Great ideas for keeping busy
We asked you to stay connected with FORCE and share your ideas on how to get through these unprecedented times.
Straight away someone we support at FORCE got in touch with a fantastic list of resources to access online.
There are some lovely ideas for ways to look after your mind and body and we are so grateful for the time taken to put this comprehensive list together.
They told us: “I know what it’s like trying to find things to do since I had to give up work to look after my partner and young child. It’s important to keep the mind and body busy. If it helps just one person it will be worth my time.
“I’ve been through YouTube and other websites to find the best ones to try and reduce the boredom we are all facing at the moment.
“In our house we are having random spa days, baking and creating some art. We’ve been doing the art for kids hub tutorials. My daughter loves it. I’m rubbish for drawing so it’s also teaching me. It’s good for kids’ pen control and learning a new skill. We enjoy doing it together each day, it’s bonding and relaxing.
“I hope you find these web pages and the information about Alexa useful.”
We’d love to hear from you on how you are getting through the Coronavirus pandemic.
Get in touch via connect@forcecancercharity.co.uk to send us your comments and pictures.
Learn
Crafts calming ideas for stress reduction
Singing Voice lessons for beginners
Gardening Successfully growing your own fruit and vegetables
The Open University currently has free courses on offer in many different subjects and at different levels with varying time needed to complete.
Relaxation and Yoga
15 minute guided meditation Relaxed body, relaxed mind
Channel for relaxing music, calming sounds for quarantine etc.
Guided relaxation of various lengths with different peaceful sounds & music
Soothing hand massage tutorial
15 minute morning yoga to wake up
15 minute calming yoga for stress and anxiety reduction
15 minute yoga to wind down before bed
Sleep
Guided 10 minute sleep meditation female voice
Relaxing music for sleep 3 hours
45 min sleep talk down for healing male voice
These are great Youtube channels where you have a choice of videos:
Soothing relaxation Peaceful, relaxing music with beautiful imagery
Sleep easy relax Sleep music and meditation
Nature
How to identify British trees – there is a free app for this
How to identify UK butterflies
Space
Constellations what can we see in the night sky
International space station see it where you are
What is the international space station
www.in-the-sky.org and www.earthsky.org have some interesting information about planets, moon phases and you can find the constellation for your star sign. It’s so clear out at the moment and a great opportunity to sit and appreciate the beauty of what’s around us.
Exercise
10 min exercise to improve balance
Children
Art for kids hub learn to draw
Alexa
Smart speakers can be useful for accessing all sorts of information and Alexa has some really great relaxation exercises, workouts etc. It also has some fun games, especially for children.
Alexa has a lot of great skills but some need to be activated.
To do this you need to open the Alexa app on your phone.
On the top left of the screen there are 3 little lines, press these.
Open skills and games
Press the magnifying glass on the top right of the screen
Search for something you want to try eg Relaxation
Click on the skill that you wish to install on Alexa
Press Enable skill
On the screen it will tell you what to say to Alexa to open that skill.
Here is a YouTube video that shows you how to do it.
How To Setup Skills on Amazon Echo Dot – Alexa Echo Dot 3rd Gen Setup Music, Books, Games, Trivia
Some of the skills do not need to be enabled for them to work. You can say the following to Alexa and it will find the relevant skill:
Alexa, play some spa music
Alexa, open yoga meditation
Alexa, open unwind body meditation
Alexa, open relaxing, mindful yoga
Alexa, open ocean sounds
Alexa, open relaxing body scan
Alexa, open rainforest sounds
Alexa, open guided sleep meditation
Alexa, start 5 minute workout
There is a good progressive muscle relaxation skill but you have to enable it, then all you say is Alexa, relax me.
It also has some good games for children – enable the animal game skill and try it out. To look at the wide selection of skills and games, open the Alexa app on your phone, click the three little lines on the top right, open skills and games, then open categories. There’s also a wide range of novelty, food and drink, health and fitness skills etc.
