TURN THAT SELF-ISOLATION INTO A JOLLY STAYCATION
Holidays cancelled, Easter family gatherings postponed, no festivals or picnics in the park. Thank goodness it’s at least warm in many parts of the world and we can venture outdoors once a day for exercise, keeping our distance from others and playing by the self-isolation rules while enjoying the sunny weather. The one thing about spring and summer time is that you can spend less and still have fun — whereas in winter you want to ensure that you’re warm and dry, which means you have to pay for indoor activities. In these warmer days, even lying on the grass staring at the sky is a novelty for many of us and one we could all do a lot more of. Here are some ideas for turning self-isolation into a staycation — a term that came to prominence during the 2008 recession when people couldn’t afford to go on holiday, so they got creative and turned their homes and hometowns into something just as exciting, an idea we can all get on board with. There are also some wonderful benefits to staying put, including helping the environment by not flying or using transport. Why not spend a week working on a project that you can see through to the end? It’s a brilliant way of creating habits for yourself that can last a lifetime, and give yourself a change of scenery without having to go very far at all.
TURN YOUR HOME/SPACE INTO A VISION BOARD OF YOUR LIFE
You’ve probably heard of vision boards: those cork boards where people pin images and words that inspire them, so they can visualise their dream state of being. But why limit yourself to a 2 by 3 board when you could play around with your entire house? Everything you have in your house, from decor to the depths of your drawers, can be used to express yourself and attract the things you want. Vision boards come back to the law of attraction, so have a think about the things that matter to you: which values do you hold dear? What goals do you have for your personal and professional life? Then fill your house with objects that relate to all of this: if you want to address the stress you’ve been feeling, get some lavender essential oil; if you have dreams of becoming a famous photographer, have your favourite photography coffee table books on display, etc. etc. And if you’re looking for a smaller scale project, you could always turn to a more traditional mood board like this one from Charlie Collins (more on Charlie below).
CLEANSE + RESET YOUR MIND-BODY
Whether you’ve never done the East by West Cleanse + Reset or you’re a seasoned pro, self-isolation is the perfect occasion to give your mind and body that time out to restore and relax. With all the worry and frustration this period has brought, taking three days to honour your health can be invaluable, and the simple recipes take the pressure off all that extra cooking you've been doing now that cafes, eateries and restos are no longer open.
CREATE A MOVEMENT ROUTINE
Now that we’re no longer en route to the office, to drop off the kids, to browse the shops at lunch or to hit the gym after work, we’re simply moving a lot less. If you’re taking time off for the “Easter break” or simply have a weekend free, why not spend some time researching a new fitness programme for yourself — one that will suit you AND keep you entertained? Whether you’re into yoga retreats or bootcamp is more your style, try designing yourself a few days of intensive moving your body. Pick a class from YouTube or IGTV to do every morning and every afternoon, and see how you feel at the end of it. Invest in a tutorial with Tony Riddle AKA “The Natural Lifestylist,” and rework your body from the bottom up — or foot up to be precise. Try the running tutorial (a barefoot experience!) or sign up for the 6-week rewild your squat programme. For the first time ever Frame has taken its class experience online so you can enjoy the perks of their signature classes, including ‘80s aerobics and Total Body classes, which you might not have been able to enjoy before if you don’t live in London. Richie Bostock aka “The Breath Guy” is hosting breathwork classes on his Instagram — there’s something for whatever you fancy!
SPRING CLEAN
OK, granted this won’t be everybody's idea of a “holiday,” but a good sort-out and thorough clean tickles some people pink. For those who can’t get on board with it, remember that nobody ever regretted cleaning, ever. Sell or donate anything you don’t need anymore, clean everything (hopefully you’ve been disinfecting loads this whole time anyway!) and consider rearranging your furniture and decor according to the rules of Vastu, Ayurveda’s answer to Feng Shui. Take inspo from Apartment Therapy — they do a weeklong declutter and clean every January, which you can take advantage of at any time for a wonderful refresh — and what better time of year to spring clean than… spring!
RECREATE YOUR WARDROBE
One of the great choices we have during this lockdown is wearing whatever we feel like every morning, whether that’s your favourite power suit or some cosy loungewear. It’s also a great time to declutter your wardrobe, making it a “vision board” (as above) of what you want to feel and project in your life. I love Charlie Collins at Creative Wardrobe’s approach: she’s a consultant who will help you figure out which of your clothes “have the potential to start conversations and bring new opportunities into your life” and which are ready to find a new home. She’ll bring the joy back to your wardrobe, which is something we all need right now. Subscribe to her mailing list, follow her on Instagram or maybe even consider booking a session with her! I’m also loving Love Not Landfill’s amazing Instagram campaign #BigTryOn, where they’re encouraging people to revisit their unworn clothes and try them all on both as a fun lockdown activity and as a way to promote extending the life of our clothes for a more sustainable approach. Check it out on Instagram — who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to do your own!
CHANGE YOUR MIND
Dr. Joe Dispenza is such an inspiring lecturer, researcher, corporate consultant, author, and educator. He specialises in helping anyone reframe their mindset to understand what they’re truly capable of, and how they’ve been holding themselves back in life. Why not try one of his workshops or even graduate to his weeklong advanced retreat??
LEARN A NEW SKILL
Try Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning or even YouTube to learn different skills through teachers and professionals from creative writing to starting a business. If the world is getting more digital and while you’ve been working from home you’ve been daydreaming about being your own boss/setting up your own company (something along these lines Iris) then maybe you can learn SEO on these sites, or web design, or the principles of branding. Or if you’re just looking for a lovely pastime (which could also become a career if that’s what you want!), try watercolours, or photography, or illustration. It’s incredible how much there is out there to learn!
GET GARDENING
Yet another life skill deemed unnecessary in my school time, which is such a shame. I’m glad to see more practical life skills such as cooking, sewing, woodwork, gardening, farming, etc. making a comeback within some children’s environments as we realise the importance of a more well-rounded education. More and more Montessori schools are popping up everywhere, giving our little ones a more holistic education, as well as many more alternative schools. I love the GROW initiative by George Lamb at Totteridge College for example, a sustainable farming project. If you’ve got some garden space, consider making it more bee-friendly and bird-friendly. And if you have a decent space, consider growing easy veggies — among the easiest ones to grow that give you good returns are lettuce, peas and carrots. There are also some super inspirational IG vids going around showing how you can regrow veggies from scraps (stalks and roots), simply by placing them in a dish of water!
Another one for if you haven’t got a garden is to grow herbs, which will still give you a lot of love back — dedicate your sunny window spots to parsley, mint, basil, sage, coriander, thyme and chives. The bigger the pots you grow them in, the more you can use them in your cooking rather than just as garnishes. If you find that you use way more leafy herbs such as mint and parsley than you can grow in a small space, then I recommend sage, thyme and chives since you get a lot from a little, and can enjoy them all year round. Bringing plants and living things into your home is great for your mental and physical health — we as humans need contact with nature, it’s called biophilia. Plus the act of being responsible for creating new life by planting and caring for plants is a wonderful feeling.
