I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I can't wait for this year to be over. Not only have the lockdowns been hard on all our social lives, but it's also especially hard not being able to see older members of our families. I’ve been unable to see my auntie, who’s in a care home, since last Christmas and we’ve no idea when we'll be able to safely see her again. Dealing with all the stress and anxiety of those first few weeks in lockdown was made more difficult by my course and the amount of work I was having to complete from home. I was in the planning stages of my 15,000-word dissertation and the thought of doing all that work from home, without access to the university library or campus workspaces made me want to scream and cry simultaneously.
But like everyone else, I just had to get on with it and realised quickly how incredibly grateful I was to be in a safe space with my family, and able to finish my degree. It’s been difficult coming to terms with the end of my university experience from home – there was no big night out to celebrate and no graduation. Yet I’m also grateful that I was able to celebrate my undergraduate graduation last year and I really feel for everyone who has been unable to properly experience that this year. However, spending most of the summer inside writing my dissertation had a massive impact on my mental health, so much so that I realised in September that I hadn’t seen anyone outside my household for nearly 6 months. It’s difficult in normal circumstances to move back home when you’ve spent the last four years away at university, and not seeing any friends or other family members took its toll. I was crying most days, being super unproductive, and struggling to get myself out of bed. Even though I had so much work to do, there were numerous occasions where I’d spend all day at my desk yet be unable to get any work done.
Trying to find pick-me-ups was essential for me to actually submit my dissertation on time, so I’ve made a list of things that helped me to get through those long months and might help you during the rest of this year.
Finding new boxsets to binge
All of us enjoy a good binge of a new show, and lockdown got me trying some new series and managing to finally catch up on shows I missed when they first aired. I religiously watched The Marvellous Mrs Maisel on Amazon Prime back in April/May and it got me through the long days of proofing essays and reading. It’s a period comedy show set in the 1950s about a woman, Midge Maisel, who finds she has a knack for stand-up comedy. I assumed I would like it because I love period shows and I wasn’t disappointed! From the costumes, the witty dialogue, and the mirage of hilarious characters, it took me away to 1950s New York and I loved it so much I’m even watching all the episodes again.
As a household, we’ve also watched all five series of Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty and I’ve just recently started watching Mad Men. There are seven series of it so I’m thinking that will take me up until the new year at least. Alongside Netflix and Amazon Prime and all the other streaming services out there, don’t forget that BBC iPlayer has loads of TV boxsets too! Luther is my particular favourite, I think I’ve watched it about 5 times lol.
Baking
It’s shameful to say that before September I’d never properly baked anything before. I’ve helped my mum out occasionally when she was making my birthday cake, but I didn’t really take to it. I’m terrible at art and anything that involves decorating something, so having to pipe buttercream nearly had me in a meltdown. But after I finished my degree, I thought why not give it another go? I found Jane’s Patisserie, a website full of scrumptious cakes and treats with inspiring recipes and easy to follow instructions. So far I’ve made 7 bakes and although my presentation skills would make Paul Hollywood raise an eyebrow, everything has tasted AMAZING (except for some burnt caramel I’m pretending never happened). I couldn't recommend Jane's website and Instagram page enough, because my bakes have all turned out really well considering I have no clue what I’m doing, and she even has some tutorial videos up too that help to show how it should look haha.
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| NYC Chocolate Chip Cookies - Recipe from Jane's Patisserie |
Treating yourself
During this difficult period, it’s important to take time for yourself and not feel guilty if you’ve spent £40 on a cleansing balm (it smells great though) or instead of doing something productive have been scrolling through the New Look website. Did I buy a funky pair of pink trousers during the first lockdown? Yes. Have I worn them yet? No, unless you count taking selfies with them on in my bedroom. But who cares? I’ll wear them out whenever we are allowed to go out, and they look so good! Sometimes it's important to treat yourself to things you'll know will make you a bit more cheerful. I don’t regret my lockdown buys and neither should you!
Searching for new books to read
Now I’ve finished my degree, I’ve really enjoyed having the time to browse for books and not having to read them all in a week for discussion in my next seminar. My degree has introduced me to many writers I’d never read before, and I’m going to miss having big group discussions on a text, but the bad part of the English Literature uni experience is that you’re constantly in a race to finish books before the next seminar, and trying to read two books (sometimes more) a week is impossible. When I was stressed during my MA I could only get halfway through a novel before I had to move on to something else, and that was always incredibly frustrating when I was enjoying reading it. Then I had to consider what texts I wanted to write about for assignments, and by the end of term, I was so consumed by planning essays that the final texts on a module were given less and less attention. Now I have the time to read what I want, I’m loving being able to read at my own pace again, and the excitement of not knowing what my next read is going to be. I had a massive book order for my birthday recently, which included Far From the Madding Crowd and Tess of the D'urervilles by Thomas Hardy. I first read Hardy during a Victorian Literature module I took in my second year at undergrad, and I've been meaning since to read his other works but have never found the time. I'm also trying to read more non-fiction, as my life tends to revolve around novels and nothing else, so if you have any suggestions please do let me know!
Redesigning your space
With more of us working from home and having to adapt to bringing the office space to us, it can be hard to separate ourselves from work when we’re sat in the house. As a student, I’m used to working in my bedroom but not having the ability to work on campus, in the library, or in coffee shops affected my productivity. I like having the option of changing my work scenery and I think it helps to have to physically travel from one space to another. The only good thing about working from home is there is no commute, and everyone loves more time in bed. When I came back home for the first lockdown, I made sure to bring all my photos and room decorations with me, so I could feel like I was still at uni despite being trapped in the house. I’ve got photos up on every wall, fairy lights hanging across my bookshelf, and a few new cacti purchases for my windowsill. We've all been there, shifting around our bed to make our room look different and although it seems silly, changing up your workspace really does make a difference to your mood and approach to work.
Getting back into instrument practice
If you’ve got out of the habit of playing an instrument like me, then now’s the time to get back into it! I’ve played instruments since high school and I’ve always wanted to keep up with it, mainly because I put so much effort into practicing when I had grade exams and I've always felt it would be a shame for that to all get wasted if I never picked up an instrument again. I’ve been playing my flute whilst at university because it’s conveniently small and mobile and minus the time it fell out of my wardrobe in my first-year digs, I’ve been keeping up with it well. Piano practice however hasn’t been as successful, because I’ve often had months of not being able to practice and then coming back home for only a few weeks at a time with tons of work to do, I never had the time to properly focus on it. I’m ashamed to admit my piano sight-reading ability has gone back to Grade 2, but I’m determined to improve! I’m not a naturally gifted musician, and I find music extremely hard. I love it but it takes a lot of hard work to get better at it, as with any skill, and piano especially requires me to concentrate so much. Reading treble clef and bass clef and then having to play them AT THE SAME TIME!? That gives me anxiety. But I love it when I can play a piece all the way through and it actually sounds good.
Staying active
As someone who has never set foot in a gym, exercising isn't something I'm fond of or have done much of in my life. I've danced quite a bit, first with Ballet and then Ballroom and Latin dance classes, but I never tend to think of dancing as exercise, even though it is, of course, because I have fun doing it. P.E at school was the worst (I planned my music lessons to coincide with a double period of P.E) and so I've associated exercise with pain and my lack of any ability to run, catch or throw. The idea of people seeing me exercise is another big no, and so I tend to exercise in our garage or front room. Doing something like Zumba is super easy, you just need a TV and maybe a mat and you're good to go. Over lockdown, I started exercising a bit more, if anything it was a distraction from all the work I had to do and it soon became the highlight of my week. I try to exercise 3 times a week now and I make the effort to go for more walks even if it's absolutely freezing outside. Putting on a big ol' jumper and cozy coat for a winter walk is one of the best parts of this season, so make the most of your time outdoors.
The final thing to say is that it's okay to feel down about everything. God knows I've spent far too many nights this year having a bit of a cry. But it's also equally important to know what it is that will get you out of feeling all down in the dumps. Whether it's putting on some Abba tunes or watching funny cat videos on Instagram, make sure you've got a list of activities that will make you smile again.
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