4 Household Items That Made My Lock-Down Life More Enjoyable

Learning to love life even when we are confined by our walls

I know everything we read these days seems to be about the COVID-19 pandemic, and my intent is not to add to the doom and gloom. But the pandemic really allowed many of us to slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the small things in life. I was spending so much time at home, that my insanity really depended on my environment. These 4 things not only kept me sane during the pandemic but are essential if you want your living space to be a place that you actually enjoy.

Aromatherapy Diffuser

If you haven’t got one already, I don’t know where you’ve been! I was always a fan of candles, but I have been loving my diffuser as of late. A diffuser can help make your space smell fresh, but it also humidifies the air helping with air quality and improving things like congestion or headaches!

My partner and I live in an older apartment and we notice quite a difference when we go to sleep with our diffuser on. There are many natural wellness companies that sell diffusers, but your first one doesn’t need to be anything fancy — mines from Amazon! But, when looking to buy essential oils there are a few things to be aware of:

If you have pets, do your research because not all essential oils are pet friendly.

Buy pure essential oils! You are breathing it in after all. Not all oils are pure even if they say they might be. Do your research, there is a lot of good information out there. Quality essential oils aren’t cheap, but oils last quite a long time and investing in quality oils is worth it. If an oil is cheap ($10 or less) I would advise you look somewhere else. My favourite trustworthy brands are Saje Natural Wellness, Vitruvi, and doTERRA.

Yoga mat

I have been doing yoga for years, and my time on my mat during the pandemic kept me sane. In saying that though, your yoga mat does not have to be used for yoga. Many people have resorted back to home workouts during the pandemic and having a mat around is super handy, especially if you live in an apartment because the mat can help to muffle the sound. Keeping my mat out somewhere where I could see it, also just motivated me to actually use it.

You want your yoga mat to be thick enough that it is comfortable and supportive, and you want it to provide enough grip to help you from slipping. I took me a few tries to find the yoga mat that worked for me. If you’re anything like me and slip easily, I suggest the reversible mats from Lululemon. A few brands that carry quality mats include:

- Lululemon

- Manduka

- JadeYoga

But if you don’t have issues with slipping, you can always go with a cheaper option to get you started! Depending on the type of mat that you buy, you want to look into how you should clean your mat. Lululemon’s mats are made with a special material. Their mats have pores that naturally wick water and sweat away, and therefore it is suggested you only wipe down your mat with a warm cloth.

Chessboard

A chessboard or really any game that you can play at home that isn’t on your computer, phone, or TV.

In your spare time, it is so easy to endlessly scroll on social media, but I found having a few quality games at home helped me to take a break from the screen.

Whether it’s learning something new or just bringing an old one out, we are reminded of how much fun a few simple objects can be.

Many people sell second-hand board games and so on, and I suggest looking online on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace before buying a new board.

Plants!

I’m sure we’ve all heard this before by now, but plants really do make a difference in our mental state! I truly believe you can’t have enough! Now, some people find it difficult to take care of plants, so I’ll suggest a few ways to get started.

Succulents are a great first plant for beginners. They require almost no attention because they naturally don’t require much water. Succulents are very popular, and you’ll be able to find them at any plant store for a relatively low price.

PictureThis is an app with a limited free version that I have found tremendously helpful. You can take a picture of your plant and it will give you a ton of information about it, including its name, where it’s from, and how to take care of it. If your plant isn’t doing too well, the app can also tell you why that might be based on the picture that you take of it. The app also has a Full Guide to Popular Houseplants!

It is also a super fun app to use when you get outside because you can learn all about the plants just outside your front door. I have learned so much about ecology in my local area.