Our Top 10 Isolation Activities
If you gave us the option in January to work from home for a few weeks on the bounce, the chances are most of us would have jumped at the opportunity.
However, with lockdown being the intense reality for the majority of us over the last 7 weeks, the novelty may have now worn off (just a little bit) - and we’ll certainly be glad when it’s all over and we get some freedom back.
In the meantime though, we all need to do our bit and #StayAtHome - so with the current restrictions and limited entertainment options on offer, here’s our Top 10 isolation activities you guys should all try (if you haven’t rinsed them all already them that is)…
1. Zoom Quizzes
To us uber-cool millennials, the idea of doing a quiz for fun may have previously seemed a bit lame, or simply an excuse for a piss-up at the pub. However, quarantine changes the game, and quizzes have been keeping us sane - definitely don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
These quizzes have proven popular with families, friends and even between colleagues - with people getting incredibly creative around themes and topics (Tiger King trivia, anyone?).
Zoom’s active daily users have reportedly jumped from 10million to 200million in just 3 months! With social distancing keeping us physically apart, this platform has provided us with an effective way of staying together socially, and keep up with those we care about.
The meteoric rise of the Zoom quiz has really helped to spice up the fun a little, and provided a way for us all to interact non-awkwardly with those dusty old family members that we don’t always see eye to eye with…
2. House Party App
House Party is another social video app that has experienced massive growth since the start of lockdown. Despite having its critics (mainly focussed on security issues), millions of us are using the app for an average of 55 mins a day according to statistics.
The word ‘social’ is exaggerated here, as it seems to be the place most of us are going to have that Friday drink, the vibe we’d usually share with mates in person - or sometimes even complete strangers (if that’s your vibe…). The freedom within the app, allowing you to hop in and out of Houseparty’s has meant that the app has become the new way to meet new people on a night out, or ‘in’ should we say.
It’s all great fun, getting lit on the app with people, but also quite an odd experience when you sign out and realise you’re sat in your bedroom alone and drunk. Make sure you have some munchies in the house in preparation…
3. Quarantine Radio
Now we have already dedicated a whole blog post to the achievements of Tory Lanez during lockdown. However, he definitely deserves another mention here with his Quarantine Radio show breaking the record for the most viewed instagram Live stream - 3 nights in a row!
He’s providing that club experience right to your bedroom - complete with bottles of Ciroc, sparklers, and ingenious adlibs, not to mention borderline illegal amounts of post-watershed content (which has already put him in Instagram jail for a few days...)
While we are here, we should also shout out Swarmz, who has been repping team UK with his own rendition of the show. However his catch phrase “F**k the guidelines” has also prompted a crackdown by the Instagram police, with him receiving a much more severe sentence than Tory.
Swarmz is currently trying to get his controversial Insta account back, which had grown to over 1m followers during lockdown - but let’s see how the story unfolds from here…
4. Tik Tok
Whether you are making videos or just on the platform to watch them, Tik Tok is the number one app that has really shaped this lockdown experience for many of us. It took a while to catch on, but with 800m active daily users (considerably more than Instagram) this app is here to stay - whether you like it or not.
With more time on our hands, now is the best time to get a grip with the new ways of creating and consuming content that this innovative platform offers you. If you’re into social media and youth culture trends, it’s definitely the place to be online - or if you just want to watch jokes short videos of people singing, dancing and making fools of themselves publicly, it’s pretty good for that too!
5. Banana Bread
Lockdown seems to have unlocked everyone’s inner Mary Berry. We aren’t sure why banana bread has been the go-to recipe of choice, however we think it is making the world a better place. Not much else to say on this one - probably our favourite on the list, and certainly the sweetest, get yourself a tasty tray in the oven now. Simple & scrumptious.
6. Eating
Naturally following on from our previous activity, but it’s not just banana bread that we are stuffing our faces full of. It’s everything and anything we can get our hungry hands on! Quarantine-induced extra inches around the waist are okay in our opinion, as long as everybody is happy - which we always are if we’re munching banana bread, cheese, chocolate, or strawberries of course…
7. Home work outs
Gyms are right up there with the things we are really missing the most. However, home workouts have shown us that we can get by without them - providing you get creative, and leave your lockdown laziness at the door.
With the likes of Joe Wicks bringing accessible workouts to your front room, and people turning their gardens into yoga parties, we are really happy to see so many people getting involved and keeping fit - despite the current restrictions making it tricker.
Hats off to everyone who has done a 5k for £5 donation and nominated 5 mates too! Also shame on any of you who have cheated and posted an outrageously unobtainable time - our favourite was that one which beat the world record, didn’t quite think that one through did they…
8. Reading
Leaders are readers! We’re really happy to see those who have used lockdown to increase their amount of book time and broaden their minds. We won’t ever see free time like this again, so why not use it to tick off a load of those vintage classics you’ve never turned a page from (we’ve managed a couple, Great Gatbsy and Of Mice & Men are pretty short tbh…)
If old fashioned page-turning books aren’t for you though, there has been big increase in audiobook services and summary book apps too - which we suggest you give a go, even if reading isn’t your thing. You might just find it a relaxing alternative to banging tunes & Houseparty seshes…
9. Netflix
A big shout out to Netflix too, obvs. In our time of need, you really delivered. It was like they were saving content for this precise moment in history. From Tiger King, to Ozark, to the Michael Jordan documentary (just to name a few of our favourites) - Netflix have really shown the vital importance of steaming services in today’s society. In times like these, it is absolutely okay to just binge watch to the max - no one is judging you!
10. #STAYATHOMECHALLENGE
Now with all the extra time we have on our hands, people are able to make some really impressive ‘Stay At Home Challenge’ videos. We unfortunately don’t have any one in the team blessed with such skills, but we want to put the word out now - WHO’S NAN IS THIS!?
Please someone collect her and we’ll deliver her one of our Summer 2020 cancelled hoodies so that she can recreate this masterpiece. Thank you all, and stay safe you lovely lot! x
LIMITED EDITION ‘Summer 2020 Cancelled’ MERCH
Cop one of our exclusive ‘Summer 2020 Cancelled’ tees & hoodies here - limited stock is selling out fast! Get your hands on some lockdown loungewear, and raise money for an important cause at the same time…
£2 from the sale of every item goes towards the incredible work of Age UK, supporting older people during the Coronavirus crisis.
Age UK’s Registered Charity Number: 1128267.
