How some of our Sixth Formers have spent their first week of no school

Hannah Oliver, Year 13 and one of our mental health ambassadors leaders, sent us some of her 10 top tips for managing living in isolation.  See if you agree with Hannah or try some of these out for yourself.   We would love you to put together one of your own to share via our blog too!

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Week One of Isolation

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a blog by Eleanor Chesterton

✧ Sunday ✧

It was Mother’s Day! Originally, we planned to go to the local pub for a meal in celebration but obviously the pubs had been forced to close by this point. Instead we stayed home and cooked a Sunday Lunch with apple pie and custard for dessert.
The rest of the day was spent indoors. I joined a group call with friends where we managed to play a few party games online. In the evening I got round to finishing the line art on a digital sketch I’ve been working on for a while, whilst starting a re-watch of Doctor Who.
Tip: Start a project such a drawing, painting or crafts. Work on it a little bit everyday so by the end of these three weeks you will have created something amazing!

✧ Monday ✧

I began to work on some coursework, then moved on to finish up some biology notes just to keep my mind active and learning. At lunch my family and I walked to the shops to get some fresh air and I ended up buying a peony to take care of. He has been named Jaquez by my brother.

I was extremely disheartened by the announcement of the lockdown; however, measures must be taken to keep everyone safe. I am hoping for good news in the review in three-weeks’ time.
Tip: Go for a walk if you don’t use the permitted time outside for exercises such as running or cycling. It’s springtime and the weather is warming up. Just because we’re isolated, doesn’t mean you can’t soak up some sun and breath some fresh air (especially since there are less cars about)!

✧ Tuesday ✧

Took the liberty of a lie-in and did a few chores to help out around the house as my parents are currently working from home. We took our lunchtime walk and I collected a few more books to keep me going. After doing some notes on the rest of my German History course (I am determined to finish it) I did my ironing which sounds very boring, however, I find it quite relaxing. Another group call with friends, playing more online party games. Keeping up morale. In the evening I planned an essay on Elizabeth I and religion then practised yoga for half an hour to keep healthy.
Tip: Try video calling or talk over the phone with a friend every one or two days. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of just functioning day to day. Establish a time to join a call with someone not in your household so it gives you something to look forward to.

✧ Wednesday ✧

Started with some more chores this morning and began to write the essay I had planned yesterday. This way I can transfer my learning into another form and improve my writing ability. Had my lunchtime walk, another lovely sunny day as well, then called a friend to have a chat whilst I had some lunch. Wednesday is my night to cook tea, so I cook a nice vegetarian meal for my family in order to reduce meat intake and expose them to new dishes. However, today I fell back onto my ‘comfort pasta’ recipe so next week I will make sure to challenge myself to cook something new. In the evening I tried some new yoga exercises for half an hour and began to write this ‘blog’. I recommend others try this as well; it gives you a way to organise your thoughts and a chance to reflect on what you’ve done so far and how you can improve your productivity in times like these. For instance, I haven’t been as productive as I probably should be so tomorrow, I will tidy my room, revisit some biology, and continue reading a book on human evolution (interesting, I know).

Tip: Try cooking something new! Doesn’t have to be anything complicated but it doesn’t hurt to expand your culinary knowledge (also try to cook something vegetarian if you can!)

✧ Thursday ✧

I began the day by tidying my room a reorganising my shelves in my wardrobe for a better use of space. I also continued reading my book (Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari) and covered an interesting chapter on the merging of science and empire in the 18^th century. We got lost on our daily walk so it was cut short, but I chatted to a friend, completed a maths paper, and revisited some biology topics in the afternoon. At the time of writing this, I am just about to do some exercises – I’m aiming to be able to do the splits in the time that we have. Goals for tomorrow; make some more history notes to complete the courses, and look at revisiting German.
Tip: To keep your mind active, try reading some non-fiction. It doesn’t have to be historical; it can be on anything you enjoy learning about!