On our guest blog series this week, the wonderful Rona McMillan fills us in on how she's been fighting those fidgety feelings during lockdown. Rona (go check out her amazing instagram- @ronamcmillan) spends a lot of her life adventuring outdoors around Scotland so to be stuck inside has been a big adjustment, but in a way that might help a few of us, she shares what's keeping her smiling in the times of social isolation. Our next guest blog will be released on Thursday 28th May.
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I think I share a mutual feeling with most when I say we are feeling well and truly snowed in at the moment, except it’s a little more painful because it’s bright and sunny outside – and under normal circumstances we would be at the beach or in a beer garden! For anyone who spends a lot of their spare time outdoors like I do, you’re probably experiencing the same itchy feet feeling that I have. By that I mean, frustrated, lonely and a bit like a caged animal.
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I’m sure we are all fairly settled into the groove of lockdown by now, and our routines however lenient, are probably starting to feel more like normal. However, bad days still creep up – and it’s sometimes helpful to have someone nudge you gently in the direction of doing something that will help.
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Here’s what I do on days that don’t feel so good
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Photo editing – I’ve really enjoyed scrolling through old hard drives that are full of unedited photos that have been stored and forgotten about for months, years even! It’s a good way to pass a few hours – I airdrop the images onto my phone and edit them on the lightroom app, before they make their way onto Insta!
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Learn a new skill – the benefit of being isolated with your older brother who has enough outdoor equipment to supply a small shop is that I have access to his kit room– and for some reason his long board was screaming my name! I’m not very good yet, but it’s been nice to spend some time every week concentrating on something new.
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Surprise my friends – since day one of lockdown I’ve been getting back into making art. I went to art school, so it’s something I used to spend most of my time doing – but since graduating, art has taken a back seat. Last week I sent out a few small drawings and paintings to my friends, with a note to say I missed them! It felt quite nice to be able to do something nice for someone else. (Whether they appreciated my doodles or not is another question!)
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Exercise – it goes without saying that this helps! I’ve been doing lots of short runs around the city, walks in the evening and the occasional Joe Wicks youtube workout!
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Enjoy down time – my new favourite place to read is up on my living room windowsill with the sliding door cracked open, it almost feels like I’m outside! And as the sun sets, I light my favourite Essence of Harris candle and listen to music most of the night. But whatever you do, avoid watching Tiger King at all costs.
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Food – forget banana bread and exploding sourdough starters, because flour is as scarce as a night out in the Park Bar right now. I’ve been ordering meat, fish and veggies from local suppliers in Glasgow and following recipes posted by my lovely friend Rebecca (@rebeccacooks_).
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Thanks for reading – and if you’d like to stay updated on what I’m getting up to during lockdown come and say hello on Instagram @ronamcmillan
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