With the new government announcement that lockdown has been extended for another few weeks, many of us will have extra time now to evaluate our routines. So why not use this time to think about how you can create new habits - you know, the ones you’ve promised yourself you would work on a million times already. 

Below are five habits that can be incorporated into your life with little effort but result in a BIG impact. 

JOURNALING 

Journaling is a habit that will be included in most wellbeing advice, and it’s for good reason too, as it is a great way to get your thoughts, moods, goals or even just what you’ve done today down on paper. This is especially valuable in mental health to track emotional patterns as time passes. 

Whether you choose to start at the beginning or the end of your day, definitely set aside a few minutes to give this a try and see how it helps you during lockdown and beyond. There are many YouTube videos, blog posts and articles out there to help you decide what to write about, but just keep it simple and jot down how you felt during the day. You can even take the opportunity to rave about your latest Netflix binge!

BUDGETING

The financial impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown will be affecting many of us, so it’s important we evaluate our spending habits and how we keep track of our money. You may find it useful to download an app, create your own spreadsheet or even write it down on paper. The key here is to create a system that works for you.

This is, without a doubt, a habit you need to stick to regularly, so set a 30 minute recurring meeting in your calendar (every Thursday night for example) and focus on tracking your spending and all things financial in your life. This habit will pay off in the long term (no pun intended) and eliminate that feeling of dread when you check your bank balance. 

HOBBIES

There are many of us who for one reason or another will no longer be working and suddenly find ourselves with upwards of 8 hours extra time on our hands. For some, this has been a great chance to dedicate time to our hobbies, for others it’s brought home the realisation of just how little we do that doesn’t involve work! 

Use this time that has been freed up to slowly but surely explore new things that might be of interest to you. It might be clichè but trying something that can be done at home, like learning a craft, learning a language or attending an online class might just be what you need to unwind.

Lockdown is a great chance for you to start a hobby but then find a way to make time for it when your routine goes back to normal. As human beings we need time to switch off and it’s infinitely more rewarding to do something that will enrich your skills rather than mindlessly scroll through Tik Tok for an hour (guilty).

MEAL PLANNING

As if we needed a pandemic to highlight the importance of keeping healthy at all times, and yet I’ve personally found myself much more aware of little habits I could be incorporating to make my lifestyle healthier. The daily hour long walks we are all taking advantage of, the free online classes we can attend from the comfort of our home and the time we have to cook nutritious meals from scratch.

If you’ve always wanted to master healthy meal planning, now is the time. Keep a list of meals you typically make over a month and create a list of ingredients you would usually buy at the supermarket. When it’s time for your food shop, referring to these lists will make your life easier and ensure you don’t make impulsive buys in the chocolate aisle (we’ve all been there!). 

HOME ORGANISATION

Hands up if you’ve now got a colour coded, alphabetically ordered drawer or cupboard...

If nothing else, some part of your home will be a little tidier - doesn’t it feel good? So why don’t we try and keep this habit up the rest of the time too?

In order to avoid massive pile ups of mess and clutter, aim to tackle little jobs around the house but do so on a regular basis. For example, dedicate 20 minutes every evening to tidy away items, do your dishes after every meal and make sure everyone in your household cleans up after themselves - bribe them if necessary.

A clean and tidy home may even help you deal with the bigger more important issues that crop up, so make your life a little easier by keeping up these small but significant habits that will lead to a cleaner, more organised home. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and you definitely do not need to feel in any way bad about yourself for not being an organised, health-conscious goddess with excellent budgeting skills. It might just be a case of picking just one of these habits in order to turn a difficult time into an opportunity for growth. 

But, let’s be real - if you’d rather be sat watching Tiger King right now instead, that’s fine too. After all, self-love might just be the most important habit of all. 

Written by Rosanna Christou

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