Creature comforts: Cosying up at home and winning… 4 tips on loving home time alone

With more and more socialising happening from the home, from Zoom to communal gaming – and with the majority of us happy to communicate online rather than the old-school face-to-face way – it’s no surprise we’re also more comfortable on the couch than going out these days.

‘Cocooning’, or that idea that we’re more content cosying up in a familiar environment rather than being out and about surrounded by strangers, becomes a particularly popular phenomenon in the winter months.

You can keep track of your favourite sports without stepping foot out of your own yard, even complete an entire degree in communications without physical contact with the outside world.

Here are six great things to do while cocooning at home yourself:

01. Write a list of all the things you are grateful for; you’ll notice up to about number 10 on that list, a nice surprise will hit you.

02. Put a record on that just puts in, you know, that mood. Vinyl, CD, Spotify, MP3, it’s up to you what medium you choose, just remember it’s your song.

03. Listen for sounds outside your own house. You’ll be surprised how many birds have been singing, hot cars have had their engines rumbling, or kids have been laughing in the park while you’ve been busy ‘elsewhere’.

04. Breathe – and enjoy that moment with yourself, away from social media for a time and from the busy physical world for a while.

Michael Mastess