How will you come out of lockdown?

After two months of lockdown, I am sure that I speak for almost everyone when I say, “I cannot do this anymore, I am going insane!”

Yes, I know that most of the regulations have been for our own health and safety but, after almost eight weeks of our only option being to stay at home, you might have run out of ideas on how to keep yourself from going totally insane.

So, during one of the many days of lockdown, I saw a statement that read,”Lockdown fact: You are either coming out of this a monk, a hunk, a chunk or a drunk.” And this made me smile a bit.

I could not help but agree with this statement, because I know first-hand how difficult it can be to keep yourself busy in a creative and meaningful way, and ensure you do not get out of this lockdown with some huge regrets.

Some people use this time to strengthen their faith by meditating, reflecting, praying and reading their Bible, while others might be spending the time at home snacking on anything and everything, finding themselves in front of the refrigerator time and again. There are those who decided that they wanted to spend this time in a drunken haze (that is, if they panic-bought sufficiently at the liquor store before lockdown) and then there are those who exercise – a lot.

I fall in the latter category, not necessarily because I want to emerge as a hunk, but because I need to keep my brain from exploding! Exercise is my way to relax and keep my frustrations at bay; it helps not only with my physical state but it improves my mental state as well. So, yes, I have been participating in exercise in one form or another every day for the past seven weeks.

I have jogged in my yard (before we were allowed to go outside for a few hours), I have done crossfit, cardio kickboxing and Zumba routines, as well as building my own circuits to keep myself active, entertained and, most importantly, occupied.

I have even participated in some live Facebook training classes with the owner of the gym I belong to, to raise awareness for a well-known charity to help them feed hungry tummies.

But, at the end of the day, it does not matter what you do to help you get through these tough times, the most important thing is to ensure you stay healthy and safe.

How have you been keeping busy? Share your stories with me by sending an email to roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za.

Until next week, take care of one another.