After weeks of lockdown, we’re finally reintroducing some normality back into our lives. We can catch up with friends and family outside our bubbles, dine out at our favourite restaurants, and—best of all—shop for essential self-care items at your local Pricewise again!
To be fair, lockdown hasn’t been all bad. Our team of five million banded together to care for the health and families of everyone in Aotearoa, and we now have a whole new outlook on what’s important. Along with keeping tabs on your physical health, we’ve also found ways to look after our mental health which we’ll definitely carry through to everyday life once all of this is behind us. Without further ado, we’ve come up with ten ways you can carry through some self-care techniques into the post-lockdown period, and these are all things you can do at home!
Make a Photo Book
Remember those?! Old-school photo books ...nothing beats ‘em. We all love flipping through memories, but as technology has advanced, we’ve become more dependent on our phones and less inclined to print real physical copies. Looking at photos and revisiting happy memories is a guaranteed way to give you some feel-good vibes. So, why not use your time productively and boost your mood by making a photo-book? You can create these online now and get them delivered to your door.Have a Movie Marathon
Pile up the cushions, grab a cosy blanket, draw the curtains, and snuggle down for a movie marathon. Whether you opt for light-hearted Netflix originals or Oscar season delights, a movie marathon is a sure-fire way to boost your mood and bring some positivity into your life.
After all, one of the biggest principles behind self-care is considering what you want and then giving it to yourself (much like a session browsing movies that could become new favourites).
Read a Magazine or a Book
Unplug from the constant stream of alerts and information by putting your feet up and reading a book or a magazine. Holding something tangible in your hands that you can read from is one of the best ways to unplug, offering you the chance to delve into other worlds and stories without the threat of a notification derailing your focus.Support Your Local Small Business
One of the best ways to give back to your community and boost your mood at the same time is to shop local. After all, you’re purchasing something you like and you’re helping out a local business; it’s two benefits for the price of one. Supporting local businesses is really important right now. Shopping online is a simple way to help, and many businesses are offering gift cards that can be redeemed at another time or they support Laybuy. FYI, Pricewise is 100% New Zealand owned and operated, so when you shop with us you can rest assured you’re supporting local.
Pamper Yourself
Nothing says mood booster like lighting some candles, running a bath, playing some soothing music, and putting on a facemask. Even if you’re only able to do one of these things, you’ll still get a taste of rest and relaxation. If you’re really keen, why not do them all at once? Pop on your favourite face mask, pour a couple of cups of relaxing Dr Teal’s Epsom Salts into your bath, light a candle and listen to some soul-soothing tunes! We recommend the Relax & Unwind playlist on Spotify.
If you need any more suggestions for ways to pamper yourself, check out our top pamper tips.
Do Some Gardening
Image alt text=”Some plant sprouts in a planter busy growing” Nothing says “feel-good” quite like helping little plants to grow! There’s something about being close to nature and using your hands that really helps to ground you, literally, and gardening is a productive and relaxing way to reconnect with the earth. Weeding garden beds, pruning bushes, and raking those autumn leaves are all simple and mood-boosting tasks. If you don’t have a garden, give your indoor plants some attention by dusting and wiping their leaves.
Who knew gardening could give you a boost of endorphins?! / Freepik
Find a New Favourite Podcast
Screen time can quickly creep up when you’re hanging about the house, and it’s easy to turn on the TV in the background when you’re cooking, cleaning, or doing any of the other activities on this list. Instead of upping your screen time, find a new favourite thing to listen to. Listening to a podcast is a great way to stay entertained, and it allows you to do tasks at the same time. Check out Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and a host of other platforms for every podcast under the sun.Do a Home Workout
It’s important to stay active, even when you’re at home. With lockdown in our rear views we all need a little more movement in our lives. Combined with a good vitamin regimen, exercise can also help to boost your immunity. Take this chance to get your heart rate up and those endorphins pumping by doing a workout at home. If you’re unsure where to begin, there are plenty of online works outs and fitness apps you can try. A few of our favourites are: Les Mills on Demand (it’s New Zealand owned too!), Freeletics and Keep It Cleaner.
Declutter Your Home
Tidy home, tidy mind, right? Whether you want to go full-blown Marie Kondo or you just want to refold your towels in your linen closest, doing a bit of tidying and organising around the house will give you a satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you’re done. Find a section of the house you’d most like to see a difference in and make a plan to tackle it from top to bottom. Maybe your skincare collection needs organising and refreshing, or perhaps your kitchen pantry could do with some sorting out.
Stock up on essential home cleaning products that will work on every corner of your home. No matter which cleaning products you need, we’ve got you covered for the big home clean.
Skype or FaceTime a Loved One
If there’s anything lockdown has taught us, it’s that you can still be social no matter how far apart we may be. If you just don’t feel like going out, or you need a quick pick-me-up, few things work better than seeing the face of a loved one. Give one of your friends or family members a buzz to catch up. There are few things in life more effective at cheering someone up than a smile from someone they love.
Shop with Pricewise for all your at-home, mood-boosting needs.
Our online store is open with products ready to ship direct to your door! Browse the Pricewise site for tips and tricks, essential products and more. Boost your mood stat with Pricewise today!
Main image: @shaninashaik
