Your Social Distancing Survival Guide

With trying times ahead, fingers crossed you’re listening to offish advice and practising social distancing. Not really sure what it all means? Social distancing is an infection control tactic used to slow down the spread of a disease. With celebs taking to Insta to share their social distancing status, everyone from Kim K to Cardi B have jumped on the S.D hype. If the thought of staying in solo has you panicking, don’t sweat it, sweet, here is your social distancing survival guide to make the most of your time inside.

That rave/festival/event that you had booked has been cancelled. Absolutely wounding. Social events are being locked off, but what’s to say that you can’t throw a virtual gathering via video call? Set up a group vid call with you and your squad, have a root through your alcohol cupboard and see what you can scrape together, then blast some feel good tunes. It's all the fun of a good event, without the long queue for the loos and the freezing wait for a cab at the end. As good as the real thing? Almost! If partying isn’t your vibe RN, catch up with friends or relatives via FaceTime for a coffee and chat. Loneliness? Not today, corona!

We've all seen the scary headlines warning us that the gym is a breeding ground for germs, so if you’re giving it a miss, we deffo get it, girl. With the virus staying active in sweat, you’ll probs want to avoid sitting on a machine seat that sweaty Stan has just smashed out a set on. Ditch your local gym for the hottest new fitness spot in town - your front room! Create a staying-in-gym, featuring state of the art weights (some cans that you’ve found in the cupboard), luxury mats (a towel or two) and unlimited refreshments (courtesy of the water jug in your fridge). Whether you’re an ultra chill yoga lover, or a cardio bunny who needs her HIIT fix, there are so many home workouts to explore. Look online, on YouTube, or just freestyle and do your own thing to keep your heart pumping and your exercise routine on point.

If you’re one of the many employees working from home ATM, it’s time to totally get your sh** together and create a work oasis that will help you stay on track and smash it. Create a clean space that you can lay your laptop out on, grab any essentials you need (whether it’s a notebook or a cheeky bar of choc), and get your office playlist on for #motivation. Try to stick to your work-day routine and avoid taking a Netflix break, soz girl, issa a slippery slope. If you’re feeling a lil lonely, create a Whatsapp chat with your work wives and bounce ideas off of each other, or have a game of office snog, marry and avoid. It’s like actual work, but better!

Bars, clubs and pubs are a no-go zone RN, but who’s to say that you can’t create your own? Time to raid those cupboards and get creative to make some quarantine cocktails. Have a search online and see what recipes you can find, swapping out any ingredients that you don’t have with whatever you’ve got available. Who knows, you might just create your new signature, go-to drink. Not a big drinker? No problem! Whizz up some smoothies for a health kick and a way to kill some time and free up fridge space. Bonus!

Constantly checking the news, reading online stories and feeling a lil bit down about the whole thing? You’re not alone, with so much negative sentiment surrounding us right now, it’s hard to stay positive, we feel ya. Start to bring more positivity into your life to shield yourself from all of this negative energy and lift your mood instantly. We love meditation for grounding yourself and setting positive affirmations for your day. Begin your morning with a 15-minute meditation sesh, setting out positive vibes for the day ahead. Purchase some crystals and place these around your home for an uplifting energy boost, or have a long soak in the tub to wash away your troubles. Literally.

First things first, make sure you only buy what you need. We’ve all seen the videos of empty shelves online, don’t be that person who buys unnecessarily. Fought your way through the crowds and into the supermarket? As tempting as it is to stockpile on the biscuits and Creme Eggs, you’ve gotta be smart when shopping during social distancing. Keeping your health on point should be a priority, so grab a few treats, but make sure the majority of your shop consists of all that healthy stuff. Grab frozen veggies, or if they’re sold out, fresh veggies that you can chop and freeze. Stock up on nuts and nut butters and long life milks that you can store in your cupboard. Of course, some naughty snacks like crisps and choc are allowed, but try not to demolish them within the first hour!

With a lotta extra time, you could be finding yourself feeling bored AF pretty soon. Don’t stress, just start to think of activities to keep your mind busy! You could try something artistic, like drawing, painting or redecorating your pad. Give your flat the ultimate deep clean and use those unusual cleaning products you’re always saving for a spesh occasion, then go through your ‘drobe and throw away those items you swore you’d wear more than once. Watch some cooking tutorials online and brush up on your culinary skills, start the eBook version of that new book you keep meaning to grab, or get invested in a new Netflix series. If all else fails? Sims 2 it is!

Now you’re ready to approach social distancing like a really savvy sista. You’ve got this, gal! Need to kill some time? Have a scroll through our New In section to banish the boredom blues. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay positive.