Things an Uber driver can do in self-isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic

If you’re not already in self-isolation, you’ll be practising some pretty strict social distancing during the Coronavirus outbreak.

We understand it’s been a very challenging time to be an Uber driver this year and whether or not to continue working is not a straightforward decision like it is for many other industries but if you have decided to take a step away from driving or simply have more time, especially around the holidays, we’ve created this blog post to share some good ideas about how you can spend your self-isolation as the year comes to an end.

Organise Yourself

This is the spring (or winter) clean you always wished you had time for, and we think you’ll even make some money from it.

Your surroundings – if you haven’t used something for one year, you should probably get rid of it. Try and sell it or give it to charity (use the outdoor charity boxes around your local town or city) rather than recycling it or throwing it straight in the bin.
Your car – we’re sure you’re used to doing this anyway, but see here for our top tips in keeping your car coronavirus-free.
Your bills and payments – you’ll likely know that you can save money simply by switching your energy and other suppliers. We believe a visit to the Money Saving Expert or a price comparison site will be well worth your time. This company will also contact all of your household service and energy suppliers for free asking for payment relief on your behalf.
Your day structure – during this time, it’s still important to wake up early and get your day started. During the holidays, spending time with family becomes even more important.

INSHUR Uber drivers

Relax

We won’t pretend like isolating is always a time to be super productive. It’s important to have a wholesome break and sometimes a good show or film is exactly what you need. We’ve rounded some festive, and not so festive, binge-worthy series and films and where to enjoy them. (Note: some of these might be UK specific.)

Series:

The Crown (Netflix) – Season 4 was released in November. The series is a historical drama focused on key events surrounding the royal family, with the latest season introducing Lady/Princess Diana.
Sugar Rush Christmas (Netflix) – For those with a bit of a sweet tooth and love for competitiveness and creativity, plus an added element of festive cheer. Season 2 is now available to stream.
Billions (Amazon Prime) – A series where two big players in the financial market try to outdo each other. Now into its 5th season, which was released last Summer, has really positive reviews across the web so is well worth a watch (but maybe not with the kids).
The Mandalorian (Disney+) – For all those Star Wars fans out there, the much loved “Baby Yoda” is back after a very successful first season. The 2nd season continues on the adventures of a bounty hunter and his little magical companion. It has action, sci-fi, drama and comedy all rolled into one.

Films:

Christmas Chronicles 2 (Netflix) – the sequel to last year’s Netflix’s exclusive festive release. Teenager Kate Pierce is reunited with Santa Claus when a troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas forever. One for the whole family to enjoy.
Soul (Disney+) – Pixar’s newest creation is coming to Disney+ on 25th December. When a once middle-school music teacher travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul. Definitely suitable for all ages!
Elf (Sky Movies – UK, various streaming services – US) – we have to include this as a Christmas classic to watch over the holidays. What could be more fun than watching an adult who thinks he’s an Elf frolic around the streets of New York City?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Netflix) – New to Netflix and winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018. Miles Morales becomes the new Spider-man whilst meeting others from different multiverses.

Disney Pixar's Soul

Image credit: Disney

Stay Healthy

Exercise – Running or walking is a great way to get you out of the house and something you don’t need any equipment for (except for a good pair of trainers). It can be really rewarding to see your progress each time you do it so track your workouts on an app like Strava, Map My Run or your phone’s own health app. Just be sure to wrap up and beware of icy paths!
Meditation or yoga – Yoga can be a real source of calm and gratitude, as well as it’s physical benefits of lessening chronic pain such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Beyond that, you can also benefit from increased flexibility, muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy and vitality, maintaining a balanced metabolism, weight loss, and more.
- If you want to follow it on YouTube, we like Yoga with Adriene
- Or, if you’d prefer an app, we’ve been impressed by Yoga | Down Dog where you can predetermine the length of your workout and what you’d like to focus on so it creates personalised workouts.
- If you’re interested in meditation, you’ve most likely heard of popular apps Headspace and Calm.

Or, some of the INSHUR team have been using videos like this 18-minute one that will gently ease you into a state of blissfully deep relaxation or this 14-minute one to help with anxious feelings.

man doing yoga in the street

Learn

Cooking and baking – demand will be high for ingredients this holiday season and you’ll likely need to feed the whole family for Christmas, so, here are some recipes that the INSHUR team have been loving recently for some extra inspiration:
- Gina from our Finance team is a fantastic baker and has even shown us all how to bake delicious gingerbread for the holidays.
- Kerry from our Marketing team will be making this scrumptious vegan mushroom wellington for his Christmas dinner.
- Dan from our Engineering team highly recommends this take on Millie’s (Baskin Robbins) cookies.
- Mat from our People team always feels festive when he bakes a chocolate babka cake.
Reading – take some time away from the road or your screen and get reading! Perfect for those cosy stay-at-home evenings during the holiday season.
Brush up on your language skills – we’ve heard a lot of good things about Duolingo and it’s free! Let us know if you do this, we’re keen to know how you find it.
Wrap some presents – it’s that time of year, so finessing your present wrapping skills will certainly keep you busy. We found this handy visual guide on how to become a wrapping pro.