Author, Samantha Kelsall is a 3rd year Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Liverpool.
Whether you are living on your own or with your flatmates, lockdown is not going to be easy for any of us. Here are some of my tips and tricks on how to make it a little more bearable!
1. Reach out
Stay connected! During times like these, we often feel alone. Do not be afraid to reach out to a family member, a friend or even a friend you have lost contact with! Now, is the perfect time to rekindle some of those old friendships. We’re all in the same boat and I am sure they would really appreciate hearing from you. Try setting up a weekly call, or even a zoom quiz together, so that you can have something to look forward to each week.
2. Self-care days
Throughout this period, it is easy for us to become too hard on ourselves, as we often feel like we are not achieving enough with our time. It’s important that we remind ourselves that we are living during a difficult time and that we are doing just fine. Try and take a few minutes out of your day to turn off your phone and to relax and rewind. Be it a bubble bath, a facemask or reading your favourite book, do not forget to look after yourself!
3. Looking after your physical health
As well as looking after your mental health, be sure to take care of your physical health. Try and get some fresh air at least once a day. Being in the city there are so many places to explore! You could even have a walk around campus and treat yourself to a hot chocolate at Starbucks. Or if that is not for you, Guild burritos are still available for take-out! If you are still wanting to be productive, why not head down to Mountford Hall or any of our other two libraries to get some work done and get a change of scenery.
4. Develop a study plan
With no structure to my days, I often find myself feeling overwhelmed at the amount of work I need to complete. I have found it helpful to complete a study plan to structure my days and decide what I want to accomplish for the week. Although it is important to structure your day, don’t bring yourself down if you don’t complete everything. We often set our expectations too high.
Try the University’s KnowHow Study Plan.
5. Take up a new hobby
With all this free time we now have, it is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill or take on a new course! Perhaps learn a new language or how to cook (so you can stop relying on those takeaways)? If you were also wanting to make new friends, societies are still holding online weekly meetings, so head to the Guild’s website and see if there is something for you. Or, if you were wanting to spend this lockdown learning about a new topic, there are websites such as Coursera that offer free online courses!
6. Entertainment
Now that we are all locked indoors the Guild has come up with an array of different online sessions to keep us all entertained. An online pub quiz is held every Monday at 8pm by the Guild and is a great way to start off the week! As well as that, the Guild has also come up with “Speed Mate-ing” sessions which is like tinder, but for friends! If you are living with flatmates, why not have a games’ night or recreate a flat come dine with me!