HOW TO USE YOUR DOWNTIME

The last few weeks have seen a collective upheaval of our routines as we all #stayathome and work together to support our community in these unprecedented times. While the majority of us continue to work from home (first time for a lot of us), we are slowly but surely starting to come to terms with this new way of life.

What has been amazing to see through it all is the positivity and support that we have collectively been giving to each other and it has got me thinking of all the wonderful things I’ve seen people doing with their downtime.

So here are a few things I've seen over the past couple of weeks that I would personally like to take on in my downtime.

Take an online lesson

Online learning is something I had never really ventured into before but its something that I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks. There seems to be a lot to choose from (both paid and free) depending on your interest and hobbies and it is so wonderful to know that if you do want to fill your downtime with something new, there's so many available at just the click of a button. Coursera and Udemy are popular picks with a wide variety of topics to choose from and then there is the ever-popular YouTube, from guitar lessons to cooking videos, there is plenty to satisfy everyone’s curiosity. Duolingo is free and a great place if you want to learn a new language that you have been meaning to master. So, if learning something new is your idea of relaxation, then now might be the time to do just that.

Make Self-care your priority

Being on top of today’s modern-day life is no easy task. With hectic work schedules and an ever-expanding social life, self-care is often pushed to the bottom of our to-do list. While self-care is a very broad topic, don’t be afraid to make your own edit. Do a thorough self-evaluation and figure out what areas you need to focus on. Focus on your health and nutrition, there is plethora of online material to tackle small issues for which we avoid going to the doctor. I have been using my time to do some reading on dietary supplements (haven’t had a green vegetable since 1996!) and if like me you suffer from constant fatigue and weakness then this is the best time to look into these concerns.

Focus on any beauty and hair issues that you have been neglecting for a long time (hello! dry skin). Do your research and build your own skin care routine. Your older self will thank you for this.

Sit back, Watch and Read

While my love for the good old TV is widely known (I mostly watch old re-runs), I have been increasingly updating my watch-list in the past few weeks. With Netflix adding 15 million new members this quarantine period, its quite obvious where we have all been spending most of our evenings! I have also been treating myself to some new audio books and podcasts, these are small things to incorporate into your daily routine and trust me they make a load of difference to your overall well-being.

Do Nothing

One thing we all need to do no matter how we choose to fill our downtime is to give ourselves a break. There has been this unexpected pressure on social media to make sure we are utilizing every moment of everyday while we are in these strange times together, however it is important to remember that it is equally OK to do just NOTHING. If your pre-quarantine life has a been a whirlwind of crazy work schedules and daily long commutes, then maybe now is the time to slowdown. Don’t let social media guilt you into being productive if what you crave is some chilled out time at home doing absolutely nothing. Your downtime is your own time to do what's right for you. Be kind to yourself.