As we have more weeks of lockdown ahead of us, I looked for some ideas to stay sane during this time.

There is a lot of good advice available on the web – one of the better ones came from Alistair Campbell. Here are some of his ideas:

1 Look after key relationships. Your partner, your children, parents and grandparents, siblings, closest friends. Really try to look out for them – but not in person, unless they live with you.

2 Stay active. The temptation to do nothing is strong. Try to resist it.

3 Exercise. It is vital to physical and mental wellbeing.

 4 Watch your diet. For many people, boredom = eating, dislocation = eating, loneliness = eating. It is important to be aware of it. Try to eat healthily.

5 Keep an eye on the booze.  To a degree the South African lockdown is managing that, but don’t decimate the wine cellar in two nights.

6 Sleep. This is not always easy, but an early night is a good night.

7 Read books. Don’t be a 24/7 news junkie. Books that have nothing to do with the current crisis, fiction or nonfiction, can be such a wonderful release.

8 Cut down on social media. Endlessly scrolling through Twitter and Instagram is not healthy.

9 Listen to music regularly.

10 Write down your thoughts. Keep a diary. Make lists.

11 Keep in touch with the people you would normally be in contact with.

12 Get in touch with someone you have lost contact with.

13 Do something good for someone else every day.

14 Do the easy things if you are finding it hard to do the difficult things.

15 Stay curious. Try new things.

16 Remember that all crises end eventually. By the time this one is over, there will have been a lot of death, a lot of grief, a lot of suffering. But it will end, and most of the world will still be here. So …

17 Keep things in perspective. Don’t panic.

And finally …

18 See an opportunity in every setback. The whole world is going to have to take that approach when this is all over, but we can do it in our own lives now. Most people are being kinder. There is a boom in volunteering. There is more respect for so-called unskilled workers, more appreciation of medical staff and carers. The air is cleaner. In other words, try to look on the bright side.  Thanks, Alistair. Remember, if you become positive, that the vast majority of people can stay at home and get better without going near a hospital. Covid-19 is an illness that presents in a mild form and typically resolves spontaneously. But the disease is more serious for the elderly and those living with chronic diseases, who should definitely exercise extra precaution and vigilance.