At New Year, Manchester was put into Tier 4, which is effectively lockdown. The tree lights were still twinkling from Christmas and the reality of a snow filled, largely housebound January hadn’t hit me yet. Three days into 2021, I’m starting to worry that a month or more of staying in, being sensible and sitting on my hands might drive me a bit loopy. How am I going to stay sane during lockdown, or Tier 4, or whatever we call it in the future?

50 ways to stay sane during lockdown

1. Mask up and get out for your daily dose of government mandated exercise.
2. Keep in touch with friends, ok so we are Zoomed out, but message, text or call the people who give you joy.
3. Plan your days properly, make sure you have something to do each day. Have a purpose and something to look forward to.
4. It’s almost spring, so now is the time to spring clean. Polish those windows, scrub that grout. It’s not exciting, but it’s something to do.
5. Likewise, declutter. Empty the wardrobe and have a good sort out.
6. Laugh. Watch a comedy DVD. My go to is Greg Davies, he makes me howl.
7. DIY is also a good thing to turn your attention to. Put those shelves up, fix that broken curtain rail, bleed your radiators.
8. Download some mediation apps and practice some self care. Learning to find peace in your own company can be a godsend.
9. Challenge yourself to do an act of kindness each day, or a couple a week. Spreading kindness helps.
10. Have regular board game nights, take it in turns to choose and maybe make a trophy for the winner.
11. Learn something new. Online learning isn’t just for kids, have a look at the Open University, FutureLearn or similar, there’s bound to be something to tickle your fancy.
12. Keep positive. It’s hard to stay sane during lockdown, but if you challenge yourself to come up with three good things each day, then write them down, it helps to look back and remember it’s not all bad.
13. Menu plan. It’s not an exciting thing, but if you plan your meals for the next month it makes you feel more organised and gives you tasty things to look forward to.
14. Read a book, set yourself a goal and maybe read a book a week.
15. Plan future fun things. Life is always better for me when I have things to look forward to. Plan some holidays and days out, you might not be able to book it yet, but planning is half the fun. Where will you stay, where will you eat, what would you like to see and do?
16. Have regular family film nights, get popcorn and take it in turns to choose the film.
17. Find an online exercise class and make yourself do it, daily, weekly, whatever.
18. Your favourite restaurant is closed, so why not cook your favourite dish from their menu and dress up like you’re going out.
19. Start a journal to explore your feelings about lockdown and other life things.
20. Learn to bake bread/banana bread/whatever cake you like.
21. Joint an online art class. A friend of mine has taught herself to paint (exceptionally well) during lockdown.
22. Write. It’s said that everyone has a book in them, if you’re stuck at home during lockdown, now might be the time to bash out a bestseller or begin a journal.
23. Buy some puzzle books and take up mental agility. An occupied brain is one which is less likely to flap about the misery of lockdown.
24. Discover new podcasts.
25. Go for a walk somewhere (local and) new. Walking around the same place gets very boring very quickly.
26. Learn some sign language. Just a few words can help you communicate with others who cannot speak or hear.
27. Plan a vegetable garden, it’s winter now, but now is the time to decide what you want to grow and eat in your garden. Pour over seed catalogues and get planning.
28. Take your dog for a walk, if you don’t have one, borrow a dog from someone you know.
29. Have a home spa day, pamper yourself with a face mask and a nice bath, and all the things you miss, like a manicure.
30. Make sure you’re getting your five a day by trying new fruit. Ever had a lychee or dragonfruit? How’s the chance to give new things a try.
31. Embrace mindfulness, do some adult colouring or do some crafts to keep your occupied.
32. Listen to some music you’ve not heard for ages. Maybe pick a year and listen to some of the bestselling albums from then. Discover new music or just rediscover some classics you used to love.
33. Take family portraits. You don’t need a fancy camera, your phone will do, but why not play about with different styles of photos of your family. If you don’t want to take photos, you could always try painting portraits of your nearest and dearest.
34. Meditate or pray, find ways to feed your spiritual side.
35. Do a jigsaw puzzle, make it a challenging one.
36. Listen to an audiobook. You can often download them from your local library.
37. Feed the birds. If you’ve got a garden or access to some outside space, fill your bird feeders up and enjoy watching the resulting wildlife.
38. Binge a new TV series or two.
39. Do some life admin. Now is the time to change energy supplier, find cheaper car insurance, write your will or whatever you’ve been meaning to do for a while.
40. Set up a home disco night with optional karaoke if you have the technology.
41. Write actual pen and paper letters to people and post them off.
42. Get some sleep. Grab early nights and late mornings if you can, find a good sleep routine for you and do it every night.
43. It’s been done to death, but a Zoom night with your friends can help. My craft club did an online craft night which worked well.
44. Try laughter yoga. Yes it is bonkers, but it can really help you process built up emotions and you’ll have the best nights sleep after.
45. Eat the frog. No not the actual frog, find the courage to do the thing you’ve been putting off forever. Now is the time.
46. Submit your tax return. Yes, I know it’s not very exciting, but if you work for yourself then it is a practical and necessary use of your time. Sorry.
47. Shop till you drop. Online and local is best, but there might be some January sale bargains to be had, and let’s face it, we all need new comfy clothes to lockdown in.
48. Order a recipe box and try new recipes for meals you wouldn’t normally eat. Or try a new recipe each week. Expand your repertoire of tasty evening meals.
49. Make time to really focus on spending time with the people in your household and talk with them and really listen. Share time and make it special for them too.
50. Remember it’s ok to do nothing, if all you achieve at the end of this Covid nightmare is survival, then that’s a brilliant achievement. Well done. Don’t beat yourself up for not learning a new language or recreating the Taj Mahal in matchsticks.

What keeps you sane? I’d love to know your tips for how to stay sane during lockdown.