LOCKDOWN DAY SEVEN. With at least eight days of self-isolation remaining, the special measures in force across the Spanish nation will prove a real challenge for some people.

Filling each day is an important step in coping with isolation. Staying busy will help couples and families cope with being together in what will feel like a much smaller space, and people living alone can remain digitally connected with those around them.

We all must stay at home right now, but that doesn´t mean that there´s nothing we can do. On the contrary, there are plenty of creative and positive ways to fill your new-found free time. Let´s take a look.

Enjoy homemade food and the best Spanish wines

Get creative in the kitchen and make the most of the opportunity to enjoy home-cooked food. You don´t need to be a Masterchef to produce some beautiful dishes from odds and ends languishing in the far reaches of your kitchen cupboards.

Download the SuperCook app to your smartphone, add your ingredients, and the app will suggest recipes based on what you find in your fridge or pantry.

It´s a healthy and enjoyable way to spend your free time and use ingredients you´ve already paid for. Pair your creation with one of the bottles of Spanish wine you probably already have, and you have one less reason to venture outside.

Support our local frontline medical staff

We all know that medical resources are becoming more and more scarce as the coronavirus pandemic spreads, but if you have access to a sewing machine you can make a real difference.

Sanidad Excelente has organised a service that supports our medical staff at Torrevieja Hospital, by delivering raw materials to local households and asking residents to manufacture face masks.

Full instructions are provided and the city´s Civil Protection unit will collect finished masks and deliver them to the hospital. Interested? Simply WhatsApp 605 403 331 or email your address to info@plataformasanidadtorrevieja.es.

The best local entertainers in your living room

The Orihuela Costa is blessed with a rich year-round social calendar of events provided by a diverse variety of local entertainers. But something as "simple" as a national lockdown won´t stop our determined artists from putting on a show.

Each night a host of musicians, comedians, and performers produce an evening of live entertainment via Facebook, and the Live Lounge Costa Blanca interactive experience provides welcome relief from the very real problems going on outside our homes.

Local names such as Keiley Page, Richie Alexander, Melissa Jade, and Stevie Spit broadcast from their living room to yours. Join the Watch Party on Facebook, and check out the entertainment schedule for this week.

Time to finish those jobs on your to-do list

This might not top your list of things to do but let´s face it, we all have a to-do list that we´ve put off due to a "lack of time". But now is not a time for excuses.

The shops might be closed but we all have a shelf that never got put up in the bathroom, a bedroom wall that needs a little decorative retouch, or kitchen doors that need adjusting to look their best.

Take a look in your underbuild and utility or storage areas and you´ll be surprised what you might find. Make the most of this time to finish household chores that you´ve been putting off.

Working out and keeping fit on the Orihuela Costa

Making sure you stay healthy and active is vitally important during the coronavirus pandemic, and having generally good health will stand you in good stead against disease.

Summer´s not far away, so use your time to stay fit and healthy at home utilising whatever personal space you have: your living room, a solarium, or even your driveway if you´ve parked your car outside.

The internet is full of websites that promote workout videos, and for a more interactive and local fitness experience try PhysioFit on Facebook. They hold live workout sessions daily that you can tune in to.

Get in touch with neighbours, family and friends

Stay connected with family, friends, coworkers and neighbours. Skype, WhatsApp and good old-fashioned phone calls aren´t prohibited, so keep in touch - especially with elderly and vulnerable people you might know.

Speaking with other people about how we are all coping with this extraordinary situation will help everyone, and provide a much-needed opportunity to enjoy some valuable social time.

Even speaking with relatives and friends in other countries can prove enlightening, and they can let you know how the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is affecting their lives.

Brush up on your Spanish language skills

Many of us are guilty of not spending enough time studying the native language, but having a basic working knowledge of Spanish is exceptionally advantageous at times such as these.

There are a wide variety of apps and websites that can help you learn Spanish cost-free, and YouTube is packed to the brim with entertaining online lessons to help you improve your language skills.

We love the Butterfly Spanish YouTube channel and find Ana´s tutorial videos an excellent source of knowledge for Spanish language beginners. And Ana´s likeable personality, the shortness of her videos, and the way she explains things in simple terms make her video classes very easy to digest.

Spring cleaning and things to do around the garden

It may not have received the annual fanfare that normally accompanies the arrival of springtime, but the season is upon us now so there´s no excuse not to spend time getting your home ready for summer.

Being isolated isn´t a lot of fun, but taking time to make the most of your outdoor space at this time of year provides a welcome relief from simply being stuck indoors.

Remove weeds from pots, tend to plants inside and out, and use whatever you can find around your home to make your outside space more pleasurable. After all, the reality is that however bad things get, this pandemic, just like the ones that preceded it, can´t last forever.

If you or someone you know thinks they have any symptoms of coronavirus infection or any flu-like symptoms whatsoever, do not go to a medical centre, a doctors surgery, or a hospital. Instead, call +34 900 300 555 for assistance. And remember, please stay at home, but if you absolutely must go out, go out alone.