Now we’re in another lockdown in England, many of you may be feeling that familiar sense of dread that comes with knowing you’re going to be staying at home as much as possible for the next month.
As people writing about Covid-19, day in day out, we know finding joy and positivity can increasingly hard to come by. And that’s why small pleasures are so important.
Ahead of the four-week lockdown, here are the self-care practices, everyday rituals and hobbies that HuffPost UK staffers will be relying on for a little boost throughout the remainder of 2020.
Working through my record collection
Ramzy Alwakeel, head of news: I’ve been collecting records since I was a kid and one of the biggest joys I’ve found during lockdown has been making time to listen to them. I played some on regular repeat before, but others I hadn’t taken off the shelf in years – so I made the deeply uncool decision to go through my entire collection in alphabetical order. It’s already reminded me about some stone cold classics I’d forgotten (The Beloved, Animal Collective) and since I’m still only at Beyoncé, it’s plausible this will all be over before I get to Thom Yorke in 700 records’ time, which is sort of comforting.
Going for winter walks with a hot water bottle
Amy Packham, life editor: One thing that always cheers me up (but I know I won’t want to do as much in winter), is going outside. Some days it’s cold, rainy, dark and gross, but I don’t want to let that put me off. I’ve got a big winter coat, scarf, umbrella – and one extra thing I’ll be bringing is my hot water bottle, tucking it into my jeans to keep warm. I did this for a long two-hour walk the day after lockdown was announced. It was so cosy and made the walk much more enjoyable.
Giving my nails a glam-up
Angela Hui, life reporter: I’ve been doing my own nails for years (I’m self-taught). Since lockdown, I bought myself a UV lamp, gel builder, brushes, polishes – the works basically, because I’m still wary of going to nail salons. Normally, I’m a nail biter and gnaw my nails until dust, especially when I’m stressed, bored or out of habit. But when I’ve got lovely long talons, I bite a lot less and I feel like I’ve got my witchy powers back. To unwind and de-stress, I love to put mindless TV on in the background and focus on making my nails look good. Being away from screens, keeping my hands busy, focusing on the task at hand and also nail ~self care~ has been such a lifesaver to me.
Getting dressed up every weekend
Aasma Day, north of England correspondent: When lockdown happened the first time around, making an effort with how I looked was the last thing on my mind. I dressed in the first thing I grabbed, didn’t bother straightening my hair and make-up was very minimal, if at all. On the rare occasion, I did make a little effort with how I looked – and soon realised what a great boost it gives you. So this lockdown, I’m determined to get dressed up one day every weekend. I’m going to make a real effort, wear something nice and straighten my hair – even if it’s just to sit around watching TV with my husband and children or having a Zoom chat with friends. I’ll even stick on a pair of heels to totter around the house. If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that life is too short for “saving things for best.”
Having honest chats about how I feel
Adam Bloodworth, life and entertainment reporter: In pre-pandemic times, it was easy to robotically answer “fine thanks” when anyone asked how you were. Then the pandemic happened, and no-one was just “fine”. One of the self-care habits I’ve gotten into is exercising both of these things: listening and speaking as truthfully as I can, as best as I can, about how I’m feeling. Telling people I feel a bit rubbish one day, in all honestly, and hearing it from them back, has been revitalising: we’re all in this together and sharing moments of genuine emotional connection more often with more people we value is a really good daily habit to get into.
Reading every day
Chris York, senior reporter: I’ve bought a big pile of novels and I’m making sure I read for at least an hour a day, before bedtime.
Finger-knitting woollies for my little girl
Lauren Gosling-Powell, senior video producer: During the last lockdown I discovered finger-knitting, got a bit cocky, and proceeded to make about five and a half terrible oversized cardigans and hats for my new baby. I bought bundles and bundles of wool online like I was setting up my own business. Now they sit there mocking me in the corner of the room, and my little girl goes off to nursery dressed like 1990s Puff Daddy. But hey, I don’t care. Finger-knitting is relaxing and I love it, plus we have plenty of excellent photo album fodder to get out and embarrass her with in 20 years.
Focusing on the small wins
Becky Barnes, audience editor: I know it sounds very much back to basics, but I’ll be trying to do small things that give me a sense of accomplishment, like making my bed, opening my curtains and having a shower. Most importantly, I’m going to make sure I go outside every single day. Going into the second lockdown, there’ll be less daylight than last time and I’ll be pushing myself to get fresh air, sunlight and exercise whatever the weather. My top tip for any time of adversity is to be kind to yourself and treat yourself like you would a best friend, so I’ll be trying to put that into practice.
Changing my desk setup
Rachel Moss, life reporter: I’ve changed my desk (and my view) for lockdown 2.0 in a bid to re-energise myself when working from home. Instead of sitting at my dining room table in the darkest corner of my flat, I’ve bought a small folding desk and placed it by the patio doors to my shared garden. It means I’ll get a blast of mood-boosting sunlight each day and I’m already enjoying waving to neighbours who pass by. I plan to keep the bird box outside topped up with seeds and will be adding fresh flowers to my weekly shop. Everything feels brighter when you’re closer to nature.
Dancing in my living room
Brogan Driscoll, life and commercial editor: I used to dance because I wanted to, now I dance because I need to. BC (Before Covid) I’d dance at parties, in friends’ kitchens, in muddy fields at festivals – now our tiny living room is the dance floor. It’s also where we work and eat. Dancing has been my saviour throughout lockdown. If either me or my boyfriend is feeling down or stressed, we crank up the music and dance around like idiots for a while. The more we throw ourselves into it, the greater the relief – and it never fails to make us laugh. 9am or 9pm, it doesn’t matter. I just wonder what the neighbours must think – maybe I’ll invite them over once this is all over.
Crocheting a blanket
Sarah Turnnidge, news reporter: Throughout the pandemic I’ve been teaching myself to crochet, and a couple of months ago I started on a massive blanket that I knew would take me months to finish. I’m not even halfway through, but when I’ve been reading bad news all day it’s so nice to sit down in front of Netflix (this project has already seen me through all of New Girl and half of Gilmore Girls) or put a podcast on and keep busy without the impulse to scroll through Twitter.
Chewing the fat with my mum
Natasha Hinde, life reporter: I speak to my mum every other day now – it’s a wonder we find anything new to talk about! But what I do find is after we’ve had a chat, I always feel much better. Whether she’s telling me about her vine weevil infestation (yeah, I had to Google it, too) or we’re reminiscing about the time I did laughter yoga for work and got roped into doing a cat impression on Zoom in front of total strangers, there’s always something to chat (and laugh) about. Writing about the pandemic whilst living through it is draining, but I forget all of that when I’m chewing the fat and putting the world to rights with my mum.