If there’s one thing lockdown has taught me, it’s that coming up with content when you’re confined to the same four walls day in day out is waaay more difficult than anticipated. I mean, I didn’t ever imagine there’d be a time that I wouldn’t be allowed my house for 8 weeks (besides a couple of food shops and daily dog walks) but here we are, 2020 is already turning out to be wild. Now, because of this, it’s fair to say coming up with fresh, interesting, daily content has been a bit of a struggle. 

I’ve previously written a blog post with 15 Lockdown Blog Post Ideas for Lifestyle Bloggers, so figured I’d continue this series with 25 Things to Post on Instagram Stories During Lockdown. These are all fairly general and can apply to most niches, but if you’d like me to compile a more specific list of ideas get in touch and I can get one written! Anyway, shall we get straight into the lockdown Instagram story ideas, we’ve got quite a lot to cover… 


25 Things to Post on Instagram Stories During Lockdown 

What You’re Currently Watching 
Let’s be real, there’s only so many times one person can scroll the Netflix homepage without getting bored and end up watching Gossip Girl on repeat for the 523rd time... I’ve found SO many good new programmes via people’s Instagram stories, so I always try to post anything I’m watching and whether I think it’s good or bad. Ps if you’ve run out of things to watch this lockdown, here’s my Netflix Watch List for some inspiration. 

Things You’re Most Looking Forward to After Lockdown 
What things are you missing most this lockdown? Share them, it’s a great way to get a conversation started, particularly if your followers are missing the same things too! 

Meals You’re Eating 
I don’t know about you, but my days are currently revolving around mealtimes at the moment. I wake up thinking about breakfast, spend all morning planning my lunch and then eagerly count down the minutes until the most exciting part of a lockdown day; dinner. I love seeing what meals other people are making and getting alllll the inspo. 


Step by Step Recipes 
Following on from waiting for mealtimes, another firm favourite lockdown hobby of mine is baking. I love seeing what other people are making and how they do it, a) because I’m nosy and b) because it shows how difficult something really is to whip up! There’s nothing worse than starting a recipe and realising that a bake is one that could only be pulled off by Mary Berry herself. 

Things You’re Grateful For
I started a blog series (and didn’t get very far with it, but we won’t dwell on that now) called the Gratitude Diaries where I was showing a few things I was grateful for each week. This was a really positive post to write and helped show that it’s not all doom and gloom. I think this would also work really well on stories, as a quick dose of positivity on the gram, as it can be a pretty negative place sometimes! 

Shoutout Your Favourite Brands/Creators 
We are all in this together. Sharing your favourite creators/brands/local businesses is a great way to show the love and help people out during this difficult time! 

(Re)Share Any Lockdown-Relevant Blog Posts
I’m guilty of sharing a blog post on my stories once at a maximum and then never mentioning it again… If you’ve got any content that’s particularly relevant, interesting or insightful for these lockdown days, tell people about it! Just because it’s been posted before it doesn’t mean that people a) even saw it, b) took the time to look at it whilst tapping through or c) clicked through to read the content. 

Outfit of The Days 
Don’t get me wrong, these don’t have to be serious, I love just posting which mis-matched pjs I’m wearing! 


Behind the Scenes of Any Content You Do Take 
This is something I keeeep meaning to do! I’m always asked how I take my photos, how I set my shots up etc so one day I’m going to film myself in action. I love seeing how people create the images they post, it’s so inspiring!

Throwback Travel Snaps 
Whilst any foreign travel looks very much off the cards for a long while yet, travel throwback pics look like the only way we can get ourselves some exotic beaches on the gram. I love seeing where people have been on holiday, their thoughts on their trip and what they recommend doing whilst there. Whilst we can’t actually go anywhere, we can get planning… 

Two Truths and A Lie 
Despite taking a bit of thinking and prep time, this is one of my favourite games. The ‘Quiz’ function is great for this as you as it allows you to have 3(+) possible answers and also display the correct choice once someone has answered. 

Reintroduce Yourself 
I think we often take it for granted that people have followed us for a while, read all of our captions and watch all of our stories. Reintroducing yourself is a great way to ensure that people know a little bit about who you are and what you’re about. This is particularly important if, like me, your feed is full of flatlays and home décor shots – who’s the face behind the gram?!

Room Tour 
Having spent so much time hanging out in my room recently I’ve spotted multiple things I want to change/add/buy. I love seeing how other people have styled their spaces, particularly now that we’re all spending more time in them and paying more attention to how they look! 


Food Shopping Haul 
In case you hadn’t realised here, food is the common thread in this 25 things to post on Instagram stories during lockdown post. I love talking about food, I love seeing food, food, food, food. Now, what might once have been considered a very mundane thing to post about, is now top tier content. I don’t know about you but a trip to the supermarket can very much be the highlight of the lockdown week and those new mango yoghurts you spotted in Tesco? Yes, tell us more about them. 

Timelapses Of You Doing ANYTHING 
Can someone please explain to me how and why time lapses are so interesting? People could literally just be filming themselves polishing their windowsills and I’m watching. There’s definitely got to be some psychology behind why time laspes are so good to watch and one day I’m going to look into it. 

Your Current Skincare Routine 
If there’s one thing we’ve all got more of this lockdown it’s time. And with time, comes a more thorough skincare routine, am I right? Now that I have all the time in the world in the evenings (what with not having to commute and everything being shut) I’ve found myself carrying out a far more extensive skincare routine than usual… Share it! 


Things Currently on Your Wishlist 
This one is fairly self-explanatory and goes down particularly well if your readers are all quite consumerist! That being said, if they’re not, it’s probably best not to ram (disclosed) affiliate links down their throats every day during a pandemic! 

Host A Mini Quiz 
If you have an area of expertise or a topic you’re particularly interested in, hosting a quiz is a fab idea. For example, I have a psychology degree and half of my brain is taken up by research studies and psychological principles I had to learn and memorise for my exams – maybe I should create a little quiz myself! 

Ask Your Audience About the Content They Love Consuming 
Whilst you may love the content you’re producing and the things you’re talking about, it’s always a good idea to check in and see how your followers are finding it! I’m not saying that you should only post what people want to see, but it’s important to check that you’re not totally out of touch with what your followers are keen on! 

Productivity Tips
Now that we’re 9 weeks deep in this weird weird situation it’s unsurprising that the old motivation levels are dropping. I mean, I think we were all expecting this to happen so any tips for being productive and staying on task wouldn’t go amiss right now. 


To-Do Lists 
I love seeing people’s to-do lists for the day. Whilst they may be a little overwhelming when you see that Sarah has plans to redecorate the whole house, make a two-course roast dinner for lunch and read an entire book, I find it really interesting to see what odds and ends people are up to. What’s even more satisfying is seeing people tick items off their list, with before and after photos to prove it! 
 
A Game of Would You Rather 
Another one in the game show category, who doesn’t love a game of would you rather?! I personally ask my friends and family at least one of these questions a day, so they won’t be at all surprised to see that this one has made this list. Whilst the questions I’d put on my stories probably aren’t in the same vein as the ones I’d ask them, this game can be great fun in story format nonetheless!

Show a Transformation 
I love a before and after. Cleaned a hob? Redecorated a room? Tie-dyed a jumper? Show the people the goods. 

Books You’re Reading
I always say that I want to read more, but now that I have the time, I’m actually doing it! I know I’m not alone in this, I’ve seen far more book recommendations on my feed than I ever have! If you’re reading a good book – especially if it’s not one of the current popular choices – share it, tell people about it! 


Share Your ‘On This Day’ 
If you’re feeling particularly brave and want to bait yourself out, sharing your old posts from that day is a great source of entertainment. Now, I’m not talking about the pretty selfie you posted on Instagram this time last year, I’m talking about those Facebook statuses from 2010 about your love for One Direction or the questions on the MyMaths homework you can’t do. As much as I should go through and delete a lot (all) of my old posts, part of me loves occasionally looking at them and having a laugh. 


And there we have it, there were 25 things to post on Instagram stories during lockdown that don’t involve going anywhere or seeing anyone. (BoJo approved). I hope this post has been helpful and has given you at least some inspiration for future IG stories. If you have any other ideas, please do comment them below and maybe I’ll write up a part 2…



What have you been posting on stories during lockdown?