Firstly, I'm sorry for the radio silence on the blog and hope everyone is staying home, staying safe, and keeping as well as they can. I've decided for the moment that I won't be posting the reviews I'm yet to post until the lockdown is over, but will mention which reviews were done before the COVID-19 situation happened when they do eventually come out. Unfortunately, for me, I'm one of the 1.5m people in the shielding group, which means no travelling for at least 12 weeks. However, I know that many of you will be itching to book trips again as soon as you can, which is why I'll be posting reviews again as soon as the main lockdown in the UK is over. However, while the main lockdown is happening, and those of us used to frequently travelling are at home, I thought it would be useful to share some tips and tricks on different areas of daily life with you all. Some of these tips I've become accustomed to doing myself, while others are tips which we could all benefit from during this uncertain time. Self-care Self-care during this uncertain time is essential not only for our physical health but mental wellbeing as well. When everything can feel so alien, with our usual routine out the window, it's important to keep some aspects of our old routine so that we find it easier to get back on track. When it comes to your skin, my advice is to continue with the same skin care products and regime when travelling. While all of us know that frequent travel, in general, takes its toll on our skin; now is the time that the products you use to keep your skin as healthy as possible are more likely to work, since you won't be subjecting your skin to all the stresses of travelling. If you have travel sizes of your favourite products already opened, then make use of them while on lockdown instead of buying more product. Not only will this save you money, it'll help you to naturally declutter spaces. Talking of travel-sized products, sort out those free toiletries you've never used from your travels and consider donating them to a worthy cause. Many charities are stretched for donations meaning your travel-sized toiletries will be more welcome than ever. Even better, you could donate them to your local hospital for distribution amongst staff and patients, who would be eternally grateful for them in these tough times. Make use of your garden/balcony if you have one If you're lucky enough to have a balcony or garden then now is the time to make use of it! Not only does a private outdoor space give you another option to do exercise in if you're using workout videos to keep fit during the lockdown, but it will mean a change of scenery instead of looking at walls all the time. Being outside also means getting fresh air which can help with clearing the mind and mental wellbeing. If space on your balcony or garden allows, and you need something different to entice you to spend more time outdoors, consider getting a new hammock like the one I brought recently from Amazon, or something similar that you can relax on while you work from your laptop or take a few moments to yourself. Another reason to make use of any outside space you have access to is that while the main lockdown is on, you may find that as there is likely to be less background noise from traffic, you're able to enjoy the space more than you usually would. Plus with enjoying the outdoors spaces comes the benefit of getting much-needed vitamin D while also keeping that base tan topped up that most of us frequent travellers have become used to when the sun is out! Accepting that it's ok to not be doing something every day It goes without saying that this is an entirely new situation for most of us, even people who would usually work from home when not travelling are struggling! Despite most social media posts we see saying otherwise, it's important to remember that how you spend your time is up to you, so don't feel pressured into having to do a workout video or meditation etc. everyday. Another thing to remember is that you shouldn't feel like you must learn a new skill or get into a new hobby while the country is on effective lockdown. This is one of those rare times where you can slow down without feeling guilty if that's what you need to do. Slowing down for some of us means catching up on much-needed rest, or reflecting on areas of life that need some thought; something most of us won't have had time to do until now! Use some this time to plan new trips for when you can travel again! If you're like me, you'll be itching to get back to travelling the world one destination at a time as soon as is possible. The good thing is that some travel companies have extended their sales to help those who want to get something booked in for shortly after the lockdown ends. I know for me in particular, having something booked in gives me something to look forward to when so many plans have been changed, and so many trips cancelled! Booking now also helps companies get some revenue to help them through these tough times, and for smaller companies the income they get from people booking now could be the difference between them surviving the crisis and having to cease trading for good. Getting the most of your frequent flying/ hotel loyalty programme while you're not travelling If you're looking at spending points during the lockdown or collecting them during the lockdown for that long-awaited trip, then look at the frequent flyer and hotel rewards programmes you are part of to see what partner offers they have. For example, British Airways Executive club allows you to redeem Avios on Laithewaites wine. Also, with the rewards store, you can earn Avios to put towards your next trip while shopping online for goods to get you through this period. Another offer they currently have is with Nutmeg which gives you 2500 Avios when you open an ISA with them. As we are at the beginning of a new tax year, this may be something that you may wish to look into if, like me, 1 or more of your savings accounts have had their interest rate slashed to almost nothing! When it comes to hotel reward programmes, IHG Rewards Club allows you to redeem points for products in their online rewards catalogue. You can choose from a range of products across home, fashion, food and beauty, plus they have gifts in their online catalogue too! Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they have many options for collecting points but if you have a fair few stacked away, then at least you have the opportunity to spend them on something other than hotel nights! Got any tips for surviving the lockdown? Comment what your tips are and let's all help each other out! Keep well and stay safe!
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