The Lockdown Life: Divide Your Day

The lockdown life takes some getting used to. We share some ways you can divide your day to stay on top of your to do lists.

Life under lockdown

South Africa's national lockdown is extended to 1 May 2020. That may feel like a troublesome prospect, but the lockdown life is the right thing to do. 

Adapting to the lockdown life may have felt difficult at some points, but here's the good news: we're more than halfway there by the time you read this.

Life after lockdown

Keep in mind that, even if our national lockdown regulations lift, we'll still need to continue living a highly conscientious lifestyle. Nobody can predict what happens next, and keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control in our country is important. 

For the sake of life, health, and safety, it's important for all of us to adapt to a new way of living. The lockdown life is our first step towards this.

The context of life under lockdown

Many of us are concerned about the economic effect of a national lockdown, and at the same time, the health and wellbeing of our citizens. Remember that although your life may look different, it's the context of it that's changed too. 

The lockdown life may feel heavy at times. It's very easy to slip into that feeling of being overwhelmed, so we're sharing our top tips on how you can adapt to the lockdown life.

Chaos can be calmed

The world outside your home may appear to be in chaos, but you can capture your calm back. It's as simple as starting and establishing a new type of routine. You're not heading out to the office (unless you're an essential worker - thank you for your service!), and your children aren't attending school. 

It feels a little too easy to slip into a routine where the alarm clock is ignored, and bedtime is a moveable feast. 

Our first tip for dividing your day during life under lockdown is this: establish a new routine. By dividing up your day, you can be sure to:

• Get everything done: The workload of housework and chores is now squarely on your shoulders. It's not, however, how life is during the holidays, because you may also need to be working remotely, and your children need to be attending online school lessons.
• Stay focused: Mentally adapting to life under lockdown is not easy. Be kind to yourself, and your family. Adopting and adapting to an established routine will help you stay focused and clear-minded.
• Keep the pressure off: If you are working remotely, the demands of your career are still very present. That said, you now need to achieve all the things you used to in the office, while managing your family life, housework, childcare, and more. Establishing a solid routine will help you better manage your stress levels.

Divide your day

To stay on top of your to do lists, you need to first establish what's listed on each of them. Set aside an hour to jot down everything you need to get done with: work, childcare, housework, your children's education, and other essential sectors of your life. 

Once you have your lists, you can start assigning different parts of your day and week to the required activities. We've listed some of our favourite ways to divide your day while living the lockdown life.

Household chores

When you write down all the household chores, don't forget to divide the tasks between your family members. Turn as many of these activities into opportunities to spend time together.

Preparing meals can easily become a family affair. Folding laundry together gives you an opportunity to chat as a couple.

Your entertainment

Yes, we may have lots of different things to do while living the lockdown life, but making time for entertainment is important too. 

Set your schedule so that you can enjoy an hour or two of your favourite television shows. Start building a puzzle, or haul out your old hobbies.

Make weekends matter

The monotony of life under lockdown can make it seem that the days don't matter. But, it's up to you to take control. 

Make sure you set aside your weekends to enjoy some downtime, catch up with friends over a video call, or cook something special for a weekend feast. 

Making your weekends matter helps you to stick to your weekday routine.

Education is important

Many of us are coming to terms with our children being "surprise" homeschoolers. Depending on your child's age and supervision needs, you may find this a terrifying prospect. 

Make sure to devote a few hours a day to managing your children's education, but don't let it become an overwhelming task. So long as your children are getting some of the basics covered, and taking time to read each day, they're doing okay, and so are you!

Exercise under lockdown

As we all know, walking your dog or going for a run is not permitted under the national lockdown regulations. 

This is the time to get inventive! 

Map out a walking route through your garden, or around the perimeter of your house. Find an online exercise class you can enjoy from the comfort of your lounge. It may seem a little strange at first, but just adapting your thinking a little will help you get your daily exercise done.

DIY gets done

Under the national lockdown regulations, we aren't permitted to shop for non-essential goods. That might make DIY a little difficult, but that doesn't mean we should forget about it. Home maintenance is important. If you're not able to tackle all the DIY tasks on your list, simply make a list and start searching for comparative prices online. That way, when we're able to shop for DIY essentials, you'll be ready to go.

For more advice and guidance on how to enjoy your home while living the lockdown life, visit our Advice Centre.