lockdown goals and projects
- Missy
- Apr 29, 2020
- 6 min read
There’s no way that we’ll emerge from lockdown the same as we were going into it. Our society has changed drastically, along with our community and, for a lot of us, our very sense of safety in the world. Some of us will also emerge with a new skincare routine, a new ex to add to the list, or maybe a new baby on the way (congrats!). At the moment we can’t tell for sure how much longer it will be before our governments will start gently easing restrictions, so we’ll have to make the most of it.
In the meantime, wouldn’t it be great to fill the time with projects that you can build upon daily, that you can use post-lockdown to better yourself?
I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely thriving in this lockdown! You’d think, staying at my parents’ in the country, that I’d spend all day sitting in front of Netflix, but I haven’t gone near it! I’m a big fan of having goals; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly, and I’m constantly finding new projects I can’t wait to throw myself into. It really helps get me up early every morning and keep me motivated.
I haven’t been bored throughout the last month and a half of isolation and lockdown. I don't think that anyone should be pressured to be productive during the lockdown, or shamed for 'taking it easy', but I'm definitely the kind of person who needs to keep busy to avoid being down and sad- and I know that I'm not the only one! If you're the same as me, here are some projects that will keep you busy till this all blows over!
get a certificate from Harvard
I love bettering myself. Whether it’s going to the gym, learning to cook, getting that toxic friend out of your life- anything that will make your life that much brighter. I especially love to learn things (if going to uni was a career, I’d do that). I just found out that Harvard have a series of online courses, and some of them are free! (Though if you want to have a shiny Harvard certificate to add to your LinkedIn you do have to pay for it).
From what I’ve seen they usually last between eight and ten weeks, for three hours or so per week, and apparently they’re exactly what’s being taught at the actual bricks-and-mortar university.
If you’re interested, you can check out their courses here. Make sure to let me know what you’re studying and how you get on! I’ve done a few weeks of The Architectural Imagination course and I’m loving it!
join a webinar
I literally worked six days of my new job before I was sent into quarantine and then Ireland started lockdown- typical. My new company has been really good in that they’ve only temporarily laid me off due to the pandemic, and I’ll be back to work with them as soon as the world gets back to normal. In the meantime, I’ve decided to brush up on my digital marketing skills and expertise so that I can get back to work with even more knowledge and ideas and just roll straight into it.
I’ve registered for a six week webinar course that focuses on digital marketing in the wake of Covid 19, which pertains exactly to my job. It’s literally an hour a week and I come out of it with a page full of notes and great ideas and the feeling that I’m actually advancing in my career, even when I’m not actually working. It might even get me extra points in the office when I get back!
scrapbook
This is a great one, especially if you’re artsy or have children. As awful, lonely and terrifying as the pandemic is, we’re still living through a monumental historic chapter, one that (hopefully) we won’t ever see again in our lifetime. Scrapbooking is a great way to remember specific details and really make a memory come alive. It doesn’t have to be Pinterest-quality; just have fun and be creative. Here are a few bits that you can add;
Add local and national newspaper clippings (or articles that you’ve printed from online)
Photos from your everyday life; isolated walks in the countryside, summer baking (because why not?), communal clapping for the health service, etc.
If you have children, get them to write themselves a letter, describing what their life now is like; what their favourite TV show/meal/song/book is, who their best friend is. Get them to write down how they feel.
If you’re feeling particularly stressed and thinking too much about the current situation (I totally get it), why not make a scrapbook full of life before the pandemic? Print photos of you with friends and family, write little bits about the days. Add movie ticket stubs, brochures of places you went to visit, the stray fortune cookie message from the last time you went to a Chinese restaurant with your partner. Anything at all that brings back a great memory. It’ll help you to remember what you have to look forward to when this is all over.
Couch to 5K
Who would want to be in a gym when it’s this kind of weather?! If you’re healthy and able for it, Couch to 5K is a great way to introduce jogging into your exercise regime. There are several free versions that you can download to your phone. Depending on the one that you choose, you work towards jogging 5K in a matter of 8, 10 or 12 weeks. It only takes up half an hour three times a week, and it’s entirely doable.
I’ve been doing it since mid January and I haven’t been strictly following the instructions- between the night setting in early (rural roads in the dark are deadly) and commuting made it impossible- but when I pick back up where I left off I’m always impressed by how easy it is to fall back into rhythm. Pop on your favourite album or podcast, don your trainers and just go for it! You’ll be back before you know it!
read that book, do that thing
I’ve had a secondhand copy of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves sitting on my bookshelf for the last five years. It’s thick, over 700 pages long, and I’ve never been in the headspace for completing it. Reading it cover to cover was part of my 2018 and, when I didn’t quite manage that, my 2019 goals, but it never happened. I’ve decided that, without the stress and distraction of the outside world to deter me, I’m going to do my utmost to read it before this lockdown is over. I usually read for a bit after breakfast anyway, so I go sit in the sunshine- an hour is too long so I’ve agreed that a chapter a day is good enough.
It’s not that I don’t want to read it, it’s that this book happens to be a big enough project just to follow along. My suggestion for you is to pick up that book or project that you’ve been planning to do but just haven’t quite managed to get around to. Like my book, you don’t have to do huge bits; commit to an hour or two a day, or two days a week- whatever is reasonable and manageable for you.
rearrange your home & deep clean
Maybe I’m alone in this, but deep cleaning always helps me deal with stress. I also happen to love living in a catalogue-tidy house. It’s a real pity that the hardware stores aren’t open, now is the perfect time for the redecorating that you (and I) have been planning for years. Upcycle your furniture to match (repaint, wallpaper, etc), rearrange your spaces to revitalise the room- and make sure to get rid of every speck of dirt!
clear out your wardrobe & Depop!
In a similar vein, now is the best time to clear out your wardrobe. We’re coming into summer; where are your lighter clothes? Wash your coats, big jumpers and heavy blankets (don’t forget your hats, scarves and gloves!) and stash them away for winter where you can’t see them. Have you tried Depop? It’s a great way to sell unwanted (but still wearable) clothes. Extra cash, giving new life to your old clothes and doing good by the planet.
I honestly don’t have time to be bored during this lockdown! Between the projects that I’ve mentioned and this blog I’m never sitting still, and I‘m so glad for it. I usually struggle with feeling lonely, and not leaving the house in a day used to be unimaginable, but this lockdown has been very manageable. Do you have any other suggestions that I’ve missed? How are you keeping busy during the lockdown?
Thank you so much for reading my blog post, I hope I’ve given you some great suggestions. If you do register for a Harvard course please let me know- I’d really love to hear all about it! I’m so excited about my architectural course, even though it’s just a hobby.
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