10 Tips For Keeping Busy During Isolation

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Struggling to keep your days full during isolation?  Fear not, here are 10 tips from An Post Insurance to help you and your loved ones stay sane while you stay safe.

Keep a routine

Working from home? Haven’t we all dreamed of rolling out of bed last minute and working in our PJ’s? However tempting it may be, you should get up early and follow your normal routines to get you in the right frame of mind for a productive working day.

Not working? It’s very tempting to take that lie in and think to yourself “sure I’ve weeks of this to go, what have I to get up for?” It’s best to keep a routine, get up and get moving to keep motivated and help keep the anxiety at bay.

Learn a new skill

How many times have we said, I wish I had time to learn this or that?  Well now’s the time! You could learn that instrument you’ve always wanted to learn, or how about knit one, purl one like your Granny tried to teach you. Doesn’t everyone want that personally knitted scarf, jumper or teddy bear from thine fair hands.  Whatever skill you’ve always wanted to learn, now’s the time to do a bit of googling and find the right instructor for you. Developgoodhabits have a few ideas to get you started.

Keep in touch – Virtually

We are all missing our friends, family and work colleagues during this time, whether you are isolating alone or with family or housemates, it’s very important to keep in touch with those you are missing.  There are lots of different options out there to call people safely.  Missing your social interaction at the weekends?  Why not arrange a virtual call with your friends while you enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of your favourite tipple? For small groups with up to 4 devices, WhatsApp offer a video calling option.  Perhaps you would prefer Facebook Messenger or Skype instead.  To help ease the loneliness or keep in touch with those you miss the most, there’s lots of different options.

Ease anxiety with meditation

Some people may be finding the isolation quite difficult, perhaps even causing some anxiety.  It’s important to realise you are not alone.  Learning some easy mindfulness techniques through meditation or yoga can ease those anxious feelings.  One popular app is Calm. Winning the Apple App of the Year in 2017, amongst other awards, it includes over 100 guided meditations, soothing sleep stories to help you nod off peacefully, calming nature sounds to help you unwind. A subscription fee applies but Calm offer a 7-day free trial so you can try it out before you decide if it’s right for you. Bing have some nice free Yoga classes which could also help ease anxiety and build up fitness. Double win!

Stay fit with virtual classes

If fitness classes float your boat, lots of gyms are now offering online classes to members. If you’re not a gym member but would like to build up your fitness, there are lots of different types of free fitness classes online. Some gyms are offering free trials so you can see if it’s for you like Westwood are offering a 4 day free trial on all their virtual classes.

If you have a treadmill or exercise bike that’s just being used as a clothes hanger at the moment or sitting gathering dust in a garage, why not dust it off and pretend you’re out in the country side with this virtual scenery video.

A simple google of free online fitness classes should find the right class for you.

Dance like nobody’s watching

Just because you are housebound doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little hop, skip and jump in the comfort of your own home.  Lots of free videos can be found on YouTube and dancing apps available on our mobile devices like Just Dance Now, Salsa Rhythm, Hip Hop Dance or if you fancy something a little different, why not try Belly Dancing Fitness.  Whatever your tap toeing preference there should be something for everyone.

Get out the board games

It’s not just the kids that enjoy a good ol’ board game.  Time to dust off the cobwebs from the Christmas competitions and get playing.  Home alone? No problem why not find a friend with the same game and give them a call on your new preferred virtual platform.

Bring out the kid in you

Finished a day’s work and fancy doing something relaxing?  Or just don’t fancy the TV again?  Why not try a bit of adult colouring in. If you have printing facilities at home justcolour.net offer hundreds of elaborate pictures free for your colouring pleasure.

No printer and fancy supporting Irish, you can order an adult colouring book from www.books.ie.

Jigsaws for adults can be made online or if you prefer the real thing, Easons have a great selection you can order online.

Get some fresh air

Getting some fresh air is key for wellbeing so why not take a break with a nice brisk walk or run within the 2km restriction.

Home DIY

So many DIYers are flat out fixing up the house and the garden.  What a great way to wind down after work or keep yourself busy if you’re not working.  Some local hardware stores are now delivering paint and the like to help keep us busy. Why not check out your locality to see if this an option for you if you don’t have what you need to get your house or garden in tip top shape so we can make the most of our time in isolation.

We hope these tips can help to you and yours stay occupied during these uncertain times. Since you are spending more time at home, now is a better time than ever to invest in home insurance. Get a home insurance quote from An Post Insurance now. An Post Insurance Home Insurance is arranged and administered by An Post Insurance and is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC.

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