Mel is originally from Melbourne. Miles away from her family, she shares her tips on staying motivated, staying connected with her family and her lockdown survival tactics.

How do you manage to stay so connected with your family in Australia during this time?

We take it in turns ever week to organise check-in calls, scheduling can be tricky as when it’s morning in the UK and evening in OZ, vice versa. We have also organised pub quiz nights/mornings (depending on where we are calling in from) to keep us motivated.

I was lucky enough to make a trip to Australia just before lockdown and stayed with my family for a couple of weeks. But, making plans for the other side of lockdown to look forward to is helping to keep our spirits up too.

How are you keeping in touch with friends during lockdown?

• Organizing quizzes with friends
  Virtual pub quizzes are the new Saturday night out at the moment! Whether it be celebrating a friend’s birthday or catching up with friends you might not have had time to see for a while before lockdown, as life gets in the way sometimes, they give us a little bit of the stimulation and social interaction that we’re missing. With a gin and tonic in hand and a pub quiz on your laptop, you can almost pretend that you’re having a lively Saturday night.
• Getting dressed up
  Getting out of lounge wear and pyjamas allows you to break up the day and give yourself work-life balance. By putting on some clothes that make you feel good, you will feel more like yourself, it is something so easy to do, but you will feel the benefits! You would get ready to go out and see your friends in the evenings or on the weekends, so why not on webcam?
• Staying motivated
  Working out and maintaining a balanced diet, such as making nice breakfasts and lunches while working from home are great methods to brighten up the days where you’re struggling with lock down. Another tip is (if you can) try to get out of the house for a walk or run every day, it can reduce both stress and anxiety as well as being a real mood booster.