Things I’m Doing In Lockdown
What strange days these are.
Life as we know it is on pause but it goes on, still. The last few weeks have been some of the strangest of most of our lifetimes (I would hope). As a yoga teacher, I’m not easily able to “work from home” during these times and my structure and routine has been pulled out from under me. I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been doing to fill these days and to keep my mind off of current circumstances. Yes there have been moments of anxiety and wasted hours, now maybe isn’t a time to thrive but to do what we can and try to find small pieces of joy in each day, despite circumstances.
This isn’t a prescriptive list of at all what I think you *should* be doing. I have certainly not spent everyday in a productive way and I know that some of you are just as busy, if not more so with work. Hopefully it gives some inspiration for what to do in those hours you’d usually be commuting or…going out?!
Sleep
As a yoga teacher, my job is to promote well-being but I think most teachers would agree that it’s sometimes at the expense of your own healthy habits. Before lockdown I was working six days a week, often teaching a 7am and an 8pm class in the same day and was feeling….pretty tired! Getting 8-9 hours of quality sleep each night is so important for our mood and immunity. If you’re struggling to sleep in these anxious times (I have very much been there), these tips help me…
Three Tips For Better Sleep
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day – it’s tempting to stay up late and sleep in, especially if your work timetable has been drastically altered but long term a routine is best.
- Keep laptops, phones and any sort of screen out of the bedroom.
- Take a long relaxing bath before bed and make the bedroom just that little bit cooler, if baths aren’t your thing then wearing a pair of socks in bed has the same effect in encouraging body temperature to drop which signals to our brains that it’s time for sleep.
Working Out
“Before” I was teaching 15+ yoga classes a week, attending classes with my teachers in between and running on my days off! Keeping physically active has helped maintain a sense of normality as it’s what my body is used to. I’ve been doing a mix of free classes on YouTube, Instagram Lives and a few paid-for classes with my favourite yoga teachers on Zoom to continue to support them. I’ve dipped a toe into online teaching myself but just for friends and family for now!
I’d recommend keeping workouts on the shorter side, 30-40 minutes twice a day feels more do-able at home than 90 minutes in one go as it can be harder to keep your focus online. Only do workouts you actually enjoy (I’m obviously doing yoga but have rekindled my love for Barre and Pilates – low impact is the way to go for me) and be careful – now is not the time to get injured! I’m really enjoying doing live classes the most during this time as there’s definitely a feeling of connection and knowing that we are all in this together!
My free favourites are:
- Yoga With Adriene – her 30 day challenge from January is really lovely, it’s not super challenging but her personality shines through and she really is the loveliest person on the internet.
- Yoga Saturdays With Sarah White and Solemio – I loved going to these free Saturday sessions on Kite Beach beach and they’ve moved online! The sessions are saved for 24 hours on both of their Instagram channels and it’s nice to be able to do a weekly activity I did “before”.
- Heartcorelife – this London studio probably has the best online offering I’ve seen (and I follow a lot of fitness accounts) – everyday there’s pilates, barre, yoga and HIT classes, sessions are 45 minutes and it’s so nice to practice alongside the teachers. (Edit – the free IG live sessions are no more but you can get three classes free now that they’ve transitioned to Zoom and paid-for classes)
Studying
A good friend of mine signed up for the Greek and Roman Mythology course I’m studying with Coursera and it’s been so fun to have a study buddy and to learn about something so removed from current circumstances. I am loving reading the (translated) Odyssey and immersing myself in a different time. I get that it can feel like you need to spend all your time on a quest for self improvement or “stay in your lane” but maybe studying something totally different from your day job will give escapism and your brain a bit of a workout?!
On the yoga side of things, I’m a member of Yoga Alliance and their back catalogue of webinars is always something I’ve wanted to explore but haven’t had time. I’m watching the sessions that appeal to me and doing some of their live webinars which have been brilliant. If you’re a member, I really recommend the session on how to teach yoga online and the sessions on the Yoga Sutras (so inspiring and applicable for these times).
Reading/Listening/Watching
My bookclub has gone online! I’m currently finishing off The City & The City by China Mieville for an ad-hoc meeting on Saturday. It’s a dystopian murder mystery and I’m surprised to have not heard of this book before the organiser suggested it as it’s totally my thing.
I half-read “Eat Pray Love” but had to put it down as it felt incredibly self-indulgent… I will return to it as I hate leaving a book unfinished.
Podcast-wise I am loving The Immaculate Deception (about a somewhat dodgy fertility doctor). The episodes are short so perfect to listen to when tidying up (turns out the house gets really messy when you’re inside all day?!)
There is a new Bright Eyes single out and an album coming soon! I was seriously contemplating spending all the money I don’t have on a flight to Amsterdam to see them perform live for the 10th time this summer before all such events got cancelled…
Even a global pandemic hasn’t turned me into a TV-watcher (if we had British daytime TV in Dubai things might be different) so I am holding out for Season 3 of Killing Eve on 12th April.
Other Things
I’ve had a huge wardrobe sort out an clear-out… Thursdays evenings are designated cocktail nights (I am loving The Skinny Confidential’s Margarita)… I’ve made Dalgona Coffee and couldn’t drink more than half of it… I’ve done more video calls in the last two weeks than in my entire life before now… I’m saving Harry from my cooking by supporting our favourite independent cafes on Deliveroo… getting a soda steam for my last birthday really was the best gift ever…
Hope you are all staying healthy and well. Tell me what you’ve been doing to keep yourself occupied during these strange times?
PIN FOR LATER
Like you, I really like a routine. I was in work last week (the plan is one week in 4 with the children) but working at home now, so I’ve made myself a little list of things to do each day- some yoga, some fresh air (walk or run), something in the garden, some tidying or sorting, maybe some baking. I also need to make sure I don’t sit at my laptop all day, so I’m making sure I pop downstairs for a bit, and have a walk around every now and then. Our yoga teacher did a zoom class this week and it worked well- she muted everyone else so we could see her on the screen. It wasn’t as good as a real class, but at the moment it’s the best replacement.
I love the idea of a daily to-do list to keep some routine and structure! I agree with Zoom classes – it’s been really nice to see my teachers and hear their voices but it’s definitely not the same energy-wise as being in a real class. Teaching on Zoom myself has been an interesting experience so far but really grateful for any opportunity to keep up my teaching skills!