W
L
FITNESS
WHAT HAS LOCKDOWN MEANT TO YOU?
By Alison Quinn
Hi everyone, I do hope you are keeping safe and well during
lockdown? What has it meant for you? Are you working at
home or are you furloughed? Are you one of our very special
workers who are keeping the country running, to name a few,
bus drivers, shop workers, cleaning services, delivery drivers?
Or you may be one of our front line services, NHS, Social
Services, Teachers again to name just a few. We appreciate
all our friends and family who are doing their bit to keep
everything running as smoothly as possible, even when that
just means staying home and staying safe.
For me, I am very blessed, as I’m typing this I’m sat in the sunshine
in the garden with one of my dogs, my mum has confiscated the
other one so she can get her hours exercise in each day with my
dad on a lovely walk. Though I can't do the physical side of my
business during lockdown which is normally nail, beauty and
wellness treatments, I am able to concentrate on the online side
of my business which is keeping me sane and out of trouble with
vital income coming in. It has been so interesting to hear what my
friends at home have been getting up to to pass the time during
lockdown, these are just an example of the best ones I’ve heard,
maybe drop me an email and let me know what you have been
doing differently than in your normal life or routine, I’d love to
know of anything a bit different or quirky or something you feel
you have achieved.
New home based business ideas - one lovely friend had started
a bespoke, handmade chocolate gift business up, how fabulous,
I’ve been lucky to be involved in the taste testing and oh my word
what a treat they are! Another friend has moved her whole yoga
business online so we can still take part in beautiful yoga practice
5 times a week, safely and comfortably in our own homes, even
better it enables the whole family to join in together, or mum or
dad can have their hour out to focus on themselves self too. Even
more amazingly, two friends have collaborated their expertise
to reach out to people who are wanting to start their own
businesses and are finding the time to plan and research their
ideas during lockdown, and they are helping them implement the
right strategies to enable them to launch those new businesses
successfully. I myself am helping friends get started in the online
businesses that I find work for me. It's so good that so many
positives are coming out of such a troubling time and that there
are ways we can generate an income from home. I think lots of
people will actually be looking at what they do for work and
re-evaluating what they might like to change in their work/life
balance.
The funny, quirky and a bit different ideas - I have spoken to so
many people who have taken up an new or different pass time,
something to do or as a way to de-stress after a tough day, these
include...
•
•
•
•
Doing jigsaws, so many people did them during their
childhood but forget about them now they are older, they
are brilliant for calming your mind by focussing on the
attention to detail and having to problem solve to complete
the jigsaw, its a great little work out for your brain too.
Colouring in, again this is something that we sometimes
leave in childhood, unless your job is arty in some way, but
there are so many fun ways to take it up as a hobby again,
there are so many adult colouring in books, one friend is
doing paint by numbers, what a fabulous way to get really
engrossed in a project and have something beautiful that
you have created yourself!
Knitting, crochet, cross stitch. Needle work has made a
massive comeback over the last few years with so many
people making and sometimes selling beautiful things they
have knitted. I have also heard lots of people knitting or
crocheting items for premature babies in ICU, either little
hats, or sensory toys for them to have in their incubators,
how fulfilling to know something you have made with love,
with your own hands is being used in such an important
way.
Now for the less sedate hobbies, how about rollerblading!!
One friend has dug her old skates out for her daughter and
they are having their exercise on wheels each day, what a
great way for them to get fit. I’ve seen on social media lots of
people taking part in the ‘couch to 5k’ challenge, following
the app to increase their walking then running stamina over
a period of week, what a great achievement for them when
they finish the programme!
No matter how you are spending lockdown be sure to keep an
eye on your own physical and mental wellness and that of those
around you too, pick up the phone, drop someone a text, keep
in touch with your friends and family, we have had so many fun
video calls over the last 6 weeks. We are not to forget that we can
make wonderful memories out of even the most trying of times.
wirrallife.com 71