Our guide to staying inside: Humanity and health in unprecedented times
Covid-19 Resources
18.03.2020
These are unprecedented times. As we navigate the uncertainty of what is to come, we’d like to acknowledge the importance of working together and supporting one another to protect those at high risk and those who are most vulnerable to complications.
18.03.2020
Our hearts go out to everyone right now dealing with the impacts of this situation and we acknowledge that this crisis will impact many in different ways.
We know that times of crisis exacerbate gender inequality, and times of stress and uncertainty, can increase rates of domestic violence. We are thinking of the women and children who are living in situations of domestic violence and abuse during this time of self-isolation, as well as those living in shelters who cannot isolate, and the ongoing impact on low-income and migrant women and families who are at risk during these times of financial uncertainty. If you are experiencing any violence, please contact 1800 RESPECT.
For further resources for survivors, communities and more, please visit Futures Without Violence here – many of the numbers and resources listed in that link are US based, however, there are also many articles and resources that are relevant for all. If you can support vulnerable members of your community in whatever ways can help, please do.
We urge you to look out for one another and we will be doing the same. Our humanity, compassion, common sense and kindness are our greatest tools right now. Let's not forget them. Practise empathy. Practise care. Practise courage.
We asked our colleagues at EQI to share things they’ve come across lately and loved, from recommendations for stay-at-home activities, to recipes, to self-care practices. We’ve compiled a list of things on our radar below and we’ll continue to add to this across the coming weeks.
Watch
- Netflix and Google have developed a Netflix Party Extension for you to keep connected with friends and family. You can watch the same show simultaneously and chat with them about the film.
- The Met launched a free series of online encores called “Nightly Met Opera Streams,” for people to access the live presentations from their homes.
- The Australian Ballet is showcasing their amazing performances, starting with Sleeping Beauty, for free on their platform Ballet TV.
- ‘Folx’ is a 10-part queer documentary series on Instagram, focused on some of the most fascinating and enigmatic queer personalities in New York.
- Six of the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s plays are being streamed for free!
- BroadwayHD is offering a free 7-day trial for online access to its broadway hits!
- There’s plenty of wonderful films and TV series out there but if you haven’t watched Sex Education yet, we highly recommend!
- Melbourne’s ACMI is hosting a weekly Virtual Cinémathèque with a whole range of wonderful films available to watch. We recommend this feminist Western by Kelly Reichardt.
- For a list of short films available online, check out this curated collected from Indiewire.
- Jump online and get involved with the 2020 Breath Of Fresh Air online film festival! The types of films cover topics like climate action and world stories.
- Adventure Journal has put together a list of live-streaming animal cams for some very feel-good content. We also recommend this livestream of an old dogs home, and this stream of a dugong’s playtime!
Listen
- Check out the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Youtube channel to access live musical performances.
- Global Citizen has launched the #TogetherAtHome campaign, getting musicians to give performances on their Instagram Live, including John Legend and Chris Martin. This is in collaboration with the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, which you can donate to.
- Get stuck into your favourite podcasts or audiobooks, now is the time to binge! Audible is doing free audiobooks for children (and adults) who are unable to go to school. Check out their free library, in the languages of English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese.
- Ngaiire gave a Cappella performance in the empty Art Gallery of NSW days after the gallery shut to the public and it’s just beautiful.
Learn
- Libby is an app for your local library’s e-books and audiobooks, which means you can utilise the amazing resources your library has without having to leave the house!
- The MoMA is offering six free art online courses through their page in coursera!
- The NGV has a series of free tours, art history lessons and drawing classes hosted by local artists available on their Channel.
- Check out the virtual tours of some of the most famous museums in Europe and America.
- Brit + Co are offering free creative online courses for the next two weeks (until end of March) when you use the discount code SELFCARE at checkout! From photography, to illustration, to cookie-decorating – there's loads of options to get started.
- Domestika is also offering a bunch of discounted online creative courses - from perfecting Adobe skills, to animation, to web design and more!
- You can go on a virtual tour of five historical sites like the Pyramids of Giza and the Taj Mahal. You can also go on a virtual tour of the Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough - what a dream!
- You can also check out the Google Arts & Culture website to browse exhibitions of over 500 museums around the world.
- Cambridge University Press is offering free access to 700 textbooks and resources, as well as free access to key reference works on request for existing customers.
- And there’s always YouTube and its never-ending options - get into some weird and wonderful tutorials and have fun.
Eat
- For novice cooks, chef Tom Colicchio has shared some of his tips for isolation cooking, so you’re not left eating beans straight out of the tin! Also, for those on Twitter, his hashtag #CookingInACrisis has lots of ideas under it.
- Maggie Beer is doing free daily videos on easy rustic-style dishes you can cook in under 20 minutes.
- While your local restaurants are still open, support them by ordering in and tipping the delivery person as much as you can. Ensure you take proper sanitation precautions and ask the delivery person to drop it outside your door instead of meeting face-to-face.
- If you’ve run out of pasta at your local shops, Melbourne restaurants have come to the rescue! While we recognise that this is an extremely niche and privileged option, we also love that the Melbourne foodie community and culture is banding together and staying strong during a time of crisis. Check out this list of restaurants in Melbourne that still have fresh pasta at the ready and this list of Melbourne restaurants now offering takeaway.
- Also on the Melbourne front - caterers who have lost work at events have also banded together to launch home delivery services for those who are out of supplies, unable to make it to the shops, or simply would prefer to order pre-made food. Check out Firecracker Events for more.
Move
- Soak up some sunshine and get some fresh air. If you’re not required to stay inside, getting some fresh air and daily sunshine can do wonders for your mental and physical wellbeing. Try and schedule some time outside each day if you’re able to, while practising social distancing and using common sense and compassion for others and yourself.
- Be.Come Projectis offering $5 off at the moment (and a free 30 day trial) for access to their body-neutral, grounding and calming weekly exercise classes which you can stream without leaving the house!
- The Australian Ballet is offering free ballet classes online for all types of levels of experience!
- There are loads more apps too offering free exercises from yoga to pilates to HIIT activities. Have a search and find one that works for you.
- If exercising indoors is hard for you, and you’re not required to stay indoors, you can still go for a run or walk while practising social distancing. Here are some tips on how to do so safely during this time of crisis.
Do
- Use social media for connection! There are many influencers using their platform to connect remotely with people around the world – join their livestreams, play their games, talk to one another, and feel supported and connected. This is a time to come together.
- Use the time at home to tackle a cleaning or organising project – you could get inspired by watching or reading Marie Kondo.
- Taking care of your mental health is incredibly important during this time, and always. A state of emergency can cause heightened levels of stress and anxiety, so it’s vital you look after your wellbeing. If that means spending time away from social media, then set those boundaries to support you. You can also find some further tips here and here.
- It’s important to look after your immune system and one way to help do that can be to meditate. Liberate Meditation is an app dedicated to “empowering the black, indigenous, and people of colour communities on their journey to find inner peace.” It features lots of free talks and guided meditations from teachers of colour.
- Channel your mindfulness with our free downloadable colouring-in activity pages. Perfect for keeping calm or entertaining your kids!
- I-D has curated a list of 100 useful things you can do to kill boredom if you're quarantined at home because of coronavirus.
- Establish a self-care routine that works for you. We know self-care is complex, nuanced and much more than putting on a face mask, but you should do everything you can to make yourself feel safe and supported right now. Be kind to yourself and put in place routines and boundaries that support your wellbeing.
- If you have a pet, spend time with them! Consensual cuddles, pats and hugs with our pets are quite simply, the best.
Play
- Host a dance party! Facetime your friends, put on a song, and dance around the house with each other.
- For those staying at home with children, here’s 100 indoor activities to try.
- Play virtual board games with your friends and family – there are so many to choose from, so keep your competitive spirit alive!
- Sydney Krawiec has created a virtual Harry Potter themed escape room for you to play for free!
- AdamJK has created a series of free activity pages to print out and get inspired!
Support
- Stay connected. It’s so important, particularly during times of isolation, that we stay connected. Call, text, email or facetime your loved ones. If you can, check in with those from vulnerable communities and those who may not have access to the internet. Practise compassion and look after one another.
- Support local business. The coming weeks and months will be tough on a lot of everyone, particularly small businesses. Buy local where you can. If you’re financially able to, purchase gift vouchers for the future. Tip your delivery drivers and service industry folk extra if you’re able to. Here’s some extra tips on how to support local business.
- Support Indigenous communities. For many, there is no access to healthcare or testing services, and there are groups who are being forced to work for the dole without any safety measures being taken around social distancing. Call your local MP or write to them to demand better action and support for these communities!
- Support women and their children experiencing violence. Fair Agenda has set up a petition calling on governments to ensure the services women rely on to be safe from violence in their homes, are funded to meet the demand. Sign it here.
