THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU’RE HUNKERING DOWN
Being “out of office” has taken on a whole new meaning now we're officially in lockdown — if you're running out of things to keep yourself occupied, I'm sharing some ideas. Keep reading for a few ways the next few weeks could be the perfect opportunity to do all those things that you never felt “you had the time for” before. Take care of your mind, body and spirit, taking some much needed time off from the go-go-go of life and teaching yourself new skills in the process too.
BE SOMEONE’S HERO
This can mean different things, great and small. If you’re looking to put yourself out there to help the efforts of the wider world or just be an angel in the neighbourhood, then try dropping notes in to neighbours and emailing friends and family if you have your own car to let them know that you can help them get supplies if they are at risk, etc. If you want to help the NHS, then sign up on the Good Samaritan app or online to join their team as a volunteer. The app can connect you with someone who is self-isolating so you can go shopping for them, or you can transport people or equipment to the hospital if you have a car. You can also talk to people at risk of loneliness on the phone. If you’re able to, this is such a lovely thing to get involved with and might just make you feel better too in this climate!
TALK TO EACH OTHER AND PASS DOWN WISDOM
I remember talking to a friend in Kerala who said that the philosophy of Hinduism (he called it a philosophy rather than a religion) was being lost. It isn’t taught in school, all the stories and the great Indian works like the Bhagavad Gita were always orally communicated via grandmas and grandfathers after the evening meal. But families don’t live together in the same way anymore, and if they do, the children slip off to watch TV instead or use their phones. But now that we’re all having to make major changes to our lives, human connection is needed more than ever — why not use this time to really listen to others, whether that’s your live-in partner or your faraway friend via FaceTime? You’ll be amazed what you can learn.
Before my father passed away, he spent a lot of time in hospital where we would visit daily — in that environment where our only focus was on each other, and family support, Dad regaled us with tales of his life that I had never heard before and might not ever have heard if we hadn’t been blessed with this time. If he had not been unwell before he passed, we would have spent any spare time together as a family probably watching TV or doing house chores — all great stuff but not the atmosphere to dig into brilliant memories. A lady that I met on one of my retreats recently was a huge inspiration: on Sundays in her house they had “family time,” where after lunch they would share how their week went and their hopes and dreams for the coming week. It was a safe space where her three boys, now teenagers, could really emote — this might be far from what some families could conceive of doing but taking it as inspiration, see how you can get your family talking more. Board games, as below, might be an idea!
LEARN TO COOK MORE EFFECTIVELY
If you’re not used to cooking two to three times a day like you might be right now, there may be mishaps. It’s really hard to buy just the things you need for a week’s worth of meals, especially when you can’t really find everything you want from the depleted shop shelves. You can be strategic about it, though: before shopping, try to have a plan, but if that goes to pot, take stock of what you did manage to find. Plan meals, privilege shelf-stable foods like grains, pulses, oils and spices, and for your fresh ingredients, go for the ones that last longer: onions, ginger, root veg, apples, oranges.
Check out this blog post for loads of great ideas for how to use up what you have, and see this IGTV video for Ayurvedic tips to reheat your food to support your Agni.
HOST A DINNER PARTY
I’m a cook. I like to eat and I like to feed people. For the foreseeable future, self- isolation means that Nick is my sole dining partner, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be part of a bigger dinner experience! In the spirit of not focusing on what we can’t do or have, I’m taking inspiration from some of the inventiveness that we can see from Italian and Spanish residents who entered lockdown a while back and have made virtual dinner parties with friends and family a thing. So gather some of your friends, send them some East by West menu suggestions and get them to vote on what you’ll all be cooking — albeit with some personalised tweaks depending on the ingredients available!!! Decide on a time for everyone to have their dinner ready, then get everyone onto a Zoom/Google Hangouts/Houseparty/FaceTime video conference and enjoy each other’s company!
Check out the food blog for some ideas — some of the foolproof favourites from East by West that are also adaptable with whatever you have in the house, are Rasta Dal, Kitchari and Zac ‘n’ Cheese.
DECLUTTER
Chances are you’ve already had to reconfigure your home to fit in work-from-home adults and even homeschooling stations for the kids. It could all be feeling a little cramped right now. It looks like things might be this way for the foreseeable future, so how can you make it all flow better? Make a habit of doing a daily declutter to keep on top of the energetic flow of your environment. Remove one item of clothing, piece of kitchen equipment, ornament, soft furnishing or toy every day that you think you’re done with or know you don’t need and designate a corner for that pile of things that have to go, so you can take them out as soon as it’s possible. At the end of the week, check through and then make a list of who might benefit from them (a neighbour, a clothes collection bank, a charity shop — when they reopen!, family or friends). You can also sell your items on Ebay or donate them to charities in your area if your things might be helpful for people during this crisis — you’ll feel lighter, and you’ll have done your piece too.
READ A GOOD BOOK
So much of my reading tends to be research or health books. It’s been a long time since I read fiction and got lost in the tale of characters — part of that is definitely because it’s basically impossible for me to find a book that doesn’t do me in empathetically speaking, or that won’t wind up my Vata because it’s so good I can’t put the damn thing down until I’m well into the early hours! But there are plenty of brilliant books out there that fit the bill and committing to one of them and enjoying their magic again can do wonders for your wellbeing.
My mother-in-law read Wilding recently, a book about a “rewilding” project in West Sussex, that is taking farming back to a more natural model, by Isabella Tree after she heard Isabella on Desert Island Discs, and was fascinated by he story. Interestingly, we had Isabella on my Selfridges podcast this summer for Self Sustainable, talking about the transformation of the Knepp Estate. As soon as I’ve found a work rhythm within all the disruption, I’m diving in to hear the whole story — can’t wait!
Chances are you have a long reading list to get through — now’s the time to make a dent! Pick one off your shelves or turn to an ebook or an audiobook if you need to rest your eyes after all that screen time.
My colleague Iris has sent me the list of recommendations below, but please let me know your favourite novels to get lost in and I’ll share them on Instagram Stories @jasminehemsley!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The seasons series by Ali Smith: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
GET MOVING
The internet is full of great videos — you could start with my YouTube yoga playlist for example. Or research great instructors life Steffy White Yoga, who offers online class bundles. A great thing to come out of this period of self-isolation is that many studios are holding live online classes, which is lovely because you get to feel a sense of community as you move your bum with people around the country, and even the world! Some studios are even holding their classes on Zoom, so if you choose to you can have your camera on and the instructor can give you tips on your posture. Check out Psycle and Another Space for some big names, and make sure to see if your favourite independent and/or local instructors are organising livestream classes of their own. Frame have also launched an online programme with barre, dance, pilates and more. For all you fans of the lovely Joe Wicks, he is holding PE for the kids (and their parents too, why on Earth not?) every weekday at 9 a.m. Subscribe to his YouTube channel to be notified of when he goes live, but the videos all stay on his channel if you miss the livestream.
GET INTO MEDITATION
Never has there been a more apt time for us to all be getting on with this. With the world living in fear of this virus and the economic consequences and with either being shut up tight with too many crazy family members or being totally isolated because you are unwell or live alone, then meditation is what you need. It’s also a way of raising your vibrations and raising others’ without even being near them. It’s a way of lifting consciousness and awareness, so that you’re more present and able to deal with any situation — even the weirdest, most anxiety-inducing ones. Check out my IGTV for sound baths and my weekly #SundaySlow sessions, and plenty of others are holding live meditations too! Try MindBodyGreen and Re:Mind.
BREATHE BETTER
Breathwork is an essential tool in my toolbox — it calms the nervous system and has so many benefits that are especially relevant during this time. There are so many breathwork videos and tutorials out there! See my YouTube channel and hit the Breathwork playlist to see some faves. For some ideas and check out Richie Bostock, aka The Breath Guy, as well as Rebecca Dennis and Art Paulins, for loads of fascinating info on breathwork. I’m currently doing an online course with Anders Olsson.
As the saying goes, “breath is life.” We do it naturally, otherwise we wouldn't be here — but the quality of your breathing directly impacts the quality of your life: fear, stress and anxiety all impact our breathing, so if we can practise a more calming, nourishing breath we can help dissipate the impact of these negative emotions.
KNIT
Sometime before I was 10, a grandma-type figure in my family taught me how to knit a couple of rows. I loved it. I never did it again… until last weekend. Ro — my other half’s mum — came to visit, and so did her knitting. After 40 years, she has taken it up again to teach her granddaughter Daisy, and has also found herself contributing to the Devon County Show attempt to beat a world record by making pennants (the triangle flag things that make bunting — I didn’t know either). I joined her, making two terrible pennants that were a bit holey (not in a spiritual way) but charming nonetheless. I think I’ve found a new hobby — and apparently if I contribute my pennants to the entry and we reach 31,200 by the start of the show on 28th August (hopefully), I get a certificate from Guiness book of records at the end. Childhood dream? Tick! You can also knit outfits for baby koalas and joeys (baby kangaroos, wallabies and koalas, but also a baby animal in general) in Australia, or browse this great list of charities that want your hand-knitted wares. Otherwise, if you fancy getting to know a needle and thread better, then consider darning those socks to give them a longer life and securing loose buttons and all the other little jobs you’ve been outsourcing to your local.
A DRAWING A DAY FOR 100 DAYS
Take a page from author Jennifer Lewis’ book and challenge yourself to complete one drawing every day. You could get her book, draw from what you see in front of you, or find a virtual drawing class. At the end of it, you’ll have an impressive artist’s portfolio!! If this is something you’ve always wanted to learn, what better time than the present? I found this idea through my friend Mandeep @creative_girl_london, who has taken on this challenge a number of times and makes my Instagram world a more colourful place with her drawings!
ROLL THE DICE
Puzzles and board games are Nick’s idea of a bad time — but I’ve noticed that jigsaw puzzles are making a bit of a comeback with some of my friends. Not just the Mr. Men style ones they’re doing with their youngsters but actually all the massive and massively complicated puzzles of weird and wonderful pictures, too. Check out @pieceworkpuzzles for the prettiest coffee tables in town and @puzzlesbynathan for monster jigsaws that will keep adults engaged for days!
In my family, board games only ever come out around Christmas, and usually result in fun, laughter, bickering and a huge amount of competitiveness but definitely connection. My friend Kathryn of @nanasmanners, creates cutlery and fun and educational activities for kids, and these family games are a huge part of her life — even with 3 kids almost a decade apart from each other! And so when she visits we naturally always play a game, from Uno to the ever so silly game Pie Face, kind of like roulette except you get literally… pied in the face with whipped cream!! I’m taking inspo from her and bringing back these old-fashioned games into my life — even if it’s just as a rest from screen time. Luckily Nick does play cards so we’ve got something we can both do on a rainy day (or a sunny day with the windows wide open — whatever works!). If it’s good enough for the supermodels, it’s good enough for me!!!
LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
“I’ve always wanted to speak French!” you’ve been telling your continental friends for years. Well now, I’m sorry to say there are no more excuses! Turn to a fun app like Babbel or Duolingo, which make learning a new language a piece of cake, one bite-size lesson at a time. Génial! If like me you get round to the free example lesson, I’m sure you’ll be hooked immediately at how quickly you could learn…