Our Essentials to Survive Lockdown
I have been living on a remote island for a couple of years now. There are no shops, restaurants, bars or even roads here. No running to the grocery store when I need something, no days of shopping with my girlfirends and no red wines with my bestie. Through living here I could probably be considered somewhat of an expert on living in isolation (LOL) and I’ve learned to live with little to no material items. The things that I do own are essential to helping me feel “normal” and staying sane.
And now, through some evil plot twist , the entire world is somehow finding itself in lockdown and many people are being isolated in their homes. So here are some of my favorite items to help me live in the moment and make every day a little brighter while in isolation.
And don’t worry, you will still really enjoy these items once all this is over as all my of “lockdown essentials” double up perfectly as travel essentials too.
Portable coffee maker
You can’t go out and have a coffee at your local coffee shop so it’s time to brush up your own coffee making skills.
The world of at home coffee making machines is vast and there is always something new on the market. From complex siphons to ultralight slow drippers, it seems like you need a degree in order to make a cup of coffee. But it doesn’t need to be that complicated. Here are some my favorite at home coffeemakers that are cheap, easy to use and that produce super yummy coffee:
Nanopresso from Wacaco: If you love a good espresso but a fancy at home espresso machine is a bit out of your budget or you simply don’t have the space in your kitchen, this is seriously the best purchase you will ever make. The Nanopresso is compact and easy to use. You can also take it on hikes, early morning surf sessions or camping trips.
Aeropress: Easy to use, almost like a French press and the coffee tastes delicious.
Bialetti: Good old stove top coffee maker never disappoints.
E-reader
My Kobo (Belgium’s version of a Kindle because for some reason we don’t have Amazon) has seriously been my favourite way to escape reality a bit. Not only do you have access to the biggest book shop in the world, e-books are usually a lot cheaper to purchase than printed books. You can also find a lot of e-books for free now. Just google free e-books + your e-reader brand.
And if you need some inspo on good books, I’m currently reading ‘Homo Deus’ by Y. Noval Harrari and ‘One Summer In Paris’ by Sarah Morgan. I love mixing up some serious reading with some more light hearted novels with happy endings :)
Journal or planner
A journal or a planner is a great way to keep track of life in these difficult times. To sit down every morning or evening with a hot drink and go over the day really helps me to appreciate the little things and find peace. Some of my favorites are the Passion Planner from Passion Planner and Power Planner from Antwerp Avenue.
What I love about these is that they are a calendar, a goal setting guide, a journal, a to-do list, a sketchbook and a gratitude log all in one.
Online Courses
Everyone is staying at home and people are looking for ways to fill their days, learn something new or finally work on that project they’ve been putting off for months. And a lot of the online course platforms have caught onto that and are now offering huge discounts or even a lot of free courses. A few examples are:
Udemy: they are selling courses usually worth over 200 dollars for only 10 dollars now.
Skillshare: they are running a special right now where you can get 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free!
Masterclass: Masterclass is now selling two yearly memberships for the price of one.
Yoga Mat
Whether it’s to do a workout, practice yoga or just have a nap, a good yoga mat is a must have. My absolute favorite mat is my Manduka Eko® yoga mat.
Games
We have been fully into card games and board games during this lockdown. Nothing better than a round of Shithead to take your mind of things and have a good laugh.
Portable speakers
A good Bluetooth speaker is always a good investment. Make sure to get one that is compact so you can take it on trips once lockdown is over.