Alison Tordoff is an Immersive Designer, artist…and busy mother. So when she talks about ways to fill the days during a crisis, she’s calling on her creative talents AND her organisational skills. Here’s a selection of her Boredom Quenchers, Mood Boosters and Anxiety Calmers.

Activities

• Chess
• Pick up sticks
• Tiddly winks
• Walking
• Bike Ride
• Create a dog agility course from household items such as buckets and broom sticks
• Get out in the garden
• Re-arrange your plants in pots

• 

  Simple pleasures: the traditional game of Tiddly Winks

 Easy Makes  

• Cushion with blanket stitch
• Make an outdoor sofa from wooden palettes
• Cushion from old denim
• Hanging plant pot from a noodle pot
• Cushion up-cycled tops
• Blanket Stitch
• Up-cycle furniture
• Make a photo book
• Make a painting
• Make a lantern
• Make a ‘jeans’ apron
• Coat hanger bird feeder
• Shelf styling with pictures/art

Upcycle furniture

Mental health hints

• “Four legs of a chair” approach…do one thing for business, home, self & community
• Do small tasks and don’t get overwhelmed
• Limit your news updates to just twice a day.
• Exercise and get outside
• Tidy your house! From small tasks to instant results with a box load. Need a break from the clutter – go outside for a while
• Take one space, de clutter, make it your haven
• Sort your wardrobe and donate to clothing banks
• Listen to the radio/blog/story
• Trouble sleeping? – Use Calm App stories.
• Forest bathing

The healing properties of forest bathing

Money saving tips

• Draft excluders on doors
• Change lighting layers
• Dishwasher: use correct programme
• Look for eco-friendly home cleaning products
• Burn dried coffee granules and grounds to keep pests away
• Plastic strap to clear drains

Cooking 

• Be creative: try new recipes
• Use ingredients from your store cupboard
• Pancakes: try new flavour combos
• Clean your cupboards out and re-organise them.
• Organise your herbs
• Make a cocktail

For the fun of it

• Learn to play new instrument
• Play your favourite tunes and sing
• Maybe first learn to sing !
• Record a song
• Garage band

 Planning Ahead

• Bucket list
• Plan your next adventure
• Plan your interior updates
• Organise your photos
• Learn a new skill online