25 March 2020 - 2 min read
Megan Lipscombe
Head of Marketing
Here at Rotaready we’ve been working from home for the last week, so we’ve got the remote working thing sorted…
…but then there’s the downtime at lunch, evenings and weekends. With the UK now in lockdown we thought we’d share some of the ways we’re keeping ourselves occupied, just in case you’re looking for inspiration:
Many companies have offers on their online training courses, giving people greater opportunity to learn a new skill. Here are some of the companies doing so:
https://www.reed.co.uk/courses/online
https://www.udemy.com/
Looking for ways of keeping in touch with your friends and family, that extend beyond a standard phone or video call? Here are some of the apps we’ve been using:
Houseparty: The app makes connecting face to face effortless, alerting you when your friends are “in the house” and ready to chat so you can jump straight into the conversation. Your friends will know you’re in the app and ready to chat, so they can join you. There’s also a multitude of games you can play with/against your friends whilst on the app.
Pub quiz (the online kind): Some pubs and bars, such as our clients BrewDog, are running online versions of their standard pub quizzes. BrewDog will run their first one this Friday (27th March), you can find more information here. If you can’t join this one keep an eye out for any being run by a pub near you.
Netflix party: Netflix and chill? Ok maybe not. But thanks to ‘Netflix party’ you can carry on watching your favourite series with your friends/loved ones, even if you’re separated. By synchronising video playback and adding a group chat to your favourite Netflix shows, you can still watch your favourite programs ‘together’.
A change of scenery – Those of us lucky enough to have a garden are taking an hour a day to work outside. A bit of fresh air does wonders, here’s to hoping this good weather holds up 🤞🏼
If you don’t have a garden then try working in different areas of your house and head out for a lunchtime walk where possible. Don’t forget to keep at least two metres from everyone else!
Education – For those of you with children to keep occupied, many companies are offering educational alternatives and ways to keep them entertained. Here’s a list of education companies offering free subscriptions
P.E. with Joe Wicks – Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach is running a half an hour P.E. lesson for kids every day. Check them out here.
What better time to take on a challenge when many of us have more free time than ever?
Here are some ideas for the challenges you can take on:
Always got an excuse for not sorting out the garden, finding a new savings account, defrosting the freezer, giving your front room a fresh coat of paint or clearing out that cupboard full of things you haven’t used for years? Now’s the time! You never know, you might actually enjoy it.
If you have some free time to offer, the NHS are looking for volunteers to help them tackle the Coronavirus outbreak. There are a number of different ways you can get involved, including providing telephone support for those who are at risk of loneliness or collecting and delivering shopping for those who are unable to do so themselves.
See how else you can get involved and sign up here.
Bars and restaurants may be closed but plenty are offering a delivery service. So you can still treat yourself if you’re planning a date night, special family meal or just want a night off of cooking.
UberEats, Deliveroo and JustEat will give you a good idea of who’s delivering and many have some good offers running too. And contactless delivery now comes as standard on most of the apps!
Be sure to check out the websites of your favourite pubs, bars and restaurants too, as they may have introduced a delivery service they didn’t previously offer and need your support.
For the gym goers amongst you looking for alternative ways to keep fit, here are a few challenges you can take on: 100 push-ups workout – over the course of 6-10 weeks, this app will help you build up to doing 100 push ups on one go!
The Body Coach – Joe doesn’t stop at workouts for kids, he’s got a multitude of home workouts available for you too. He’s also running regular sessions tailored to a more senior audience.
Fitbit Premium – Fitbit Premium has extended its free trial to 90 days, to help you keep active whilst gyms are closed and you’re stuck at home. From personalised insights to tailored fitness programmes; see what premium gives you access to here.
These are the things that our team have found useful so far, but we have no doubt there are many more out there. If you have any recommendations please do share them with us at comms@rotaready.com and we’ll add them to the list!
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