Guest Blog Post - Amy Whittle, Founder of One 48 Paper
/The positive guide to self – isolation.
Wow, what a crazy time we’re living through right now, all seems pretty surreal doesn’t it?
Hi, I’m Amy, a designer from Lancashire, and owner of One48 Paper, an online shop selling cards, prints, stationery and gifts.
With business pretty slow at the moment for a lot of us, and the sudden reality check of having to self-isolate, I thought I’d try and help you figure out ways you can stay positive and keep your anxiety down, whilst staying safe and well at this scary time.
A quick thing to also note is that as I write this I am currently 5 months pregnant with my first child, so I am slightly freaking out about that too, but that makes my fight to stay positive that much stronger... with that said let’s crack on!
Routine
It’s a really good idea to try and keep some normality to your day, even though you’re at home. Now I do have to admit that it’s not unusual for me to answer the door to the postie at like 2pm still in my PJ’s or comfies, as I do work from home all the time. But I am trying my best to get up each day and get showered and dressed at a normal time.
Doing this is even more important if you usually go out to work and you have kids at school. You could try putting together a daily schedule or you may prefer a more relaxed approach, but having some structure to your day will help you to keep busy and not mope around in your dressing gown... even though the odd day doing that will definitely be needed.
Staying Healthy
The urge to sit on the sofa and binge watch Netflix whilst eating your way through 40 Easter eggs will definitely be strong, especially if that’s all that’s left on the supermarket shelves, but we must try to stay healthy and active whilst isolating.
The government are actively encouraging us to still go out for walks, as long as we keep to a safe distance from other people. I was pleasantly surprised over the last couple of days at how easy this was to actually do, as very few people seem to be out walking.
Another great way to get out is to jump in your car and head to your local playing field, where you can take the kids and dog to have a run around, just be careful to keep yourselves separate from other families trying to do the same!
I’m also a big believer in meal prepping and this has definitely been the kick in the bum I’ve needed to get myself back on track with it. With tins and dried food in short supply at the moment, as everyone stockpiles, why not try buying a load of fresh meat and veg to bulk cook your meals. This way you can try using up everything you have in your cupboards too!
Create your own space
If you’re having to work from home with your other half then may I suggest you try creating designated spaces you can both go to. This can be to work, or just for some down time.
Having this quiet space will allow you to recharge your own batteries and get that much needed break from all the craziness that may be going on in your house.
Also encourage a quiet time for the whole family, especially if you have kids, this can be a great time to take a nap, read a book, have a bath or just sit down and watch a film together – the less talking the better!
Skills, hobbies and activities.
A lot of you may be having to home school over this time, which I’m sure if you’re not academically inclined can feel pretty daunting! Hopefully schools and colleges will be setting some work for the kids to be getting on with but it could be a really great time to get them to learn a new skill or start a new hobby!
Cooking is a great one to start with, as it’s something you’ll be doing anyway, so why not get the kids involved too. They’ll appreciate what’s being made a lot more if they’ve helped make it, which can be a real lifesaver if you’re having to cook things you wouldn’t normally, due to the short supplies at the moment.
Other great little hobbies and skills to do around the house could be:
Puzzles
Sewing / knitting
Crafts of any kind
Music (singing/instrument)
Gardening
EVEN cleaning, if you can convince them!
Positivity
Adopting a positive mindset over this time is really going to be key. I can imagine that those who are more extravert are going to be the ones who suffer most with self isolating, which is going to be hard, as they may not have experienced anxiety before.
For me I’ve been through the mill with my mental health over recent years and thankfully understand how I deal with it best. Some suggestions on how to do this are:
Learn to be mindful and practice mindfulness, this can be done in many forms but some that I find work well are meditation and eating at the table, instead of in front of the TV.
Write down a few things you’re grateful for that day, it’ll help shift your mindset and focus on the positive from each day.
Stay informed with what’s going on, but concentrate on facts, as a lot of stuff you see on social media are people’s opinions, which can sometimes just add to the noise.
Seek out positive news stories – we can be so overwhelmed by all the negative impacts this virus is having, but there’s also some really good things coming from this too, the drastic reduction in air and water pollution being one!
How can you help?
This unprecedented time is definitely bringing out the best and worst in people, but I urge you to think up of a few ways you can help and make a positive impact on your community. Whether that’s locally or online if you are unable to leave the house.
These could include:
Taking food to a local food bank or dropping some off for a neighbour
Phoning more vulnerable relatives and friends who can’t get out
Creating positive content online
Just buying what you need
Doing all you can to stay healthy and well, so that we can be less of a drain on the NHS
Supporting small businesses in any way you can
Something fun
I want to end on something a little bit more light-hearted as that’s going to be a welcome relief for us all over this time.
Since we all as a nation seem to have bought shares in loo roll lately, let’s try and make it a little bit of a joke to see how many uses we can find for empty rolls around our house. Get the kids involved as I’m sure they’d make fabulous monsters, spaceships, pen holders and maybe even castles (you may need a few for this one).
Also one for the adults, I saw Mrs Hinch using them to make her curtain pleats even and neat. Which I thought was just genius so I’m not ashamed to say that I have already done this to a few of mine in my house!
The possibilities are endless...
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So with that being said, I really hope this has helped you to figure out a few ways you can make a more positive space for you and your family through COVID-19.
Stay safe, sensible and well.
Oh and try coming up with a different song other than Happy Birthday to sing whilst you’re washing your hands if you want any hope of staying sane throughout all of this!
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