How to not go "stir crazy" during this incredibly difficult time

As many people are being told to stay at home during this awful time, many of us are learning what "stir-crazy" actually means!!

We can only leave our homes if it is completely essential such as buying food, going to the pharmacy or attending vital hospital or doctor appointments. Some people even have to completely stay at home for 15 days if they "think" they have been exposed to someone with the disease.

We are surrounded by cupboards and fridges full of food, we have Netflix, Prime Video, social media and friends or family in the next room or online. But even so, staying at home for a few weeks is an incredible challenge for all of us.

All our lives have a routine. Be it taking the kids to school, meeting friends for a drink, going to work, going to the gym, walking the dog in the park, whatever it is, a major disruption in this routine causes us a huge amount of stress.

The lack of those feelings of achievement such as a good workout, a productive day, a good night out do have an impact on a person's mood.

There is also of course the loss of freedom, loneliness, boredom and a massive uncertainty over when this will end.

So this page is a serious and light hearted way of trying to help you come up with ideas of what to do once your home becomes your whole world.


So first the serious stuff. As quoted by the "Mental Health Foundation" in the UK .. 


"It will help to try and see it as a different period of time in your life, and not necessarily a bad one, even if you didn’t choose it.

It will mean a different rhythm of life, a chance to be in touch with others in different ways than usual. Be in touch with other people regularly on social media, e-mail or on the phone, as they are still good ways of being close to the people who matter to you. 

Create a new daily routine that has the priority of looking after yourself. You could try reading more or watching movies, having an exercise routine, trying new relaxation techniques, or finding new knowledge on the internet. Try and rest and view this as a new if unusual experience, that might have its benefits.  "

And here is the report regarding Mental health from the WHO organisation....  WHO mental health

There is also some great advice from UNICEF for parents ...   UNICEFadvice

So now the fun bit. I'm going to try and find the best ideas of things to hopefully keep you sane during your confinement. If you have any other ideas then please send them to us.

Be creative in the kitchen.

We can still go to the supermarket and so there is no excuse for not cooking that good old home-made food. Spending a few hours preparing a meal can be very therapeutic and helps pass the time. I have been doing a bit of surfing and have found a few really fun and interesting sites ...



Food blogs                                    50 best food blogs out there


Eats Amazing                               Great fun food page for kids


Ina Garten                                     Ina Garten Making a Cocktail Is the Only Quarantine Cooking                                                          Video You Need


SCIE                                             Activities for people with dementia based around food


BBC Good Food                           How to teach your kids to cook from age 3!!


Food.com                                      Funny Food and Joke Recipes


New York Times                            East recipes to cook while you are self-quarantined


The Daily Meal                              Vintage recipes no-one makes anymore but should


Good Housekeeping                      Homebound Hacks: A Guide to Cooped-Up Cooking from the                                                           guys  at Good Housekeeping 

Virtual Museums

Do a virtual tour of some of the most famous museums in the World

You can go to the museum without having to get off your sofa!! 

How amazing is that? Also print colouring pages and let your kids 

interact 

The British Museum                    This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual    

visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Guggenheim Museum                 Google’s Street view feature lets visitors tour the 

Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover 

incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary 

eras.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris                   You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses 

dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1846 and 1914. Get 

a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

Museum Korea                            One of Korea’s popular museums can be accessed from 

anywhere around the world. Google’s virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary 

art from Korea and all over the globe.

    

Pergamon Museum, Berlin          As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam    Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam     Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see 

his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection 

of  artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 

personal letters.



The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles    European artworks from as far back as the 8th 

Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge 

collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.



Uffizi Gallery, Florence      This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of 

Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio 

Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls 

from anywhere in the world.



MASP, São Paulo        The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil’s first modern 

museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in 

midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.
     

   
To help people relax and enjoy some culture, dozens of museums, galleries, and libraries are allowing people to download coloring pages inspired by the museums' art collections.



The Getty                Downloadable colouring pages from the Getty Museum

There are so many mueseum offering colouring pages. Here is a selection ....

Colouring pages


Children's Museum of Manhattan   While the Museum is closed, the museum educators are 

working to fill your child’s day with engaging interactive activity. The museum can still be a part 

of  your day through videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with 

your family at home!
 

   

Other online Webcams and video streaming

Edinburgh Zoo                 Live feed of the penguins, koalas, pandas, tigers and rockhopper 

penguins

Longleat                           Longleat virtual safari



Sandiego Zoo Web cams     This is the ape cam as it's  my favourite but you can go to loads of 

other webcams at the zoo. Excellent site

Earth Cam                          Take a quick and easy vacation by checking out the many live views 

from all over the world offered by Earth Cam—from scenic, relaxing beaches to Times Square, 

Earth Cam has something for everyone.


Africam                            Watch African wildlife gather at waterholes on several live cams


Aquarium of the Pacific   Several live webcams placed inside several of the aquarium's exhibits


Warrior Canine                 Absolutely love this.  Warrior Canine Connection Puppy Enrichment 

Centre, where golden and labrador retrievers train to become service dogs. It's puppy cam!!!

Other Fun Sites

Crufts 2020                        Large International Agility Final Crufts 2020