There is little denying possible that we are heading toward a grim winter.
Probably not in a worldwide lockdown like in March, but certainly with numerous restrictions on what we can do for certain periods of time. It might be a good idea to prepare and get certain things done, to be ready, to face this winter like a pro, in a safe environment, with everything you need.
Note that, if you want to believe the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a hoax and that the COVID-19 is nothing to fear, do move on with your life. I’m not here to convince you otherwise.
On the other end, if you are anxious about this “new normal” and are afraid to be quarantined again, then read on. There is still a bit of time to get ready to face this winter and all the challenges it will bring.
Get ready to become a happy master of hygge!!
Stock up on essentials
There are a few things that you may want to stock up on. This is the 21st century so chances are that, even if in lockdown again, you’ll still be able to get those delivered. However, you probably realized during the last lockdown, that delivery delays were somehow uncertain.
By no mean am I recommending you to hoard toilet paper! I think we learned there is no point to this. We’re not about to run out, especially if there are no hoarder.
By essentials, I mean a couple specific things instead. Here are a few examples but please do adjust this list to your needs.
Food supply
Yes, of course, you are welcome to have a bit more stock of food than usual. This time of the year is still pick harvest time, so you may still be able to go to farmers’ market and get tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, that you can freeze, pickle or can, to your heart contempt.
Your winter will be filled with great recipes and delicious meals!
Basic medical supplies & prescription
You probably want to avoid having to go to a pharmacy during the new wave of this pandemic. So do check your basic medical supplies like bandaids, antiseptic wipes, gauze, etc. Basically everything you can find in a first aid kit and which allows you to deal with regular little injuries.
This Weleda arnica oil is a life saver for when I do a little too much stretching! (#CommissionsEarned)
Of course, do stock on any prescription medicine you may need, including your birth control pill.
Needless to say that you should have enough face masks and hand sanitizer for when you do go out.
Vitamins
Do stock some of your favorite vitamin supplements. You need a strong immune system in winter and particularly during a pandemic.
Vitamin D is particularly difficult to get in winter and vitamin D deficiency has a broad range of consequences. I get all sorts of joints pain when I get deficient but I swear that the Better You spray makes things better in 2 days!
Yes, another #AffiliatedLink ##CommissionsEarned
Vitamin C is always a good idea too, especially nowadays but hey #NoMedicalAdviseGiven!
Skin care
Skincare is another category where you will probably still be able to get your favorite products delivered, even if there is another lockdown, but why wait? Support your local, organic shop now and restock. You do use organic skincare product, don’t you?!
Other personal essentials
This is a very personal category. It all depends of what you need. Do think back or look at your expenses during the last months, and double check what you may need.
I run out of contact lenses during the pandemic. I saved the last pair I had as long as I could and wore my glasses most of the time. But when I go for a walk for example, I like to wear contacts. At the end of the lockdown, I bravely went to the store and bough enough to last for a couple months!
Tech items & supplies
Check your tech stuff. Does your computer need an upgrade to enable you to work from home for the next couple months? I need to have the battery on my computer changed, for sure. This is just an example. I need to do it soon, before I can’t get to the store which handles this.
Do you have enough paper and ink cartridges? Any other supplies you have been using? Your last couple months spending are the best indicators of what you may need.
I assume that by now you have set up a comfy home office area, have found the best Zoom background and have learn to respect the other members of your family needs for privacy and quietness. If you haven’t, it is time to get cracking on this too! (Assuming you are amongst the lucky ones to be able to work from home, obviously)
School supplies
If you have children, do have enough school supplies too and probably more! I don’t know much about this issue so I’ll let you make the best decision on what is required and what is too much.
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Again, the best way to make sure you have all the things you will need is to think back to the last lockdown. What did you use? What did you miss? What stressed you out?
The other way, is to look back at your spendings and see what you bought right after the lockdown. Not the retaliation spendings! Just the required spendings, like the contact lenses example above.
Do the thinks that you may not be able to do later
If there are plenty of things that you will still most likely be able to get this winter, even if in any form of lockdown, there are things that will be probably harder to do. At the very least, these will be a lot more stressing.
So do these things now.
Medical check up
Do all the medical check-ups you can still do. Pay a visit to your dentist, your ophthalmologist, your gynecologist, your GP of course. If you feel safe to do so, if you are in an area where you can still do so, without too many risks.
Personally, I like to see my osteopath twice a year, in Spring and Autumn to check any miss-alignment, to fix any little problem before it becomes a big health issue. It is prevention to me. It is just good practice.
An Autumn foot reflexology massage would be nice too, to boost my lymphatic system and destress but this year, I might have to skip.
Do what feels right to you, but do it soon!
Vaccine updates
While at your GP, don’t forget to check you are up to date with all your vaccines and get the flu shot!
Get your car checked up too
Good car maintenance is money saved in the long run. You may use it a lot less during the winter months to come, but it still may need a good check up, or at least an oil change.
You may want to learn how to stock your battery if you don’t use your car for a long time, just so it doesn’t die on you the day you want to use it!
Get your house in top shape
Your house may need some maintenance too and you’ll probably want to avoid having a repair man coming inside your sanctuary, during the second wave. So handle any maintenance required now.
Does your gas heating system require an annual check up? Does your chimney needs a sweep? Do you have a leaky faucet? A faulty window? Check your fire extinguisher… Basically, handle any maintenance now, especially the maintenance to be done by a professional.
In addition it is a good idea to do a good Autumn clean. Get your comforter, pillows and rugs dried clean for example.
Get some spare light bulbs, maybe a few candles too!
Do you need to replant your indoor plants? Buy fertilizer and other supplies in advance, even if you don’t want to handle now.
Check every area of your house and handle it!
Grooming
Get a hair trim if required or even better get a hair cut that can grown easily.
Remove those gel nails and let your nails grow naturally!
OK, OK, this isn’t a category where I can be super useful but you know what your habits are and what was hard to handle during the last lockdown, so anticipate accordingly.
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In short, do all the things that require a professional intervention as such professional might not be accessible, or not accessible in a safe way, during the second wave.
Take care of your mental health
This is an area where I might not be of great advise either, like with children. I happen to think that if you are prepared for what is coming and don’t have to stress out about the above basic things ie. food – medical emergencies – techs – etc. and that if you accept that this is the new ‘normal’, you should be able to handle fairly easily.
Again, I can’t be super helpful here because I didn’t suffer much during the previous lockdown. Sure, I worried for my dad, but overall it was a fairly easy time for me.
So I would just say that you know yourself best, you know what hurt you most last time, and you probably know what the best solutions are.
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Christmas?
Well, that’s a big issue! Will Christmas be ‘cancelled’? How are we going to handle? One thing for sure is that you should handle your Christmas shopping asap. Your plans should be flexible, any travel plans should be refundable and your gatherings should be limited.
I sure hope to be able to be with my dad for Christmas. I can’t picture it any other way. Our tradition to roast chestnuts is dear to me and to him.
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More on safe Christmas plans to come soon!
Make plans for your winter activities
Now that you’ve handled all the non fun parts, you can plan for your winter and make all the secret plans you want, to become a master of Hygge!
What will you be doing if Netflix is down? If Internet is down. Books? puzzles? knitting? Baking? Anticipate!
Do you want to start some new manual activities? Gather the tools and supplies needed.
Do you want to learn to play an instrument? Choose wisely! Guitar might be a good option but a violin or drums are probably not a great idea, as your neighbors will come to hate you. Your family might hate you too, actually!
If you don’t have any ideas on how to spend winter months, it’s time to think of learning new skills! Much better than watching Netflix, really.
Taking care of yourself, exercising, and cooking are great activities. Things do not have to be complicated.
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Just one more thing on your list….
Do the same for your older relatives
Health checks, prescriptions, home maintenance, car maintenance… all of this is also important for your parents, your grand parents, or any other older relatives.
They might not think of it or they might not think they need it. But winters are hard for elderly people, the evenings can be long and boring, so do try to anticipate and help them the best you can.
My dad run out of books during the last quarantine. That was a big issue. I did not know this and when I came back for the first time after 2 months, I found him reading an old encyclopedia. It isn’t that bad, but it kind of broke my heart anyway. I’m going to get a lot of books for him before winter!
Just make sure they have everything they will need, despite their best judgment and complaints!
In short
Use what you learned from the last lockdown, to get ready for the next one!
If you did any sort of quarantine journalling, check back on it to see what you enjoyed, what you wished you had anticipated, what was great and what wasn’t.
Life as we know it has transformed, at least for the foreseeable future. Making the best of it, to come out of it as better humans, is a valid goal!
Beautiful Things 