Watching Covid-19 commercials last year had little effect on me because I perceived it as one of those regular adverts. However, I did not fail in adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines. Even though I was not consistent with the use of a nose mask.
Every nation hoped the era of this deadly virus ended in 2020, but it ended becoming deadlier as the second phase of Covid-19 is said to be more dangerous as countries prepare for the vaccine intake.
Every billboard on highways passes no other message than raising awareness on the second phase of this disease and ways to prevent it. My heart often skips when I see the word ‘deadlier’ on the billboard and my mask is below my jaw. But it is a pity that some Nigerians still believe the deadly disease is just a farce while living and moving recklessly without any form of preventions. Some even believe the government has been lying about the existence of the disease in Nigeria. However, whatever your view is, that is not the point now. The truth is that this disease is real, we shouldn’t wait to be a victim to believe its authenticity.
Now is the time to respect one another by taking preventive measures with the use of a nose mask/face shield, avoiding handshakes, washing hands regularly, maintaining social distance, and most importantly, avoiding social gatherings. Your parties can only be the talk of the town when you are not on a hospital bed fighting for your life.
While we wait for this phase to be over and have our normal lives of grooving with our buddies and loved ones after a stressful week, the famous and people’s favorite TGIF (THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY) shouldn’t be taken from us too, by Covid.
Although having fun at home by yourself can’t be compared to having some chilled bottles of beer, exotic wines with friends at an exquisite bar in town.
We missed our club houses and and those fun places we go to on Friday nights. Perhaps when this phase is over, we know better about cohabiting and living healthy.
So how do we keep our favorite day of the week bubbling as it was before the world’s enemy in form of a pandemic crept in? Here are 5 Covid-19 tips out of the many groove tips you can do at home to put you in a TGIF mood:
1) SKINCARE: skincare routines can be time-consuming especially when you have to leave home early for work. But since Covid has instructed us to stay at home, we can use it to our advantage by taking time to properly do our skincare routine. This is not gender-specific, so men are not left out in this. Skincare routines can be fun when you have your favorite products on your table waiting to be used. Get your cleanser and clean out dirt and oils covering your pores, then rinse off with lukewarm water. Grab a clay mask, I’d recommend Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, layer it on your face. While waiting for it to dry up, you can go through TikTok videos or make one to while away time. Wash off when it’s dried up and voila! Your face is smooth and blemish-free!
2) VIDEO GAMES: just like skincare, this is also not gendered specific, so ladies! Grab a gamepad and whoop the computer’s brains off. FIFA is always fun either you are playing by yourself or playing with someone. Just place a bowl of chin-chin you can munch by your side while showing the computer who the boss is. The fun thing about video games is how you can be whatever you want to be. If you get bored of being Messi in FIFA, you can switch to Mortal Kombat and be Sonya or you can just be a criminal in GTA. Get lost in these games and before you know it, it is bedtime!
3) NETFLIX AND CHILL: do you know there are a lot of new movies on Netflix right now? Movies like; The outside wire, the dig, and some interesting series are coming back with new seasons. Series like Grow-nish, Sex Education, Money Heist will keep you glued to your TV or laptop. So, how do you keep your space looking like a cinema? Put the curtains down and windows closed. Turn off the lights, keep the AC or fan rolling, get a blanket and prepare a comfortable space you’d love to be positioned while you enjoy the movies. Don’t forget the popcorn! You can make that right? Yes, you can. Also, get a bottle of wine and enjoy the night!
4) TRYING NEW RECIPES: what are those food, drinks, veggies, and other recipes you saved on your tabs but had no time for before the pandemic. Now is the time for try-outs. One of the advantages of 2020 stay-in/lockdown was turning most people into chefs. A lot of people came out of the lockdown as Salt-Bae the famous chef. LoL!. So, use this opportunity to try out different dishes and drinks that can be of great advantage to you in the future. Technology has blessed us so much that we can learn almost everything on the internet. Just login to YouTube and check out some amazing chefs you can learn different recipes from. Try smoothies and parfait for your own happy consumption.
5) TAKING AN ONLINE COURSE: knowledge is never waste so endeavor to take courses online to boost your knowledge. Learning can also be fun you; you know? There are thousands of online courses and some are even free. Alison.com for example offers free online courses and you can even get a certificate or a diploma as a token. Those running a business can take online business courses for business rebranding and strategies. And those in academics can add as many certificates as they want to their portfolio. Educate yourself, learn new words, and read histories.
The above as mentioned are only a few of many Covid-19 tips on what you can do with your time to keep the Friday mood alive. None is a waste of time and you won’t know now until the end of the pandemic and friends and families come visiting and you find yourself having multiple ideas of how to keep them entertained. Do not allow the pandemic to steal your TGIF, pick one of the above Covid-19 tips this Friday and every other Friday and make yourself happy because only you can. As we pray and hope for the defeat of Covid-19, don’t forget to always use your nose masks, take your sanitizer with you everywhere and do not forget to always wash your hands. The world will overcome!