As reality kicks in, many are now getting restless at the thought of the crumbling global economies — and particularly — their livelihoods

By NUR HANANI AZMAN / Pic By BLOOMBERG

CABIN fever is getting worse for some amid the extended and stricter Movement Control Order (MCO).

Desperate for the outside world, they are driving or walking around without any valid reason and risking police arrest.

Fortunately, there are still many of us who are adamant at abiding the MCO and eager to help flatten the Covid-19 curve.

With the privilege of the Internet, we can still see our loved ones through video calls and have our essentials, even non-essentials, delivered to our doorstep.

However, as reality kicks in, many are now getting restless at the thought of the crumbling global economies — and particularly — their livelihoods.

Small businesses are now getting creative and optimising the Internet to stay afloat.

Splashcupcakes, a home-based baker who, before the MCO organised group baking classes during the weekends, was glad that she had added an online class option since last year.

Splashcupcakes owner, Zulaikha Azman, now sells a step-by-step video on how to bake cakes and cookies at an affordable price.

“Most of my students are home-based bakers as well. After mastering new recipes, they are now taking orders online.

“Orders for desserts are slower than usual during the MCO, but it is still okay. Orders come in smaller batches compared to usual days, where people would order huge batches for a party or an event,” she told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).

However, understanding what her customers like, Zulaikha can still satisfy their cravings by coming up with promotional combos in limited quantities and only available for delivery in selected areas.

Amateur bakers have also used the extra time they have during the MCO to hone their skills and showing off their hidden talents in the kitchen.

Social media was flooded with posts of Dalgona coffee on the first week of the MCO and now, people are getting more creative and tweaking the viral recipe with other ingredients like Matcha (green tea), Milo and vanilla ice cream.

With grocery runs now limited, recipes with minimal ingredients are getting the most traction.

A Milo cake recipe with only three ingredients which are eggs, Milo and sugar, shared by Azny Idrus II on Facebook gained over 3,000 likes.

“It is very easy to make. Whisk all the ingredients and steam it,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, personal shoppers who previously took orders for popular brands’ warehouse sales have now shifted to in-demand items like face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers.

A personal shopper who requested anonymity said many people are looking for hand sanitisers and soaps due to the increased awareness on the importance of hygiene.

“Luckily, I know some suppliers therefore I do not have to rely on supermarkets to get the stock,” she told TMR.

Being cooped up at home does not mean being idle and abandon- ing your fitness.

Research shows that being sedentary is not only bad physically, but mentally as well, therefore stay- ing active during this difficult period is important.

Jump rope, bodyweight squats, lunges and push-ups are among the easiest home workouts as they do not require any gym equipment, and can be done right in the living room.

Being physically active helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

While staying at home, it is important to remember that we are not only avoiding the coronavirus but all sorts of health problems in general.