Young generations like ours are more used to a sedentary lifestyle than the previous ones, so it is normal for us to spend lots of time at home, which has made it easier to deal with this situation. This is good on one side, but on the other, we all know the negative consequences of spending too much time sitting in front of a screen. Therefore, we try to disconnect our minds from our devices and keep physically healthy by doing some exercise or occupying ourselves with other hobbies at home.
For example, Lorena and Angela live together in Cork, so they participate in Zumba classes. Pooja in Milan is spending some time every day on art to help take her mind off the stress and anxiety. Carmen in Portugal is putting her hands to creating interesting commodities such as homemade solid shampoo and Mehmet in Montpellier is growing pineapples and avocados to keep him company and stay positive for the beautiful times ahead. Some of us are luckier and can even go out for a run from time to time, as Rafael does in Montpellier, while Luís in Portugal gets his bit of exercise by cycling in this beautiful weather. We also take advantage of the international collaborations in this programme by exchanging traditional recipes from our countries and testing our cooking skills; the last moussaka recipe from Nikola was delicious!
These activities have helped us to stay motivated during this difficult period adding some joy to our boring quarantine routines. We feel we will come out of this situation triumphantly, having learned new things that will inspire us to keep working on our PhD projects.
Training Programme in Yeast Biotechnology 