Here's how to experience the best of Sydney without leaving your lounge room.
Sydney, we feel you. You’re over it. We're over it. Everyone is over it. Except for the virus, of course.
It’s tough being back at square one. Sydney has been extremely fortunate for more than a year, as life has gone on with few restrictions in place. But being back in lockdown has been draining, and it’s getting harder to find new ways to entertain ourselves and stay connected, motivated and even just be positive right now. So we thought we’d put our heads together and share some of our essential life hacks for living in Sydney right now.
Some will already be no-brainers for you, but others might help make your day-to-day a little more livable. This is far from where any of us wanted to be, 20 months on from the early days of the health crisis, and right now, the next few months are hard to predict. One thing we do know is that you got this Sydney. Together, we’re going to get through it.
1. If you can, get vaccinated. Here’s everything you need to know to book your jab today.
2. Keep a mask near your keys so you don’t forget to put it on before leaving home (unless you forget both your keys AND your mask – uh oh).
3. Moisturise your hands. Washing your hands a lot is necessary but can dry them out. Slather on some moisturiser every now and then. And if you’re getting red, itchy or sore skin from hand washing, talk to your doctor.
4. When you’re in the supermarket, you need to be extra vigilant about social distancing. You can use a trolley to maintain your 1.5 metres of distance from other shoppers while you’re there.
5. Ideally, if you can, get your groceries delivered rather than going to the supermarket. Other than the major supermarket chains, there are plenty of services out there that offer grocery delivery, such as Voly.
6. Stay within your 10km exercise bubble, but get a change of scenery once and a while when you can do it safely. You can see what’s within your 10km bubble via this handy online tool.
7. If you have a car, don’t just let it sit idle throughout lockdown. Take it out every week or so (when doing an essential activity like shopping for groceries) to ensure it’s still in a good condition when lockdown lifts.
8. Use your extra time at home to finally watch that huge, seminal television series you are yet to see (for example, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Six Feet Under – they’re all currently streaming on Binge, so use that two-week free trial wisely).
9. Love film but want to save money? Kanopy is service you can access using a library membership that lets you stream a huge range of fantastic films for free.
10. One of the best ways to improve your mood is with food. Check out these meal kits and get busy in the kitchen cooking up a gourmet feast that’s good for the soul as well as the body.
11. You can’t go to the cinema with friends, but you CAN synch up watch parties and debrief on a vid call after, vino in hand, which achieves a similar buzz. Or try a service that does it for you like Netflix Party.
12. Working from home? It’s important to try to separate it from your home life (easier said than done, we KNOW). Try turning off your email notifications outside of work hours and make sure you take all entitled breaks – set alarms if you tend to forget. Why not try the Pomodoro method?
13. Help maintain your relationship with your significant other by having a date night at home. Here are a few suggestions for how you can amp up the romance without ever leaving the house.
14. Expressing your sexuality is essential to maintaining your mental wellbeing. So why not make some cheeky online purchases from Sydney’s best adult shops? There are several amazing sexual wellness brands owned and operated by women you should also check out.
15. You can’t go to the bar, but the bar can still come to you. Check out these top bottled cocktails you can have delivered.
16. Keep hand sanitiser in your glove box, as well as your bag and in the pockets of all your jackets.
17. Leave your house every day, even if you don’t feel like exercising. Just stroll around the block, breathe some air and listen to a podcast or some fun music for a break, but get out just to decompress if you can.
18. As much as possible, maintain your routine. Get up when you would usually get up to go to work and clock off when it’s quitting time. Working from home, it's easy to get sucked into emails and to feel like you're always at your desk, so guard your down time and make sure you're keeping a good work-life balance.
19. Check in with your family and friends, by text or online, as much as possible. Not only will it be good for your own morale, it’ll also help them feel more connected.
20. Where possible, go out for exercise at off-peak times (so not between 7-9am; between noon-2pm and between 5-7pm) to minimise interaction at your local park or beach.
21. When it’s warm enough and if you live within 10km, go swimming in the ocean. It’ll make you feel like you’re on holidays (in a nice socially distanced way), and it'll get the endorphines pumping.
22. If your house is not well heated, invest in some good socks (or wear shoes) to prevent chilblains. Of course, chilblains can also be a rare symptom of coronavirus, so if you’re feeling unwell, see a doctor and get tested.
23. Keep in contact with your mates who may live in a different state or even another country. Even just a small message every now and then will make both of you feel better, and it's good to remind yourself that life beyond our lockdown does exist.
24. Hugs are in short supply for single-living folks without a bubble buddy, but if you make time for snuggles with a pet every morn and eve, it’s a huge mental help. Got no fur baby? Now’s the time to look into adopting, or if that’s too much like hard work, any old cushion will do. Ed’s note: I find screaming into a cushion is also therapeutic from time to time.
25. Looking for love? Use Tinder/Bumble/Grindr/Scruff to spark up some retro pen letter-lovin', since you can’t meet up with (new) partners at the moment. Slow things right down and get to know someone by asking lots of questions. And if it also turns to sexting, well, who are we to judge?
26. If possible, switch off social media from time to time, especially if it’s making you feel anxious or unhappy. Same goes for the daily press conferences – it’s genuinely great to receive a daily update, but if it’s too much, just switch it off. You will find out if there’s anything super important to know.