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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what you're doing to keep busy/happy during this

12 replies

tiredofbeingalone123 · 28/04/2020 11:45

I feel my motivation for everything slipping away day by day. I feel like I'm becoming a slob! Most days I don't want to get up, I've had enough of repeatedly cleaning the kitchen a few times a day. It's nice in a lot of ways to have nothing to do but I feel like I need a kick up the butt to find some kind of positivity in my day. I tried yoga but now I think I've busted my Achilles tendon so now even walking around is bloody hard work.

AIBU to feel so unmotivated? what is everyone else doing to keep themselves happy, motivated, and positive in these times? I need ideas

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 28/04/2020 11:49

I’m forcing myself to get up and dressed, and go to bed at a sensible time. I’m doing a lot more cooking from scratch than normal and getting out of the house every day for exercise. I’ve also started having an hour away from screens where I’m drawing or reading which is helpful.

There are some days where it all goes to pot though. I don’t think the change in the weather has helped today.

OneandTwenty · 28/04/2020 11:57

I am working from home and have to home educate my kids, on top of the usual home and life chores. I am tired. We had to cancel our holidays (obviously) so I am even more tired and cannot wait for a break on the beach! That's what keep me going Smile

You need a project. It doesn't matter if you want to work on your garden, learn a skill, take on a hobby, do a paint by number project, upcycle your wardrobe, get some qualifications. You need to occupy yourself and see it progressing.

What do you like?
I would honestly like to have nothing to do, so many books/movies/tv series I'd like to catch up with. My thousands of photos need a sorting out, at a push I could find DIY to do instead of waiting for someone to do it for me.

Think about what you like ,you could very well do a different project on different days of the week.

HugeAckmansWife · 28/04/2020 12:05

I'm furloughed. When the kids are here I'm trying to be more involved with them, playing board games, inventing games etc. When they're with their dad I'm doing one room at a time sorting, declutterung, deep cleaning. Need to mow the lawn once a week, the fence needs painting, some tech things like setting up family profiles on the laptop. I get up when I wake up, about 7.45 and sit with tea til about 8.30-9.00. I always get dressed as I just feel smelly and rubbish otherwise. I do joe wicks or go for a run. My big 'project' is learning to use a sewing machine.. I've wanted to fur years but always too knackered after kids bedtime to bother. But to be honest, some days I sit and read. I never usually have time to do that either so loving the chance. I don't consider it a wasted day.

Pugwash1 · 28/04/2020 12:05

I am lucky in one respect to be retired and abroad in the sun but this does also mean zero outdoor exercise which is very difficult. I have started yoga and am really enjoying that. I have started to bake more and enjoy making cakes and then eating them. Then wishing I hadn't. Reading loads, probably a book a day. I have started a gratitude journal. Just basically listing things every day that have made me happy and that I'm grateful for. I am learning a new language which is quite challenging and have a book in it that I am reading a chapter of a day. Sometimes do zentangle drawings that I find relaxing and doing the usual cooking and cleaning. I am generally a bit of an introvert so apart from not being able to get out this isn't too bad for me.

carrie74 · 28/04/2020 12:08

Maintaining some structure to the day definitely helps. I'm still working (as is DH, plus kids are expected to register for school by 9am and attend online school sessions), so have to be up every day anyway. I've started doing the PE with Joe Wicks every morning which definitely helps start the day (although this probably not an option for you at the moment).

Then having jobs to do every day - the usual washing, cleaning, cooking etc, but also we've had plenty of work in the garden, have done some decorating, oiled the outdoor furniture, pressure washed the patio etc, repainted front door signs. Funny little jobs really, that we'd struggle to get around to normally.

We've also missed quite a few holidays between the 4 of us (school trips, family holiday, weekends with friends), so I've been doing some themed cooking of what we'd have eaten if we'd been away, and trying new recipes which has been quite fun.

I'm trying (and failing) to catch up on some reading, and DH and I have started watching some series on Netflix that we never got around to watching previously. Also daily walks (again, probably not possible for you at the moment). But up, showered and dressed every day (in fact I feel like I'm constantly doing costume changes - PJs to workout clothes, shower and normal clothes, then back into workout clothes if doing an evening yoga class or something, then back in PJs for bed!).

There's things I should do that remain at the bottom of pile - sorting out our clothes (TBF, I've managed this for DS as he's grown out of so much, and I've done an enormous Gap order to replace some of his stuff), we've got a walk in larder that has stuff everywhere from when we moved in last autumn, I should really sort it all out but can't be bothered. And cleaning is definitely always the last thing on my list - no one else seems to get disgusted by dirty carpets or dust in my house though, so it always falls on me (occasionally I'll throw the toys out of my pram and insist everyone does some as well).

StrawberrySquash · 28/04/2020 12:09

Cooking nice things. Some planned, some using up whatever I have. I'm enjoying the fact that eating every meal at home actually makes scratch cooking easier because things don't go off between uses. I can always repurpose that half-whatever into something.

saucyspice · 28/04/2020 12:12

Sorry to hear you're feeling down! Remember this will pass and we will soon be with loved ones and family again.

The things that have been keeping me happy/motivated have been: running every other day and noticing how much faster/fitter I have been getting, Pilates videos, baking, painting my nails, face masks every other evening, films on amazon prime, buying fresh flowers (just cheap ones but they really brighten up my flat!).

Smile
lolaflores · 28/04/2020 13:50

If you are of a crafty, artistic turn or just like mucking about with paint and bits of glue cardboard...I follow heather moorhouse on Instagram and YouTube. She is a make up person but is into sewing and crafts and she does creative projects each month. This month its mythology so u canbdova drawing make a costume embroidery paint your face or a make up look. Anything. It ends soon itbi am sure shell cone up with another for Mat. I have spe t hours thinking about something and how to out it together. I'm not saying its high art ut it gives me a structure.

Ragwort · 28/04/2020 13:56

I do a volunteering role in the community (helping rough sleepers) which is about the only thing that is keeping me going, I only do it a couple of times a week but fortunately I meet my friends there at the same time.

I make myself do online workouts and long walks.

I am so bored and fed up of ‘cooking from scratch’ every single day ... DH & DS have huge appetites and enjoy ‘big’ meals (yes they do share the cooking but I don’t like what they cook Grin).

It is hard to keep motivated, I am furloughed so no work to do, DH WFH, DS doing his Uni stuff on line so no young children to home educate ... it is tedious, fed up with decluttering & cleaning.

Mintjulia · 28/04/2020 14:00

Repainting my hall - walls & woodwork.
Gardening when it isn't raining
Making a box cushion for the bench in the hall
Emailing friends & chatting on the phone
Pottering in the greenhouse
listening to music
Cooking/baking for ds
Supervising school work
Sewing buttons back on DS' school clothes - how does he lose so many?
Spring cleaning

Trying not to think about the bad stuff.

Mooserp · 28/04/2020 14:45

I'm working as normal. Outside of that time I am doing home workouts, walking, reading, gardening, watching telly.

If I wasn't working I think I'd some online studying.

TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY · 28/04/2020 21:17

our outside life has been seriously effected(obviously)as we usually explore and learn outside daily

our usual day to day life is home education groups,outings visiting family and HE friends or attending the HE groups

our inside life is the same as we were all home together anyway

as boys are disabled we adults are 24/7 carers and we class ourselves as 24/7 home educators as the unschooling approach happens 24 hours a day

if im not doing al of above my hobby(in bed mostly)is serial comping as i enter hundreds per day

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