Hi readers,

I hope you’ve been well over these past two weeks. Although I couldn’t bring you an edition last week due to taking some much-needed annual leave, I hope you were still able to get your weekly dose of positive news in these uncertain times!

I am what many may call a busy-body, someone that’s usually always on the go. Not only do I work two jobs and six days a week, I enjoy attending events, meeting up with friends, visiting art exhibitions, volunteering, staying fit etc. Staying busy is my personal well-being, because as you can now tell, I am not someone that likes to stay at home doing nothing. Don’t get me wrong, who doesn’t love a Netflix day every now and then, but even those days for me are usually broken up with facetime calls with friends and gym sessions.

So as you can imagine, this period of social distancing has been difficult for me. As much as I needed the rest and annual leave, I found myself still looking for distractions. I wanted to rest and give my mind a break, but I still wanted to do something… So I found some free things to do from home while still giving myself some much needed R&R. These were so helpful that I thought I’d compile a list for you.

So without further ado, here are some positive ideas to start your week as you mean to go on, making the most of Monday:

  

Watch a play online! The National Theatre has been keeping audiences at home on the edge of their sofas by streaming plays from its archive on YouTube for free since we went into lockdown. Every Thursday at 7PM sees a new National Theatre play released, along with bonus content including cast and creatives Q&As and post-stream talks. This week, look forward to Antony and Cleopatra starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo.

Visit an exhibition virtually! Museums and art galleries globally are catering to an online audience with amazing virtual tours. Many institutions around the world have vast online archives, meaning you can take a digital stroll through art history from your living room. Here’s a list compiled by Timeout London to get stuck into.

Take a well-being course! There are hundreds of courses out there to help you achieve your goal of bettering your-wellbeing. Whether it’s creating a regular routine, learning to relax and unwind, or embracing change. Just give it a search and there’s a course out there for you. My recommendation would be The Science of Well-being offered by Yale where Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change.

Engage with your community, at a distance! Families up and down the country, including the The Whitley family from Garforth, are spreading positive cheer in their streets by drawing on the pavement outside their homes, in Garforth it was a playground-style obstacle course. The colourful chalk designs include a hopscotch, a follow the line and a jump-the-line game that people can play as they do their daily exercise. So if you want a new way to complete your daily exercise and you have some chalk, get involved!

 

That’s it from me, I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of #MaketheMostofMonday. If you have anything to add, please drop me a line at [email protected] or tweet/DM. I do endeavour to keep producing this blog, but it may become increasingly difficult in the coming weeks (So please send any good news that comes your way!). In the meantime, I hope you have a lovely rest of your week, stay safe, and stay positive 😊