Firstly, I hope you’re all safe and well. We’re living in very strange times indeed.

Yet amid all the fear, pain, and panic, there is also hope and opportunity. Quite understandably and rightly, the climate crisis has fallen out of the spotlight for now. But my hope is that the corona crisis will act as a system reset for a broken economy, that we’ll all use it to reflect on what really matters to us, and we’ll come out the other side stronger for it. 

After all, COVID-19 is showing us just what ‘emergency’ and ‘crisis’ mean and how vulnerable we all are, which may make our leaders take greater heed of the climate crisis. It’s also showing us how dramatically we can act when we put our minds to it. Meanwhile, the personal changes that climate scientists and activists have been demanding seem palatably mild in comparison to the sacrifices the coronavirus is forcing on us. 

Hopefully when things get back to normal, we’ll start to build the more resilient kind of world that we can all really thrive in.

Meanwhile, I imagine that I’m not alone in preparing my ‘lockdown to-do list’ – a list of all the things that will keep me sane and busy in my home over the coming weeks while coronavirus wreaks havoc with our world.

So I decided to share 10 actions that you could do at home over the coming period, aside from washing those hands again, again, and again… 

1. Help your neighbours – check in with neighbours (especially vulnerable ones) – do they need help? Or maybe they’d just appreciate a daily text to check in? Find your local Covid-19 mutual aid group to see what help may be needed near you. 
2. Feed your noodle – now is a good time to read and reflect. I particularly enjoyed this reading list of sustainable living and business books from Reconsidered. If you do buy any books – why not buy from hive.co.uk who give a share of proceeds to independent bookshops, who probably need the help now more than ever. Make the Feed your noodle pledge.
3. Fix things – after watching an episode of The Repair Shop on BBC last night, I’m inspired. Gather together all those bits and bobs that need some TLC – now is your moment! More advice on our Fix it page.
4. Clean your bills – now you’re likely to be at home to read your electricity meters, switching energy supplier couldn’t be easier. Find out how through our Clean your bills pledge.
5. Make (virtual) meals with friends – we may not be able to host real dinner parties, but why not cook up a storm with friends via video call? You could all decide on a recipe together and cook in unison, as though at a cookery class. Make the Cook social pledge.
6. Eat up – food waste is never a good thing, but right now, with supermarket shelves emptying as they are, there’s really no place for it. Make the Eat up pledge for tips on how to use up every scrap.
7. Keep fit – our health is more important than ever, but with gyms closing and sports clubs pausing play, we need to find new ways to keep fit. If you can’t get outside, then there are loads of fitness apps and videos out there. But personally, I need some social motivation, which is why I joined a friend’s fitness class on Instagram TV, with friends following from their own flats all over Europe. It was pretty awesome. He’s doing another on Saturday. 
8. Get cosy – lag your loft and up your draft proofing game. Even if you can’t complete the insulation installation yourself, now could be a good time to clear the loft out ready for the work to be done. That is the biggest barrier, after all. Check out our Lag your loft and Draught busters pledges for more info.
9. Get crafty – if you’re struggling to entertain the kids, our All made up pledge is for you, filled with ideas of ways to get creative, making gifts from all sorts of left over bits and bobs. Kids optional.
10. Move your money – here’s one final action around which there’s loads of talk, but very little action. But if you’re looking for long-term financial advice right now, then consider seeking ways to align your money with your values. Our Move your money pledge is filled with resources that can help.

I’d love to hear any other suggestions you have – please do share any links, resources, and ideas in the comments section below.

Thanks, and stay safe.