Hi readers,

I hope you are all well and managed to safely enjoy the lovely weather this weekend ðŸ˜Š

Was last week’s edition helpful? Have you managed to create some sort of routine that best suits you? Take a look at this link if you have no idea what I’m talking about but want to know more! 

So how are your days looking at the moment readers? Do you often find yourself aimlessly scrolling? Are you binging a series but not actually sure what you're watching? Do you find yourself thinking every day is the weekend? I feel really lucky, as well as having no other responsibilities, I still have work to get me through my days and I’ve adopted some hobbies to get me through my evenings and weekends. Unfortunately, during this pandemic not everyone is as fortunate. Some have been furloughed, some workplaces have closed with no work available to do at home, and some simply want to do more with their time in the evenings and weekends. If you fall into this category, or simply want more activities to get you through the day, then this edition is for you. I’ve compiled a list of some resources and ideas to keep your days filled, and best of all, everything I’ve listed is free! All you need is an internet connection.

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

* Educational courses: Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn and never had the time? Many institutions are providing various courses online completely free of charge. The Open University have a variety of courses available at all levels, such as languages, history and sports, and Udemy have also created a resource centre for a range of skills, from coding to baking.

Workouts: Struggling to keep fit without going to the gym? There’s an abundance of home workouts available to do online in so many different forms, such as apps, videos and some PT’s are even using video conferencing! To make it easier, here’s a few of my favourites that are all free and only require only require a small amount of space:

  • The Body Coach #PEwithJoe – Want something to get you up and moving? I know I’ve spoken about this for two weeks already, but for somewhere to start, this is honestly great. As well as being suitable for all ages and fitness levels, it’s live at 9AM every weekday, so it’s a great way to start your day (but also available to watch later if needed). If that wasn’t a good enough reason, profit made is being donated to the NHS!
  • UNiDAYS – Want something more intense to do as couple times a week? Poppy Whittaker works at student discount brand UNiDAYS, but during the pandemic she’ll be doing a High Intensity Interval Training session that you can follow every weekday at 11:30am (again, available to watch later).
  • Core Power Yoga – Want something slower? Core Power Yoga are doing 3 live yoga workouts daily on their YouTube channel, and also providing a special collection of online classes updated weekly. 
  • Running Running more your thing? Want to run and compete with friends? The Nike Run Club app allows you to create a leaderboard with your friends, through this you can set them challenges and cheer them on when they're running. A great way to keep in touch with your loved ones while still making sport a daily habit.

* Virtual Games Night – if, like me, you’re missing your friends and family and keen to stay in touch, a great way of doing so is creating a virtual games night. Using a video conferencing platform of choice, organise a time each week for you to all to come together: each household plans and takes ownership of one round, and that’s it! Play every week and see which household comes out on top at the end of the pandemic. A useful app to use is Houseparty, it’s free, can host up to 8 devices, it can be used on a desktop as well as portable devices and also has games available to use in-app!

Podcasts – if you’re trying to limit your screen-time, listening to podcasts is a great alternative. The best thing about podcasts is that there’s a variety of content out there, such as recipes, language learning, short stories, education, self-care and much more. You can listen on your device by using the Apple Podcasts App or Google Podcasts App.

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 ðŸ˜Š