HELP! What can I do during lockdown?

Lockdown. Two months ago to this very date a lockdown was announced in the UK, since then we've been social distancing and only leaving our homes for essential reasons such as shopping or one form of exercise daily. Well, some of us have. But don't get me started on people that haven't been following the rules!

Two months in lockdown... that's a lot of extra time in your home -what have you been doing in this time? If you're like me and you love to travel and explore new places you might find yourself thinking what do I do with myself!? I mean there's only so much Netflix you can watch and video games you can play before you start to think, well yeah that was fun, but what do I do now? What's next? Use your time wisely. Is there something that you've wanted to do for a long time but you've been putting off because of work and well.. life in general? Let's be honest sometimes day to day life like housework and commuting etc sometimes gets in the way. Well, now that you're at home a lot more and have the time why not do that something that you've wanted to do for a while. Maybe you want to learn a new language? Don't get me wrong it's a slow process, you're not going to be fluent in a week or two but now is certainly the time to start. If you've got a trip planned for later this year or next year and you're going to a destination where the main spoken language isn't your mother tongue then why not start a handy little phrasebook that you can take with you. Sign up to Duolingo and do 30 minutes before bed or another two app's that I've found quite useful are Memrise and Quizlet. You can find these in the App Store (Apple). I've also been listening to this video which is "Learn French While Sleeping 8 Hours" but I've been listening to it whilst working and whilst cooking instead of sleeping because, well... I like my sleep! You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEEC1mkGDEw&t=1439s

Maybe learning a language isn't on your list which is totally okay, everyone has different priorities, wants and needs - perhaps yours is that you want to get a new project off the ground with friends and family? Well then, get on Skype or Google Hangouts etc and start making plans. Not everything has to be done in person over a coffee in Starbucks. A virtual meeting and a homemade coffee will do for now, am I right? I once saw a quote saying "The best time to start is yesterday" and that really resonated with me. You're never too old or too far along to start something but what are you waiting for, start now, not tomorrow or the day after!

If you used to enjoy drawing or reading but can never find the time usually then why not take it up again now whilst you've got some extra time? Perhaps you're not happy in your current job role? Then now is the time to learn some new skills and maybe even jazz up your CV, portfolio and covering letter. Many people don't realise that you can learn practically anything online - you just need a laptop/computer or mobile and a working internet connection and the world is your oyster. Some courses are even free - you can also watch free videos on YouTube to gain new skills or even buy courses on websites such as Udemy or the Open University. Steering away from new experiences you could also use your time to catch up with old friends... no I don't mean drive 200 miles to grab your mate, a crate of beer and sit in the local park. I mean phone your friends you haven't spoken to in a while, catch up. Maybe make post lockdown plans? FaceTime your friends or here's an idea - do something different and start a gaming night with your friends where you all log onto a game or quiz and play together. It's great fun and something that pre-lockdown would most likely not have been possible due to everyone's availability because of conflicting schedules, work, kids, holidays etc.

I hope I've given you some ideas if you're sitting their twiddling your thumbs during this time, being in lockdown can be a stressful time but I've chosen to see it in the most positive light and use my time wisely and complete tasks that normally I wouldn't be able to complete. I've also binged watched Netflix and played way too many video games but ay as Hannah Montana would have said Nobody's Perfect.

If you never want to read another one of my blogs after that diabolical reference I understand, but if you enjoyed reading this then show me some love on social media and subscribe to me on YouTube. Hopefully this lockdown won't last forever because I have some amazing travel plans for 2021 and I can't wait to share them with you! Here's a teaser. Panama & New Experiences! That's all I'm saying. You can follow me on all socials at the links below. ___________________________________________________________ Kiera Jessica | The Travel Talk Show ___________________________________________________________ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JessicaKOfficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetraveltalkshow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetraveltalkshow/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-travel-talk-show Website: https://traveltalkshow.wixsite.com/thetraveltalkshow