“Knowledge is power”, so says the phrase commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon.
As we move towards the end of lockdown, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the lessons we have learnt over the past year. While we were coerced into making compromises with the limited means at our disposal, we were also bestowed with a wealth of time to focus on those passions and hobbies that often fell by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of modern life. What we came to realise is as long as we kept proactive and imposed a certain sense of discipline, we could endure.
In recognition, here are our top tips for how to effectively utilise the lessons of lockdown.
Create a list of household DIY jobs and achieve them
One aspect commonly associated with lockdown was a perceived lack of motivation. Many of the rewards we associate with work, such as recognition and social interaction, are naturally diminished in the confines of lockdown.
Creating a list of household jobs (chores if you will) and tackling them in a goal-orientated manner will invoke a sense of positive reinforcement and personal achievement.
Looking for inspiration? Our DIY projects blog offers some assured and relevant ideas.
Learn a new skill or try your hand at a new craft
What better time than the present to try your hand at a new craft or trade? Whether that’s carpentry, woodworking or fulfilling a longtime desire to paint, an abundance of free time in lockdown opened up many new possibilities and opportunities to seize.
Should you choose to take this worthwhile path, we, at Wood Finishes Direct, have got you covered. We offer finishing products to suit almost any woodworking project, while we also offer incentives for any tradesmen looking to expand their passion into a legitimate business. Our affiliates program also offers a 5% sale on every sale if you own an established woodworking or DIY website.
Start planning outdoor projects in preparation for spring
Though the worst of winter is yet to rear its grisly head, spring can be seen on the not so distant horizon. What this brings is a renewed sense of optimism as warmer temperatures and bluer skies announce the arrival of the garden season. A productive and positive way to pass the time this month is to begin planning what outdoor projects you wish to tackle this spring.
On that note, we have a blog in mind for just this occasion, designed to assist you in this process.
Redecorate a room in your home
This practice has the ability to install a new lease of life to a tired room in search of a new identity. Maybe you’re looking to redecorate an old kitchen? Or repurpose your living room into a multi-functional living space? In these unusual times, you may be inclined to redecorate a room to transmit calm and tranquillity. Either way, there’s huge potential to let your imagination run wild. The sky’s the limit!
We have a wealth of options with regards to interior paints. In whichever room or manner you wish to employ them, we have quality products designed specifically to emphasise the visual potential and atmosphere of your household.
Create yourself a workspace in order to detach it from home life
One surefire way to enhance your working from home experience and improve productivity is to create a viable workspace. Not only is it a creative and efficient way to spend an afternoon, separating your workspace from the rest of your home effectively creates both a physical and mental space that’s devoid of everyday household distractions.
Our related blog offers some useful advice on how to reinvent your home office, focusing on walls and ceilings.
Spring clean and declutter your home.
Spring cleaning has long been associated with a sense of therapeutic cleansing, especially relevant amongst the nature of lockdown. Our homes are our sanctuaries and the state in which they find themselves plays as a major factor towards our state of general wellbeing. As our homelife presence has increased, so too has the need to refresh and cleanse our home. The act of spring cleaning provides us with just that ability.
Whatever your preference, our spray floor mops are a prompt and efficient tool for cleaning a wide range of interior floor types. For the purpose of spring cleaning, there is simply no product more ideal for that achieving sense of therapeutic cleanliness.
Prepare your kitchen for an influx of home-cooked meals
Cooking has been elevated to new highs during lockdown as a means of alleviating boredom. Why? Because it’s not only enjoyable but incredibly rewarding. Whether you’ve gravitated to making your own pasta, baking your own bread or simply experimenting with new tastes and ingredients, home-cooked meals have never looked so good.
Moving forward, compliment that newfound sense of culinary passion by preparing your kitchen worktops for the influx of meals you envision creating for you and your family. Manns Premier Top Oil ensures and protects the natural beauty and above all, quality, of your kitchen worktops. A highly durable, solvent-based makeup dries to a scratch and scuff resistant finish, whilst also defending against liquid spills and marks from hot crockery.
Prepare your dining room for the eventual return of household guests
A home-cooked meal isn’t complete without an appropriate setting in which you can truly enjoy it. For many households, that setting is the dining room. For years, this foremost setting has functioned for the act of nourishing and hosting your friends, family and other guests invited into your home.
While these gestures have been somewhat reimagined over the course of the past year, now is the time to prepare for their reintegration. This month, why not prepare your dining room for a soon to be evening of feasting and merriment with those closest and dearest to you.
Food for Thought…
The importance of keeping active cannot be understated. Engage in practices that offer a sense of reward, even something as simple as a walk in nature or anything that offers a degree of change and adventure. Normality may be in the not so distant future, but imposing values and practices such as these will go a long way to ensuring a sense of mental and physical wellbeing in the months between.
What are your top tips? What have you learnt most prominently from lockdown? Let us know in our comments section.
Need help with your household project?
Contact our team of resident experts who are always on hand to help with project advice and product recommendations. Alternatively, see our FAQ page which covers many of the most commonly asked questions.
We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing project. If you would like to share your project pictures with us and our followers, you can either send us some photos or share on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.
