Living Through Lockdown

Living Through Lockdown

Published: 1st April 2020

We all know it’s tough right now as news on the Coronavirus continues to circulate news feeds, the radio waves and of course on the TV.
  We’re here to do our bit by offering 5 ways to keep happy and banish those anxious thoughts as we make it through the three week lock down.

1.Keeping Kids Occupied

You don’t need us to tell you kids are the first to express their boredom from not leaving the house and getting stir crazy (even if we’re feeling it too). So keep their minds stimulated with fun activity ideas, puzzles and more which can all be found on the Children’s Gardening Club page of our website.
  If you haven’t signed up to be part of our Children’s Gardening Club before, you should! It’s free, you’ll be first to hear about the return of our exciting events via our newsletters and not to mention the awesome free birthday and Christmas treats!
Click here for all the Children’s Club activities.

2. Mindful Moments

The sun is gloriously shining so make the most of being outside in your gardens where possible. It doesn’t have to be actively gardening, it could be if you have a herb garden take the time to pinch and release the scents. Hold a flower to your nose and take a lungful of the perfume. Think about what you’ve smelt, is it spicy, is it sweet like honey? Smell is closely linked to memory so perhaps you’ll get a wave of nostalgia as you smell the freshly mown grass?

Why not take your yoga mat outside to actually salute the sun, rather than the ceiling?

Perhaps it’s time to listen to the bird song in place of your morning commute. The RSPB have started the hashtag #breakfastbirdwatch to inspire those at home to see which visitors come into your garden between 8 – 9am and share photos or even a video on social media. You may discover you’re a born twitcher after all!
 
However you chose to enjoy some “me time” in your garden know that “Forest Bathing” also known as “Shinrin-yoku”, helps to alleviate depression, anxiety as well as lowering blood pressure, pulse rate and cortisol levels. Just what the doctor orders as our social interaction dips.

3. Pick up the Phone!

We here at Scotsdales understand how important our position is in the community, with our Chatty Table scheme in our cafes to our social staff who are always happy for a chat. While we can’t fulfil this service during the lock down we urge you not to hesitate in contacting those you know for a friendly chat, it might be what makes them smile this week. Isolation for a long period of time isn’t good for us social beings and there’s bound to be those who are living by themselves who are suffering from loneliness

4. Get Creative

You’ve been thinking about taking up a new craft for a while now. Be it knitting, painting, baking, basket weaving, creative writing or even the Japanese art of Ikebana.. Whatever the creative outlet, now is the time to turn off the TV and give it a whirl!
  There’s a wealth of knowledge out there but as free and accessible content goes, we suggest Youtube. Watch, stop, rewind, re-watch, soon you’ll have conquered the art!
Wherever you venture on your creative endeavour make sure to share your creations on our social media platforms. We’re trying to keep spirits up at 9am every morning with “positive o’clock” when we share uplifting and inspirational ideas and images to get us through the day.

5. Grow Your Own

It’s been a little shocking how empty the supermarket shelves have been and although things are getting back to normal it’s been a steep learning curve on how much we rely on supermarkets. Let’s take a lesson from this and turn back to wartime Britain when grow your own wasn’t a movement, it was your gardens primary purpose.
  You can start easy and focus on containers filled with herbs, they play an important role in the kitchen. After all it takes more than salt and pepper to make that week long vat of leek and potato soup sing. Think about what you normally cook with and go from there.
  For April the grow-your-own focuses should be:
 – Chit and plant our second early potatoes at the start of the month, followed by maincrop towards the end of the month.
– Sow indoors; pumpkins, squash, marrows, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, salad leaves.
– Sow outdoors; peas, leeks, lettuce, radish, turnips, Swiss chard, cauliflower.

So there you have it, 5 simple ways to make isolation an enjoyable experience for yourself, those around you and those you can’t see but are thinking of often.
  We are doing everything possible behind the scenes to create the shopping experience you love and expect of Scotsdales, just through different avenues. We value your support, your positivity on our social media platforms and your patience.

 Keep your chin up and remember you have no excuse not to weed the garden now!

For more information on our Coronavirus statement please click here

 

Copyright © 2024 Scotsdales Garden Centre