Positive Things to Do During Lockdown.

Coronavirus has created a scary and unsettling time for us all. Following President Ramaphosa's announcement recently, it is required that all South African's stay home from the 26th of March until the end of April. For some of you, this may seem like a fun little holiday, despite the circumstances, while for others, the gym bunnies, the party goers, the workaholics, this may seem like a boring, stressful time to sit around and do nothing.

But, it doesn't have to be that way. Instead of looking at this lockdown as a time of boredom and insanity, rather look at it from the most optimistic perspective possible. Keep reading to discover some fun things to do during this 3 week period.

The most obvious choice for many of you will be to use this time as a period of self-care and self-reflection. Start meditating or practicing yoga if this is something you've never tried before. It's a great way to clear your mind and put your mind at ease. For those of you dealing with mental health issues, this a great way to stop your mind from overthinking due to all this free time you now have. There are so many apps and videos out there to help you with whatever you might be feeling during this time. A great app is Headspace; it has many 10-15 minute guided meditations covering a wide range of topics. For a small subscription fee, you can have access to these useful mediations. It lets you track your meditations by following a guide, whereby you complete one short mediation daily. It covers topics such as self-esteem, relationships, daily motivational mediations, and many more.

If yoga and meditation is not for you, simply take this time to read a new book. If you don't have any books at home, you can sign up to a great app called Audible. There are thousands of audiobooks available that you can purchase using credits. These books are narrated by professionals, or by the authors themselves. If you're not a bookworm, then this is a great way to reap the benefits of reading, without actually having to read. The story is told for you, in an exciting way; all you have to do is listen.

Have a bath while meditating or reading, or simply watch your favourite show while taking a nice long soak in the tub. Fill your bath with bubbles, scented soaks or oils and bath bombs, light a candle, turn off the lights, and just relax. Put on a face mask to draw out all those stressful impurities from your skin. If you don't have a face mask at home, you can easily make one using ingredients found in the home. Follow this link to find out how. You can also make a full body scrub using sugar and olive oil to remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin feeling soft and nourished. Put in a hair mask as well and give your hair the nourishment that it needs.

Now that we've covered the self-care side of things, we can move on to something else to keep you busy. This is a great time to learn a new skill. Practice your makeup techniques by watching thousands of available makeup tutorials on Youtube and Instagram. If this is not your cup of tea, try something else. Learn to sew, or play the guitar (if you have a guitar), or start a blog or learn how to bake that dessert you've been eyeing out. You can also take up art and drawing and watch YouTube videos on how to improve your skill in these aspects. These are all things that will take up a significant amount of time, and you'll come out the other end better for it.

Many universities and online websites have now also made many of their online courses free for anyone during this time. You can learn the tricks of marketing, trading, social media, writing, and so many more. This is the perfect time to learn something academic. By testing yourself and learning something new and challenging. It doesn't have to be an academic course either, you could simply take a course on a topic that interests you, like the history of fashion, or causes of human disease - if you'd like to better understand the Covid-19 Pandemic. There are also courses on first aid, how to take care of the elderly, or emergency planning and preparedness. The list is endless.

So stay home, stay safe and keep busy. Now is the time to complete your to-do list and do all the things you've been putting off for years.