Things are slowly but surely heading back to a more normal direction which is both scary but exciting at the same time. If you’re not ready for lockdown easing, here’s what you can do…
It seems that the UK is taking greater and greater steps to ease the COVID-19 lockdown which has been in place since March. And while some may be chomping at the bit to go back to work, go shopping and, of course, get their hair cut there are also many of us who are, quite rightly, concerned about emerging from their homes for anything other than essential trips. Deaths from COVID-19 have seen a sharp upturn in recent days, skyrocketing from the mid-50s to over 300 in the space of 24 hours. Social distancing measures are proving extremely difficult to enforce, and while we may feel safe outdoors, where the virus is much less communicable, we may not feel safe spending a great deal of time under any roof but our own.
If you feel that you’re not yet ready to emerge from your home, here are some things you can do…
Work on being your best self
The last thing you need is to spend your days cowering at home, afraid of the world outside and feeling ill-prepared for it. Use the next few weeks to work on being your best self. Eat lots of healthy foods to boost your immune system, exercise regularly at home. Try styling your hair and doing your makeup in different ways or head to StraightMyTeeth if you’re less than thrilled about your smile and want to straighten your teeth. Don’t worry, you don’t even need to go to the dentist’s for this treatment. You get a kit to make moulds in the post and send the moulds away and your dentists are sent straight to you.
Invest in the kit to keep you safe
As soon as you go outside, you are confronted with a degree of risk. But there are a lot of ways in which you can mitigate that risk and feel more confident on going outside. There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest that masks are highly effective in protecting you from the virus. And if other people are wearing them, it can prove even more effective in stopping people who are infected but not showing symptoms from spreading it. Which is why masks have become compulsory on public transport.
Talk to your employer
It’s completely understandable that you may not yet feel safe going back to work. But if your employer is reopening your workplace, you may feel like you have no choice in the matter. This article has some useful advice regarding your rights if you feel unsafe in your workplace. Your employer has a legal obligation to keep you safe at work, and if you feel unsafe you should discuss this with your employer. If you can demonstrate that you can work productively from home, they may be amenable to letting you continue to do so.
Engage with your friends in a safe way
Interacting with your friends is an integral part of maintaining your happiness and quality of life. So make sure you continue to interact with them in safe ways. Meet them outdoors in a public space while adhering to social distancing. Or stay in touch via video chat. This will help you to maintain your positivity and mental wellbeing until you’re ready to venture outside.
