Rather than lapsing into despair, boost your morale by taking up new hobbies, revisiting old ones, or doing tasks you normally don't have time for.
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Health benefits
Spending more time at home can impact our physical health if we don't get enough exercise; eating more and inactivity can result in weight gain.
A survey of 2,254 people by King's College London and Ipsos MORI revealed 48% of UK residents said they had gained weight during the lockdowns. In addition, 29% of respondents said they had been drinking more alcohol.
Psychologists say it is normal to eat and drink more when we experience high levels of stress and anxiety, as it's our way of dealing with it. This leads to the question of people's mental health, which has been described as "precarious". Not being able to go to work or school and missing the usual social interaction with friends and family is leaving people balancing on a knife-edge in terms of their emotional health.
UK charity Mental Health Foundation reports 50% of respondents have experienced anxiety due to a lack of physical contact with people, creating a negative impact on mental health. The most common feelings include a lack of motivation when it comes to exercising or eating healthily.
So, how can you keep yourself entertained during lockdown?
Keep a blog or journal
Before social media and the digital age, people used to keep a diary to record their day-to-day life. Keep track of your activities and thoughts to pass the time. This will help you to process your thoughts. You can write privately on your computer, mobile, or in an old-fashioned notebook. You can also set up a personal blog online that might help and unite other people who are feeling lonely and anxious.
Enrol on a free course
Search online for "free course" and enrol on one that you like the look of. Completing an educational course will help improve your knowledge and give you something to think about. It will enhance your CV, especially if you pass exams at the end, so you will have something new to build on after the lockdown ends.
The Open University offers a wide range of foundation-level courses that people can do for free, covering every subject including history, the arts, politics, law, sociology and more. Set up your free personal profile on the Open Learn website.
Learn a new skill
Learning online doesn't have to be about academic skills with an exam at the end of a course. You can learn just about anything, such as how to play chess, playing an instrument, speaking another language, or exploring mindfulness as a way to improve your wellbeing.
Set up a workout routine
This is something you can do alone, or with other family members. Rather than deciding, randomly, to do a little exercise when you feel like it, organise a structured routine. Check online for tips - there are thousands of sites that give ideas on the best workout routines for people of all ages, abilities, levels of fitness and body shapes.
Start at a sensible level you can manage, so you don't get discouraged, gradually building up to a more energetic or longer routine over time. You don't need to do this every day but aim for at least three times a week. Set aside enough time to complete your routine and document your progress if you wish. This is something you can do with the kids too, helping them to stay fit, stave off boredom and sleep better at night.
Keep in touch with loved ones
Being at home on lockdown doesn't mean you need to be lonely! Even if you feel you can't be bothered doing anything, as your motivation is flagging, don't lose touch with the people you care about. Keep in touch through Zoom conferencing, social media, instant messaging, or telephone.
You can even organise group activity nights through video conferencing. For example, organise a dining-in night, when a group of you cook a meal together via Zoom. Then, lay the table, pour yourself a nice drink, sit down to dine together and have a catch-up. Although it's not the same as meeting in person, you can get the feel of a night spent with family and friends.
Do some gardening
A real favourite of mine; now’s the time to start getting your garden ready for the warmer weather ahead. If it hasn't been tended since last autumn, it will probably be looking untidy, especially with all the stormy weather and rain we've been having.
At the very least, pull up some weeds, cut back the dead blooms from last year and clear any other debris such as leaves, or litter that has blown in. Leave it in your green waste bin so it is removed by the refuse collectors, as decluttering makes everyone feel better.
Start a DIY project
Use your time at home to do a DIY project that you never normally have time for. This can be something simple such as painting or wallpapering a room, or it could be a job involving a little more skill.
These are all things you can continue after lockdown, so you can enjoy the benefits of keeping organised and tidy, or participating in your new hobby or interest. You're laying the foundations for a new you, once things get back to normal.
The most popular lockdown hobbies
People are taking up new pastimes and hobbies in their droves, according to Google data analysed by Net Voucher Codes. The most popular lockdown searches included "how to make a facemask at home" and "learn a language". In fact, learning a language was the number one search during the 2020 lockdowns.
Weight training, including training with resistance bands, was the most popular search when it came to exercise, which ranked second overall. While training with weights is always popular, resistance bands often slip under the radar, although they can be surprisingly effective at exercising all muscles.
The third most popular search is "DIY", as people realise this is a great time to do those jobs you've been putting off. The other top six searches include yoga, baking and gardening.
Over 250,000 more people have joined Facebook hobby groups during the Covid-19 pandemic!
What are we spending our money on?
Reading books has surged during lockdown, with a survey by Nielsen revealing 41% of respondents said they had taken up reading for the first time, or started reading again, to while away the hours. Thrillers and crime are the most popular genres.
The sale of exercise equipment to create a home gym has increased by a massive 5,813% since spring 2020, according to research by Yahoo Finance.
More people are finding time to clean their home, with sales of cleaning products up by 32% in general. Some individual cleaning brands have had an even bigger boost, with Dettol sales up by 50%, according to statistics published by This is Money. Analysts suggest this is also due to health chiefs emphasising the importance of hygiene and cleaning.
We must endeavour to look ahead to better times – it will happen, people! In the meantime, try to keep busy, keep safe and keep smiling.