Host your own movie night with the help of Menkind’s smartphone projector for £16. Stock up your living room with your favourite treats and watch the best cinematic creations on the ‘big screen.’

21. Make your own greeting cards for all occasions, a handmade card will always brighten someone’s day! Cheap craft supplies can be bought online and you could even make them to raise money for charity.

22. Try eating Vegetarian or Vegan for a few meals, my favourite supermarket to buy vegan food for a good price is Tesco. Remember it’s always better with a club card! Some examples of Vegan items from Tesco are; Kirsty's Free From Margherita Pizza, Fray Bentos Vegan Steak and Kidney Bean, Kettle Crisps Vegan Cheese and Red Onion and Just Love Food Vegan Chocolate Cake.

23. Does your dad usually like a few rounds on the golf course? Give him a run for his money with living room crazy golf for £19.99 from happy puzzle.co.uk

24. Test your remembrance and history skills for a short 10 minutes every night. John Lewis offers a BrainBox inventions game for £13 to see who invented everyday items.  

25. After dinner entertainment just got to a whole new level with this 3 in 1 tabletop games table for only £19.99 from Smyths Toys!