How to survive lockdown in Phnom Penh? I was in China when Covid-19 first became a thing, and through trying to run away from Covid ended up here in Phnom Penh, again under lockdown.
To read about how life was normal in Cambodia click here.
Much has been written about how to survive lockdown, but no two places are the same. Therefore here are my top 7 tips on how to survive lockdown in Phnom Penh.
How to survive lockdown in Phnom Penh – Follow the rules
Up until the February 20th incident life had been pretty sweet in Cambodia and the government had done a great job of keeping coronavirus at bay. Sadly the situation has now changed and they are trying to achieve damage limitation.
Over the last week the rules and advisories have changed almost daily, to fight the virus we need to follow these rules and keep up to date on them.
The Khmer Times is probably the best source for up to date information – you can see their site here,
Stock up on the right foods
You are still allowed to go to the supermarket, or the market. Make a list of essential items and do a big shop, rather than rely on constant trips to the supermarket. Buy foods that you can freeze, or will last a long time. Rahman noodles might not be the most interesting of things, but they last forever, are easy to cook and will fill you up.
If you have a local store that sells goods like drinks, rice, or eggs then you can easily still go out and get these.
Don’t rely on food delivery apps – learn to cook
Whilst we are extremely lucky to live in a country with such culinary diversity as Cambodia, it should be remembered that food delivery apps are a new thing. Believe it, or not people ate food way before the invention of the smart phone.
Cooking really isn’t that hard. Anyone can boil noodles, or make a sandwich. Maybe take this as an opportunity to learn how to cook. We still have the internet after all.
Surviving lockdown in Cambodia – Exercise
There are conflicting reports about whether people can exercise, or not, again please check government advisories yourself. If you do go out though it should not be in groups larger than 2. No football sadly, but you can run, or walk. Both of which will burn off the calories.
You can also do a ton of exercises in the house. Push-ups, sit-ups and if you live with someone extra special couples exercise 🙂
To read about how to stay in shape and ready for travel click here.
Surviving lockdown in Phnom Penh – don’t become a slob!
At the weekends many of us like to lounge about and be lazy, there is nothing wrong with this. But, because we might have to spend weeks, or months stuck inside, that does not mean you should do this everyday.
Whether you work from home, or not get up at your usual time, get dressed and lead a productive day. This will be good for your mental wellbeing as well as your physical wellness.
Work and be productive
Lockdown may well affect you financially, not everyone will get paid when they stay at home and not everyone can work from home, but this does not mean you cannot be productive.
Don’t waste away your day watching crap on Netflix. This is a great time to learn a new skill, or a new language even. I would even suggest starting your own blog during this time.
To learn about how to start a food blog in 2021 click here.
Be flexible and look after your mental health
This is one of the hardest ones. You either live alone, or with people. If you live alone, then this will mean you will get little to no social interaction with people. Take the time to phone your friends and family, don’t let lockdown get you down.
Conversely if you live with someone this might mean spending far more time with them than you are used to. Have patience with the people you live with, they are going through the same things that you are. And no matter how small the area that you live is, try and give each other space.
And that is how to survive lockdown in Phnom Penh! See you on the other side….