{English follows Afrikaans}
Ons het slegs 7 dae in die eerste Suid-Afrikaanse grendelstaat oor gehad. Ons was almal gereed om ons slaapklere te verruil vir iets meer gestileerd, ons vriende te sien, te sosialiseer… En daar kondig die President ‘n twee weke verlenging van die inperking aan. 14 meer dae wat ons vasgekeer is tussen die vier mure van ons huis.
Daar is al heelwat memes wat die rondte op sosiale media doen. My gunsteling tot dus ver is die een wat spot dat die eerste twee weke van inperking slegs ‘n toetslopie was en die werklike inperking nou eers aangebreek het. Ek vind dit snaaks juis omdat ek kan vereenseldig daarmee. Aan die begin van die inperking was ek positief, gerat met oefenplanne, gereed om op te vang met universiteitswerk en om ‘n nuwe vaardigheid of twee aan te leer. Die waarheid is; ek het nie eers by die helfte van daardie planne uitgekom nie.
Ek gaan probeer om die silwer randjie van hierdie inperkingswolk te soek en hierdie ekstra 14 dae gebruik om my eendjies in ‘n ry te kry en vir ‘n slag werklik produktief te wees. Met dit gesê, het ek ‘n paar wenke saamgestel oor wat om nie te doen hierdie volgende paar weke nie. Anders sit ons weer waar ons begin het.
MOENIE jouself laat gaan nie
Kom ons wees nou eerlik, dit is baie gerieflik om die hele dag in jou slaapklere rond te loop. Probeer ten minste net om elke aand ‘n skoon stel aan te trek! Dit is ook nou nie nodig om elke dag ‘n vol-gesig grimering aan te sit as net jou kat jou gaan sien nie (grimering is duur, so spaar dit vir wanneer ons weer uit kan gaan). Dit beteken egter nie dat jy nou niks meer oor jou voorkoms moet omgee nie, trek steeds elke oggend aan, was jou gesig en kam jou hare. Dit help om beheer te vat oor jou dag en hits jou produktiwiteit aan.
MOENIE die krag van roetine onderskat nie
Ja, ek weet. Dit voel soos vakansie en ‘n vaste slaap- en opstaantyd is die laaste ding waaraan ons dink. Maar dit is steeds belangrik om ‘n mate van ‘n roetine te hê. Nie net sal dit help om al jou varkies op hok te hou nie, maar dit sal definitief verseker dat jy produktief is deur die dag. Stel jou alarm, kry ‘n vinnige sweet sessie in en eet ‘n smaaklike ontbyt om jou van die nodige energie te verskaf vir die dag wat voorlê. Ek weet nie van julle nie, maar as my oggend stadig en lui begin, is my hele dag sommer ook stadig en lui. Probeer ook om teen ‘n aanvaarbare tyd in die bed kom (NIE 2 uur die oggend nie). Jou liggaam sal net baat by ‘n vaste slaaproetine en die energie wat verkry word deur ‘n voldoende nagrus.
MOENIE, NIE ‘n doen-lysie hê nie
Die wenk sluit by die bogenoemde een aan. Skryf dit wat jy beoog om die volgende dag te doen, neer. Dit hoef nie ‘n magdom van take te wees nie. Wees realisties en skryf 3 tot 5 takies per dag neer.
Doen-lysies is ‘n slim manier om jou verantwoordelik vir jou take te hou. Ek voel altyd aardig as ek ‘n taak, wat ek vandag kón afhandel, op môre se lysie moet skryf. Elke takie wat jy as afgehandel kan merk, is soos ‘n klop op die skouer.
MOENIE die hele dag eet nie
Wat doen ons as ons verveeld is? Eet. Wat is ons tydens die inperking? Verveeld. Ons doen dus wat…? EET! Dit is die bose kringloop waarin die meeste van ons onsself bevind gedurende die afgelope paar weke. Probeer om nie uit verveeldheid die yskas jou beste maatjie te maak nie. Eet jou gewone drie maaltye per dag, met ‘n peuselhappie hier en daar. Probeer ook om die gesonde alternatief te kies wanneer dit by peuselgoed kom. Ooretery is nie net sleg vir jou gesondheid nie, maar kosse wat hoog in suiker of “high GI” is, is geneig om mens moeg te laat voel. Tydens die vertering van die tipes voedsel word Serotonien vrygestel, en dit speel ‘n rol in die regulering van ‘n mens se slaappatrone en gemoed. En van magies vol en ogies toe, gaan niks op die doen-lysies afgemerk word nie...
MOENIE vergeet om te oefen nie
Dit is baie maklik om van oefen te “vergeet”, en vir die eerste week en ‘n half was dit ook die laaste ding waaraan ek gedink het. Ons besef dit nie, maar ons beweeg omtrent 60% minder as op ‘n normale dag. Ons draf nie van klas tot klas op kampus nie, loop nie deur ‘n inkopiesenturm nie en gaan draf beslis nie buite die grense van ons huise nie. Meeste van die tyd lê ons op die bank of sit agter ‘n rekenaar (loop van die bank tot by die yskas tel nie as oefen nie). Doen jouself ‘n guns en jaag jou hartklop bietjie op. Daar is ‘n magdom tuis-oefenprogramme en YouTube video’s wat jy kan nader trek. HASfit.com en madFit, is twee van my gunsteling YouTube kanale. Daar is hope ander YouTube kanale met oefeninge van Crossfit tot pilates, iewers is daar ‘n program wat jy gaan geniet. Om nie eers te praat van al die komplimente waarmee jy oorval gaan word aan die einde van die inperking nie!
MOENIE so hard wees op jouself nie
Laaste maar nie die minste nie. Moenie jouself te veel kastei in hierdie tyd nie. Om gedurende ‘n pandemie en ‘n inperking te leef, is iets waarmee ons nog nooit gekonfronteer is nie, en niemand weet hoe om dit te hanteer nie. Die onsekerheid oor wat die toekoms inhou, eis ‘n groter tol op ons emosionele welstand as wat ons aldag wil erken. So, doen net jou beste, deur die bogenoemde wenke te gebruik, om sin van hierdie ongekende omstandighede te maak. Vat dinge dag vir dag. En onthou, jy is nie alleen nie! Dis okay om bang en oorwelidig te voel. Gesels met jou geliefdes oor hoe jy voel. Die verkeerdste ding wat jy nou kan doen is om jou gevoelens op te krop of jouself met mense op sosiale media te vergelyk, wat lyk of hulle die tyd van hulle lewe het, want hulle het nie!
Om vir 5 weke vasgekeer te wees, is nie ‘n grap nie. Kom ons gebruik die tyd tot die beste van ons vermoë om iets goed uit die donker tye te laat kom. Onthou, hierdie maak deel uit van die stories wat ons eendag aan ons kinders gaan vertel. Maak seker dis iets wat oorvertel kan word.
Geskryf en vertaal deur: Corné Senekal
Geredigeer deur: Maggie Wassermann Foto bronne: Gabriel Nadai, Susan Briante, Rob Baker, Clipart, Sabel Skaya
What NOT to do during lockdown
We had 7 days left to South Africa’s first ever national lockdown. Everyone was ready to get out of their pyjamas, see their friends, socialise… But the joke was on us when the President announced that the lockdown period will be extended by two more weeks. That is fourteen more days of being confided to the walls of our homes.
There are many memes doing the rounds on social media, my favourite one thus far is the one joking that the first two weeks of lockdown was only the trial period. I think it’s so funny to me because I relate to it quite a bit. At the beginning of lockdown, I had a whole scheduled plan of what I’ll be doing; 21-day workout plans, catching up on university work, learning a new skill etc. The sad truth is, I didn’t get to half of what I sought out to do.
But trying to put a positive spin on this lockdown extension - I see it as a second chance to get all my ducks in a row and actually be productive this time around. With that said, I compiled a list of things not to during the next few weeks at home, as it will surely stray you from everything you plan to do during this time period.
Do NOT let yourself go
Not going to lie, it’s fun to stay in ones pj’s the whole day. But at least change into a clean pair at night! There is no need to put on a full face of makeup everyday if no one is going to see you (makeup is expensive, so save it for when we can go out again) but this isn’t the time to let go of yourself. Get dressed, wash your face and comb your hair. It will help you feel put together and somewhat in control in these uncertain times. Wearing clothes other than your pyjamas will help “fool” your mind to get into work mode because comfy pj’s equals sleep time.
Do NOT go without a routine
Yes, I know. It feels like you’re on holiday and shouldn’t be worrying about bedtimes and such. On the contrary, it is very important to establish some sort of routine for yourself. Not only will it keep you sane, but it will help you to get things done throughout the day. Set your alarm for the same time every morning, do a quick workout to get the endorphins going, have a healthy breakfast and set off to the rest of your day. I don’t know about you guys, but if I have a slow and lazy morning, my whole day turns out to be slow and lazy… Also try to go to bed at a reasonable hour (2 o’clock is a no-no), around the same time every night. Your body will appreciate the consistency in its sleep schedule and will leave you feeling more energized the next day.
Do NOT have no to-do list
This tip links well with the previous one. Write down what you are planning on doing that day and add little check boxes you can tick after completion. You don’t have to do 20 tasks a day, write down the top 3 or 5 things you want to get done and commit to doing it. Having a list with things you can tick off after completion will help you feel accomplished and at the end of the day when you wonder “what did I do today?”, you can go and see what you did. To-do lists are also a clever way of keeping you accountable. I always feel a bit ashamed when I must add a task, which I could’ve finished that day, on the next day’s list.
Do NOT eat the whole day
What do we do when we are bored? Eat. How are we feeling most of the time during lockdown? Bored. And then we…EAT! It’s a vicious cycle most of us has found ourselves in the past couple of weeks. Strain yourself from going to the fridge the second you think you’re bored. Have your three main meals each day and a casual snack here and there. Opt out for a healthier snack too. Overeating isn’t just bad for your health and weight but eating too much and foods rich in sugar or high GI, makes you feel tired. This is because the digestion of these foods produces a chemical, Serotonin that plays a role in regulating mood and sleep cycles. Eating and sleeping the whole day will surely not help to get the things done on your to-do list…
Do NOT forget to exercise
This is an easy one to forget about and for the first week and a half at home I gave no thought into it. We don’t realise it, but we move our bodies about 60% less than on a normal day. We don’t walk/sprint to class on campus, take a stroll in the mall or in a park or even go for a run outside. Most of the time we are either lying on the couch, bed or sitting behind a computer (the walk to the fridge doesn’t count as exercise!). So do your body a favour and move it around a bit! There are tons of home workouts on YouTube. Some of my favourite channels are HASfit.com and madFIT, if you guys want to go check them out. There is plenty more channels with workouts, and surely one you’ll enjoy doing, not to mention the endorphin rush after a workout and how great
you will look and feel when you get to see your friends again (compliment spamming coming your way).
Do NOT be so hard on yourself
The last, but not the least tip I have for you, is not to chastise yourself in this time. Living amidst a pandemic and a lockdown is unchartered water for most of us. Not knowing what the future holds is more stressful than we think. So just do your best in these uncertain times. Try to figure out how you are going to handle these abnormal circumstances with the tips above and just take it day by day. You are not alone in feeling scared and overwhelmed, so talk with loved ones about it. The worst thing you can do now is to bottle your feelings up and compare yourself to everyone on social media who looks as if they’re living their best life during this pandemic (newsflash, they aren’t).
5 weeks of lockdown is no joke. But we can use this time to the best of our abilities to make something good come out of this grim time. Remember this experience is going to shape the stories we tell our children someday, so make sure it’s good!
Written and translated by: Corné Senekal
Edited by: Maggie Wassermann
Photo sources: Gabriel Nadai, Susan Briante, Rob Baker, Clipart, Sabel Skaya
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