It seems obvious but if you can, get outside for a bit. Fresh air and a bit of gardening, even if it’s only a few pots or mowing the lawn will soon have you feeling a bit more human. If you have room, consider planting some new things, vegetables can be very rewarding and you can plant anywhere. Window boxes are great but don’t limit yourself, dustbins are good for carrots and potatoes, a recycling box can be used for flowers or vegetables and we always grew tomatoes in hanging baskets when the kids were small, (although these will need a bit more warmth than we have just now). Any tub that you find can be used. Growing plants is easy, the kids can join in and the end result is lovely. Seeds can be bought online and compost is readily available at most supermarkets when you go on your next shopping trip.
We all get our allotted daily exercise, so make the most of it. Walk from your home, take your headphones and spend time on your own. A brisk walk around the park or your streets will do you the world of good, and the best thing is you don’t have to talk to anyone or answer any of those annoying questions. If you have a bike in the shed, then take it out for a ride. I’ve resisted taking my son’s bike out so far, because we live in the bottom of a valley, but I may have to give it a go before long. Keep up the Social Distancing and all will be fine.
Keep your spirits up! If you still have a well stocked booze cupboard, have a glass of wine with dinner. Everything is better with wine, or whatever you have stuffed at the back of the cupboard! If it’s something you really don’t fancy then consider using it in the cooking 😊 see below. Combine this with exercise like dancing round the kitchen and you will soon find yourself laughing and feeling better. Turn it up to 11 and boogie.
Cooking is a great stress buster. If you fancy emulating your favourite TV Chef now is definitely the time to give it a go. Assemble your instructions and your ingredients and go for it. I like BBC Good Food for online recipes but you can Google whatever you like and someone somewhere will have shared a recipe. If it’s an American recipe that uses cups, just pick a cup from the cupboard and use that. Remembering that cups are level and not heaped. If you have flour in the cupboard, you can make bread, if you have no yeast try a sourdough loaf. You can take out all that angst on the dough, and boy does it feel good. That leftover bottle of odd spirits that has been hanging around since Christmas can now come into its own. Even if you have never made a fruit cake in your life, you can weigh out some dried fruit, pour on a good slosh of the alcohol and cover it for a few days. Make your fruit cake according to your recipe and when cooled, enjoy a boozy fruit cake that will make you smile.
Rediscover your old hobbies or create new ones! I love sewing, so I have always got plenty going on. Currently I’m hemming sheets for Plymouth Neo Natal Unit from some old kids duvet covers. It’s the easiest way I know to feel great. I enjoy the sewing and I love the thought of the premature babies having the most cheerful sheets I can make. If anyone is interested you can find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Plymouth-NICU-Developmental-Care-107942944133128/ . Doing something nice for others is always a fab way to feel good. My eldest has dug out a crochet kit and is giving that a go, I’m happy with this as last week she was screen printing on the kitchen floor! If you don’t have any craft materials to use, get out the printer paper and have a go at Origami!
Hope this helps, if all of these tips fail, retire to the bathroom and have a long uninterrupted soak in the bath. Affix sign to the door: Mum is in a Meeting. Do Not Disturb!
