It’s safe to say that the world is a very weird place to be in right now. The Coronavirus pandemic has confined each and every one of us to our homes with the #StayAtHome message being reiterated left, right and centre in an effort to slow the spread of this deadly disease. We’ve already shared our top 5 tips for working from home (if you haven’t read that blog post, click here!), but if you’re struggling to keep yourself occupied outside of work hours, here’s 5 things that we think will help pass the time..  

1 – Clear out your wardrobe

I don’t know about you, but my wardrobe has got a little bit out of hand (the word ‘neglect’ comes to mind..). We’re all guilty of having that one t-shirt that we’ve owned for about 6 years but “we might wear it again when the weather gets warmer” or an old pair of jeans that have been shoved to the back of the rail and no longer see the light of day. Now that we’ve got all of the time on our hands, it’s time to get ruthless and declutter those drawers! Just remember not to be wasteful; donate them to charity, drop them off at your local clothing bank or pass them on to your nearest and dearest.

2 – Tidy your kitchen cupboards

I hate to break it to you, but it’s time to say goodbye to that tin of kidney beans that expired in 2009. That half-eaten packet of peanuts? See ya later! The dreaded drawer that contains things that “you might need one day”? Tackle it! Do you really need that mini whisk that you got out of a Christmas cracker 3 years ago? No siree. “I don’t have time” isn’t a valid excuse anymore my friends. Tidy kitchen, tidy mind and all that. Your post-lockdown self will thank yourself for it.

3 – Get your bake on

Now that all of your baking ingredients have been organised thanks to your kitchen clear out, it’s time to get baking. We may have seen one too many banana breads floating around on social media since lockdown began, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join in with the baking craze!Even if you can’t get your hands on all of the ingredients, there’s plenty of recipes that you can make without your typical baking essentials; egg-less,flour-less, milk-less, you name it!

4 – Get outside

Exercise is one of the four reasons we’re currently allowed to leave our houses during lockdown, so if you can, make use of your one hour of exercise per day and get outside! Whether it’s walking the dogs, a bike ride in the country or a 5k run, getting yourself moving can make a world of difference to your mind and body. Just remember to follow the guidelines, keep local and most importantly, keep your distance!

5– Binge watch

Days in lockdown aren’t all sunshine and roses. When the current situation gets a bit overwhelming, you can always count on Netflix,Amazon Prime, or in my case, Disney+ to take your mind off of things. Whether it’s a feel-good film, a documentary, or staying up until 2am to binge-watch anew series (we’ve all been there), don’t feel guilty about taking a bit of timeout for yourself. Now, grab your favourite blanket, get the popcorn poppin’ and forget about the world for a couple of hours.