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By: Nthabiseng Moloi, MiWay Head of Marketing & Brand
With countless flights cancelled and schools empty in the wake of the recent Coronavirus outbreak, South Africans are now staring down the barrel of an unprecedented Easter season. With the country in lockdown, many holidaymakers have had to trade in their long-planned getaways for extended home stays and looking for creative ways to wait out this yet undefined period of uncertainty.
Many families are now left wondering how to cope in the weeks to come, confined to their homes and with very little to do.
While it might seem like the only thing in the news has been about the Coronavirus pandemic, this unique situation does in fact present us with an opportunity to turn the focus inward, affording us time to re-prioritise our own environments and relationships.
Here are a few tips to consider while you are staying home during this time:
Introduce new systems
Working from home with the kids is likely to present a series of challenges, so it is best to start by accepting that life as you know it is changing. The best way to manage expectations for all involved is to introduce systems and schedules, clearly outlining work and leisure time so that the whole family is aligned. Rather than take a ‘let’s wait and see’ approach, instead do your research and find ways to keep the kids entertained and stimulated while you’re working. There are plenty of free educational apps and online tutorials readily available, which you can use as part of an at-home learning schedule, which is likely to minimise boredom and maximise your productivity.
Give your home a facelift
This pristine stretch of free time offers you the perfect opportunity to tackle some of those home improvement tasks you have long been avoiding and to consider a few new ones. For instance, you might want to think hanging those paintings that have long been sitting idle, giving your walls a fresh coat of paint or clearing out your garage or store room. Even small changes, like filling your home with fresh flowers from your garden, can help to alleviate the sense of cabin fever, providing a fresh change of scenery that’s likely to brighten your mood.
Autumn is also the perfect time to prep your garden for the upcoming season, pruning your perennials where necessary and finding out which bulbs to plant to see your garden in full bloom come springtime.
Give back
Staying at home also offers you a chance to teach your kids valuable lessons. Rather than solely seeking out entertainment, why not instead consider donating some of your unused clothing, appliances and knick-knacks to nearby shelters and orphanages. Use this time to truly consider the things you do and don’t need, and put aside a selection to be donated to a nearby charity once the lockdown has been lifted.
Spruce up your security
With crime levels across the country remaining consistently high, you might want to use this time to consider the security measures you currently have in place and think about potential upgrades to keep you and your family safe. This can be done in incremental measures – perhaps start with perimeter beams or security cameras and upgrade gradually as need be.
And while you are at it, make sure to double check your current insurance policies, ensuring that all your valuables are appropriately covered for use both within and outside the bounds of your property. All this can be easily done via MiWay’s MiXpress Online Portal, through which you can log and manage claims from the comfort of your own home.
While you might be struggling to grapple with the prospect of an extended home stay, it is important to remember that it is not all doom and gloom. Yes, the world has changed, but perhaps not necessarily for the worse. Take this time to consider what is important, to reflect and to take full advantage of the quality time this unprecedented situation affords you. Take care and keep your family safe.
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