A guide to birthday celebration whilst also in self-isolation

Shout out to the Aries babies


The arrival of COVID-19 brought chaos and a new era of confusion as to how to stay healthy and not lose your sanity.

But what if we were to tell you that it can go further downhill and for something that’s completely out of your control: it’s your BIRTHDAY.  Poor, poor Aries babies, not only have you had to cancel any plans of meals out, nights out or even just going out of the house, you’re also now not even allowed to see your friends or family. FaceTime is great, but sometimes you just want a real hug.

Now don’t get us wrong, staying home is an essential one if you ever want to celebrate another day in the great outdoors, and that means you may have to compromise a few of the plans you’ve made. But fear not, we’ve compiled your ultimate guide to celebrating whilst also self-isolating.

Host a virtual music festival

Hello and welcome to ‘Birthday Baby Fest’ 2020! This one is a lot more simple than it seems and is a perfect way to discover some new music as well as physically making you move somewhere other than the sofa or your bed.

Assign a music genre to each room in the house and make a note of them on your phone. Make it your mission to spend at least half an hour in each room listening to that genre before the end of the day: take a book, your lunch or just your most embarrassing dance moves with you. You can create your own playlists or just use the pre-made Spotify ones if you’re stuck for ideas but either way, we guarantee you’ll feel a lot more accomplished (and happy!) by the end of the day.

Paint a self-portrait

embrace your inner frenchman

Your birthday celebrations may differ every year, but their running theme from birth to death is that the day focuses on YOU. Take a moment to find a photo of yourself that you’re proud of, one that makes you say wow and reminds you of the absolute beauty that you are.

Next, gather your artistic supplies: don’t worry if they’re a bit minimalistic, we get that student loans don’t quite cover a canvas or fancy paints. A trusty biro will do you fine, or try coloured pencils and a bit of water for smudging, making a perfect dupe for watercolour paints. You don’t have to copy the picture exactly and there’s no one to judge your artistic abilities so you can go wild, paint yourself with that pink hair you’ve always wanted and let out your inner Bob Ross.

Have a house party (not what you think)

You may be one of the lucky few who has ended up practising social distancing with your housemates and therefore your loneliness isn’t constant. But, if your housemates have abandoned you for their parents’ home cooked meals and rent-free households, you may be feeling a touch on the solitary side. With FaceTime and WhatsApp limited to just two people per call, you miss being a social butterfly and have turned more into a sad caterpillar.

However a new saviour is here in the form of the app Houseparty which is available to download on any phone or laptop. It allows users to call others and have video conversations with up to eight members, meaning you can talk to all your housemates at the same time and imagine you’re all together in the grimy student kitchen that you love so dearly.

At least one person looks happy

Learn to make a new cocktail

Perhaps one of the greatest sacrifices for students is the recent inability to pop to the pub for a pint or have a beer on the beach with the boys. With alcohol definitely, definitely counting as essential shopping, why not spend this newly acquired free time learning how to make some of your favourite cocktails that are probably a touch nicer to drink than that Co-op own brand vodka lemonade that you’ve been pre-ing on for too long.

With the wealth of the internet at your fingertips, search for recipes based on your favourite spirit or mixer and discover a new combination of flavours that could be the best thing you’ve ever tasted. Yes, you may be drinking alone and without the company of your friends, but no it doesn’t mean that you’ll get any less drunk.

Image may contain: Beer Bottle, Bottle, Liquor, Person, Human, Beverage, Alcohol, Drink, Beer

absolute essentials

Let loose and have fun, it is your birthday after all.