Staying In 22nd October 2020 by Adele Miner
Team STELLAR Share How They’re Planning To Spend Lockdown 2.0
We've learned a lot from season one of lockdown
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With level 5 of government restrictions in place from today, the 22nd of October, for the next 6 weeks until December 1st, people around the country are preparing themselves mentally for how they’re going to handle the upcoming weeks. An extremely difficult time for many people for many reasons, we here at STELLAR have been and always will be committed to bringing our readers some respite from the chaos both here online, and through our monthly glossy.
Not our first rodeo, team STELLAR have adapted in many ways over the last 7 (!) months, and are taking some lessons learned from the OG lockdown back in March into lockdown 2.0 this time around. From supporting Irish businesses to vowing to wear a bra, the STELLAR team has bigĀ plans for the next six weeks, here’s exactly what we’ll be getting up to.
Vicki, EditorĀ
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Last lockdown, I was counting calories in a bid to drop a few pounds for my heart health – Iāve high cholesterol and blood pressure, so I took it as an opportunity where I wouldnāt be traveling, going to events, or eating out! However, this time Iām going to focus much more on exercise because counting calories when itās cold and grim is utterly miserable! More walks, more fruit and veg, more home HIIT and more kindness to myself. You donāt make friends with salad in the winter!Ā
Iām also the most autumnal person youāll meet, so Iāve stocked up on gingerbread, candles, fuzzy socks, blankets and themed decorations which will segue effortlessly into the festive season. Still, Iāve made a promise to myself that Iāll put on a real bra every day, one with an underwire, because the alternative is going Full Sloth.
Valerie, Deputy Editor
I spent much of Lockdown 1 buying things to wear for when ‘this is all over’, and that hasn’t happened yet, so… I won’t be doing that this time, though I will make a conscious effort to support Irish-owned businesses whenever I can. I’m going to get back to the things that served me well the first time around – yoga, walks, reading, voice-noting friends, and eating yummy food (I usually start thinking on Wednesday about what takeaway I’m going to get at the weekend). I miss my family, but I’m happy to do whatever it takes to get this thing under control.
Denise, Online EditorĀ
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Like many heading into lockdown 2.0, Iāve been feeling very apprehensive in the past few days, wishing I could just blink and the whole thing would be behind us yet again. But in order to keep myself motivated and feeling positive, Iām going to be taking everything one day at a time. Not worrying too much about whatās around the corner or getting too fixated on what people are saying on social media.
Iāll be spending this lockdown planning daily activities and setting little goals to have something to look forward to. It could be as simple as doing my big food shop, FaceTiming my mom, doing an online yoga class, or spending the evening painting (a hobby I took up over lockdown and now love!) I definitely learned during the last lockdown that the little things make a world of difference.Ā
Megan, Fashion Editor
For lockdown 2.0 Iām going to try to not eat everything in sight. Since gyms have been closed or on tighter opening schedules Iāve paid little attention to being fit and active and it is only now that I feel it taking its toll. I want to make a conscious effort to check in with everyone around me too. This time of year with darker evenings and shorter days can be tough even without a lockdown. After that, I am just going to do my part by staying home and distracting myself with every single episode of Master Chef on Netflix. Today I put on makeup and a dress and it made me feel good. Itās the little things. Iām just really looking forward to December now. Hopefully, this will all pay off and we can spend time with loved ones safely.
Adele, Staff Writer
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I’ll be honest,Ā I think this lockdown is going to be a lot more difficult than the first. I’m a summer baby and so found solace in the bright mornings and sunshine. But, in the spirit of not being a Negative Nancy, I’m going to make the most of the next 6 weeks. I plan on going on lots of outdoor adventures (within 5k) with my dog, Ringo. I plan on cooking and eating all of the delicious comfort food there is like stews, pasta, and soups. And I luckily saved watching Emily in Paris for this very purpose and can now happily spend the next few weeks binging on that.
I’ve learned a lot from the last lockdown and will be much stricter on myself when it comes to my social media intake. I use my phone all day for work, so I’m going to set myself a cut-off point for each evening, probably around 7pm, and switch my wifi off. Too much news intake can make me feel uneasy, so I’m going to spend my free time doing things that I enjoy and reminding myself that I’m doing everything that I can do to keep myself and those around me safe, and that’s all I can do.