You may have heard about a lockdown.
Also called confinement, this is a situation
where people’s free movement is
restricted as a security measure or health
emergency.

When an area, state or country is on
lockdown, schools shopping malls, offices
and other public places may be shut down
to allow the authorities to deal with the
prevailing threat.

As the global pandemic of the coronavirus
bites on, some countries around the world
have declared a lockdown to curtail its
spread.

China, for instance, has been on lockdown
for nearly two months now, with only
providers of healthcare and other critical
services allowed to go out.

The Chinese government has also been
providing families with food and other
supplies during this time.

But what should you do in readiness for a
lockdown?

What activities can you engage in at the
time of a lockdown? Ordinarily, time flies,
but during a lockdown, you suddenly
have so much time with little to do.

The hours may seem to drag and days
become longer.

It’s important to remember that while it’s
stressful and highly inconveniencing, a
lockdown is a temporary experience.

Worth noting too is that there’s no one-
size-fits-all way to prepare for a lockdown
and that preparedness varies from case to
case.

We sample some of steps you could take to
cushion yourself and your family from the
psychological distress and the
inconvenience of this imposed isolation.


Get the essentials

*Have a stockpile of food to last you
for a considerable length of time.

*Prioritise on non-perishable
varieties such as rice, spaghetti,
pasta, flour, maize mill, beans,
green grams, powder milk, long
life milk and breakfast cereals.

*Stock your kitchen with salt, sugar,
dry spices, ketchup, cooking oil
and water treatment chemicals.

*Refill your gas cylinder. For
consumers of prepaid electricity,
buy enough tokens –you can buy
more on the go.

*Have other alternative means of
energy in the house just in case.

*Buy enough drinking, washing an
cooking water.

*If you keep pets, stock up enough
food for them.

*Besides food, stock up other essentials
such as toothpaste, soap, hand sanitisers,
masks, gloves and toilet paper, pads,
vinegar, bleach and methylated spirit.

*Have enough medicine (such as
painkillers, antihistamines, antacids,
decongestants, cough syrup for children
and bandages) in the house to take care
of emergencies.


Prepare financially

Being caught up in a financial whirlwind
during a lockdown can be devastating.
It’s especially troubling when you’re
uncertain about when the situation is
likely to end.

Savings usually come in handy to address
any disruption of income.

If some people owe you, it’s probably time
to ask them to pay up.

You could also renegotiate payment plans
with your lenders to avoid a financial
strain.

Have enough cash with you and mobile
money.

Develop a routine

Having activities to do during this time
will help you to stay productive and to
keep boredom at bay.

To stay organised, identify the activities
that you need to carry out during the
period.

Cleaning, fitness training, working and
minding the children should all have
specific time allocations.

Set goals for each of these activities by
the end of this period.

Make it a habit to strictly follow the
timetable to avoid wastage of time and
chaos.


https://www.nation.co.ke/news/explainers/How-to-prepare-for-a-lockdown/5337446-5504852-ftqf5qz/index.html

Handling children
Taking care of children, while it may
seem easy, is very strenuous task.

Having to spend weeks indoors with them
can be particularly wearying, both
physically and emotionally,
Psychologists advise that you look for
activities that tire them out as much as
possible.

The idea is to engage them closely and to
keep them from mischief and distracting
you from work.

Look up fun activities for children online.
Outdoor activities are recommended as it
helps them with physical fitness.


Working remotely
You may be working from home already,
which makes it slightly easier to cope in
the event that a total lockdown is
imposed.

Establish a strict but easy to follow work
routine, by selecting flexible hours when
you can be most productive.

To avoid distractions, choose the quietest
room in the house to create a temporary
office.

Have a desk, a laptop or a computer, a
telephone (your smartphone should
suffice), stationery and anything else that
you need to work efficiently.

Even dress up for the work to break the
monotony of pyjamas and t-shirt. When
you dress up for work, you’re
psychologically attuned to work.


Fitness is key

With a lockdown, you’ll obviously be cut
off from your hangout places, including
your gym.

With minimal movement and physical
activities to perform, keeping fit is more
important for not just those who work out
frequently, but those who rarely do so as
well.

Working out at home is cheaper,
convenient and, with a little innovation,
fun too.

It’s important to know the range of
exercises that you can perform, and the
equipment you need for this.

Cardio activities, stretches, rope jumps,
sit-ups, squats and push-ups are easy to
perform, and require no specialised
equipment.

Buy skipping ropes, a training kit and a
water bottle.

If you take a walk, do so.


Plan for entertainment
You will need to stay entertained during
this period, to help you break the
monotony of work, handling the kids and
attending to household chores.

Build a music playlist to take you through
the period of isolation and update it
regularly.

Isolation allows you to watch a movie that
you haven’t found time to watch yet.

Play computer games with your children.


Follow updates
With isolation, the media and social
media are your only link to events
happening in the world.

A time of a pandemic is high season for
an information overload and
misinformation.

Consume information only from credible
media outlets and other reliable sources.
Minimise your social media use as this
often a fertile ground for misleading
information.

Reading is therapeutic
Watching too much news can be quite
depressing, especially where thousands of
infections and deaths are being reported.

Reading comes in handy as an escape
from the depressing news and long hours
on social media.

Read online stories, read blogs, books and
magazines on your favourite topics.
Read for fun and to acquire essential
knowledge and to acquire skills.


Avoid total isolation

A lockdown isn’t an excuse to be
completely cut off from the rest of the
world.

Life goes on even with the confinement.
Being completely isolated may yield
boredom and psychological unease.

Keep tabs on various things by engaging
your friends on social media.

Occasionally call your workmates and
know how they’re getting on. Video call
them if possible.

Don’t be caught up out of place
Being in the wrong country at this time
can be hugely inconveniencing.

It could cost you a lot of money that you
may not have budgeted for.

Before travelling to a country at this time
of the Coronavirus, find out about its
isolation status.

Avoid travelling to countries that are on
lockdown such as China, Italy and some
states in the US.

If you must travel to such a country or
region, do so before a lockdown has taken
effect.


Seek professional help if necessary

The sudden change of routine may take a
heavy toll on you. The ability to cope with
such sharp changes varies with
individuals.

If feeling overwhelmed, speak to a
therapist for advice.

You can reach out through email, a phone
call or a video chat.

Have a doctor on speed dial in case of a
serious health emergency.

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/explainers/How-to-prepare-for-a-lockdown/5337446-5504852-ftqf5qz/index.html

Go to Twitter and post this, 80% of people here are poor and extremely poor