Blog: Top Tips for Keeping Safe and Sound in a Happy and Healthy Home

It’s a weird time isn’t it?

If you’re reading this and its 3.00pm, you’re sat in your pyjamas and you’ve eaten half your body weight in ice cream while glued to your TV and phone all day then you’re not alone – there are currently hundreds of millions of us doing just the same thing!

We’ll get through this unprecedented time together, though right now time might be dragging for a fair few of us.

So, how do we keep our minds and bodies happy and healthy in these extraordinary circumstances? Let’s have a look…

Let’s Rename Social Distancing!

‘Social Distancing’. We’ve all heard this term lately; it’s where we need to keep away from anyone not living in our household. Thankfully we get to avoid that person we just can’t stand! Though, we can miss our mates. Many of us do, though social distancing needn’t mean a stop to our social life.

Binge-watching is HUGE right now, but did you know you can now watch all your favourite films and TV shows at the same time with your mates? Netflix Party is a chrome extension which allows this! Simply log in, share a viewing link with your friends and away you go – you even get a chatroom pop up so you and your friends can chat as the action unfolds.

Don’t have Netflix? No problem. Try Zoom – a videoconferencing platform. You can invite your mates to chat about anything and pass the time together. The Houseparty app is another great choice for keeping up with your pals and checking in with each other. If that’s not up your street then there’s always Facebook video chats to sort you out.

Let’s rename ‘Social Distancing’ to ‘Physical Distancing’ and keep our social life.

Take a (Virtual) Trip

It’s funny how when we’re confined to our homes we suddenly have the greatest urge to go everywhere and anywhere. Well now we can, all from the safety of our home!

But what do we want to see from our home? That’s right. I think some of you just said it.

Penguins.

Well now you can watch the daily drama of penguin life unfold with Edinburgh Zoo’s live Penguin cam.

Check out these top ten museum virtual tours – the British Museum’s been experiencing some of its highest number of online tours ever.

Tour the Taj Mahal, gaze at the Great Pyramids of Giza and bask in the celebrity of Hollywood Boulevard with Google’s encapsulating street view.

Be immersed in the arts, culture and history of our shared world for free from home.

Say Hello to new Habits

With Duolingo, you can learn that language you’ve always wanted to for free.

Maybe you want to stay active? You can still go outside for one form of exercise every day either by yourself or with another member of your household. For being active in the home, how about YouTube’s daily P.E. with Joe  Wicks? Or there’s a variety of brilliant 10-minute workouts by the NHS.

This is also a great time to catch up on your reading list. We recommend checking out the Guardian’s reading suggestions to bring joy in these difficult times.

A lot of our lockdown larders may be bursting with crisps, chocolate and all sorts of treats, but now’s a great time to try our hands at cooking those healthy meals we’ve just never had the time or energy for. Why not tune into Jamie Oliver’s Keep Cooking and Carry On show and learn how to make great recipes from kitchen staples – on every day on Channel 4. The show’s also available on Channel 4’s website.

Fill up on Freebies

Ever wondered how many Disney films you’d watch in seven days if you had access to all of them? Of course you have. Wonder no more with a seven-day free trial of Disney Plus!

If you have Sky, then you can now nab Sky Go Extra for free instead of the £5 monthly fee, allowing you to watch Sky TV on 3 screens at the same time.

Looking to spruce up your wardrobe in preparation for post-isolation freedom? You’re in luck. Lots of clothing stores are extending their returns policy, such as H&M from 28 days to 100 days, allowing you to buy online delivery, check out your new threads and return during lockdown if they’re not for you.

And Remember…Keep Calm and Carry On

Tough times like these tend to bring out the best in people, companies and our societies as a whole. It’s comforting to know someone has our back and, likewise, we can provide a shoulder for others to lean on.

Get your day off to a zen start with Headspace – an app which makes meditation simple.

If you want help with anxiety, Young Minds and Anxiety UK are fantastic channels of support to explore.

University Centre Rotherham is also partnering up with Big White Wall to provide our staff and learners with a channel for 24/7 mental health support.

We recommend reading this article on looking after your mental health whilst self-isolating at home.

We hope some of the above helps make your time at home one to look back on with a smile. Our world is a friendly place full of support and spirit, whether this is our local community, nation or global friendship.

We’re all in this together – let’s make the most of it and, most importantly, stay safe.

*Please note, University Centre Rotherham does not endorse any of these links; we have just listed a few in one simple place for your leisure.