Ways to keep yourself occupied during lockdown

Headline Date 01-05-2020

As we enter our sixth week in lockdown, we know that it can be hard to try and keep ourselves motivated and busy. To help you through this time, we’ve put together some top tips on how you can keep yourself occupied and make the most of the situation.

Join in with our Virtual Event Series

To help support our local business members during the coronavirus pandemic we have been collaborating with partners to host a series of virtual events, that can be accessed for free from the comfort of your own home. Events so far have included cooking masterclasses, wellbeing webinars, creative workshops for adults and children and fitness classes. We will be continuing these events over the next month and places are booking fast. To see the full schedule click here.

Turn your kitchen into a Pizzeria

Local business, Pizza Pilgrims have just launched their DIY Frying Pan Pizza Kits, which are perfect for a date night or fun with the kids! The kits are available for delivery nationwide and come equipped with ingredients to make two Margherita pizzas. Buy one here

Continue your favourite workouts at home

In response to the popular demand for online fitness class content, Hotpod Yoga have launched a brand new video platform, Hotpod Home, which they are calling the Netflix of yoga. The platform allows viewers to choose from a series of on-demand videos ranging from 5 to 60 minutes in length, and are designed for all ability levels. Viewers can sample the content with a free 7 Day ‘Preview Pass’ before choosing a monthly donation amount ranging from £0 to £20 which will go towards supporting Hotpod Yoga’s freelance teachers. Sign up here.

Due to the recent lockdown, 1Rebel have had to close their gyms. In order to keep loyal followers fit and healthy, they have launched Rebel TV – offering daily fitness, wellbeing videos and strength workouts that can be done from home, along with mobility classes, guided meditation, cooking, Rebel talks and much more. Victoria Privilege Card holders can now receive a 20% discount off Rebel TV (priced at £15.99 per month or £29.99 for a 3 month subscription). You can also receive a 5 day trial when you sign up before your subscription starts. To redeem this offer use code ‘VPC20’ when signing up online. Full T&C’s here.

Become a tea and coffee master

You can now get your favourite coffee beans, pods and equipment delivered straight to your door from Notes London, to help you unleash your inner barista. Buy here.

Or, if it’s authentic chai tea you’re more interested in you can now order Chai Guys tea and spice blends online

Take part in a quiz

The Lullaby Trust have just launched a new weekly quiz to help beat isolation boredom and save babies’ lives at the same time! Sign up weekly to receive the quiz questions straight to your inbox. You can then complete the quiz with family at home or organise a virtual get-together with friends. This family-friendly quiz has questions for all ages and isn’t a live event, so you can hold it whenever suits you and go at your own pace. The quiz will then be updated weekly, with new questions every Thursday for the next 3 weeks. All the Lullaby Trust are asking for in return is a small donation of £5 per week to take part in the quiz, and to help keep their vital services going. Sign up here.

Become a mentor

Westminster Befriend a Family (WBAF) is supporting young people and families affected by Covid-19 with online and telephone mentoring and befriending. Recognising the effect these tough times have on mental health and wellbeing, WBAF’s network of volunteers is there for families and young people at risk of social isolation who live in Westminster. They provide social, emotional and practical support to families and young people, enabling them to manage the challenges they face and connecting them to the outside world. They are currently looking for more volunteers to mentor young people and to provide support for parents (befriending).  They offer an online and live training package, regular supervision and resources to help you make your time with your mentee or family a success. Mentors and befrienders work with a young person or family for six months, over 24 weekly sessions of about an hour in a telephone or online call. If you’d like to know more, check out their website, or get in touch at admin@befriendafamily.co.uk for more details.

Learn a new skill

If you’re looking for a way to expand your knowledge whilst stuck at home, The Open University’s Open Learn platform is the perfect place to visit. The popular online site is The Open University’s home of free learning, offering a chance for anyone to explore relevant topics, from teaching online and courses designed to aid mental and physical health, to family friendly interactives, animations and quizzes. Find out more here.