Things You Can Do During Quarantine

Because I am always late to the game, here is a blog post I should have written over two months ago. Better late than never, right?

Though things are starting to open up, many people are still choosing to stay home. And a second and possibly third wave is predicted so keep this list for future reference- though I sincerely hope we won’t need it!

These are scary and crazy times we are living through! While this situation is anxiety provoking, many people are using this time at home to decompress or to be productive in some way. Time is always a gift. We never get it back. And while you do not need to do anything at all during this time, I thought I would create a list of things people can do if they are bored, anxious, stressed, or just looking for fun things to do!

Check out my list below for things to do at home alone or with family during Quarantine.

Stress Relief and Self Care

Feeling stressed? Anxious? Angry? Agitated? Depressed? Sad? Grieving? Happy? Relaxed?

Any and all of these feelings are totally normal given the circumstances. Check out these ideas below to slow down and bring some peace to your life.

There are so many great apps or even YouTube channels with a variety of meditations you can do. There are nature sounds such as birds, rain, or waterfalls. There is relaxing music and there is guided meditation, which I use at night to sleep. I have been having trouble falling asleep and the meditation apps knock me right out!

You can meditate at any point in the day. You can meditate in the morning to start your day on a peaceful note. You can meditate in the middle of the day if you are feeling stressed, or you can meditate before bed to help you wind down from the day and sleep peacefully.

Many studies show a ridiculous amount of benefits from meditating. Many CEO’s and celebrities swear by meditation and the research backs them up! Give it a try. It might be difficult at first but it is something you can get better at with practice.

You can come out of this Quarantine fit! Exercise has so many benefits. Not only does it help you get stronger, leaner, or toned but exercise also decreases your chances of developing dementia as well as increases your overall mood, confidence, and self esteem. Try to stretch or exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday. You will notice yourself getting stronger and happier overall.

There are many exercise routines online. I love Fitness Blender on YouTube. Centr is doing a 30 day free trial and so is Peloton! Great workouts for free! No excuses!

We may be quarantined but it is unhealthy to stay at home everyday. Staying indoors for long periods of time can increase depressive symptoms. We need fresh air and Vitamin D. Go for a walk or run in your neighborhood everyday.

I don’t know about you but I love coloring! You can get mandala coloring books for cheap on Amazon or the dollar store. Coloring can relax you and decrease stress. Give it a try. It’s fun and relaxing!

Journaling is a great way to release your feelings. Not only is it a great release but we are living through history right now! You can document your life….even if it is boring right now. This will be crazy to read about in the future!

Aromas can be another way to relax. Light some incense or candles and carry on with your day.

Have some bath salts? A face mask? Sugar scrub? Hop in the bath and give yourself a nice spa day….or hour. Take some time to soak and relax. Rinse the stresses of the day away.

I feel like every time I am on Social Media, I see people posting about their flower or vegetable gardens. Gardening is a great activity to do during quarantine. Its relaxing and gets you outside! No backyard or plot of land to dig around in? No problem! Check out craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. People post cheap gardening supplies on there constantly!

There are many great health benefits to gardening but also to having plants around you! Gardening gets you outside, exposed to vitamin D. It allows for light exercise and studies show that it actually decreases chances of dementia! Having plants in your own increases creativity, concentration, and productivity. Plants also increase the oxygen in your home and purifies your air. Who knew that plants and gardening could have so many amazing benefits.

Personal Development:

If you feel up to it, you can use this time to work on you! You can learn new skills, increase your knowledge about certain subjects, and learn the basics of a new language! The possibilities of learning are endless!

Have a pile of books you have been wanting to read for years? Have a very dusty book shelf? Now is your time to shine! You can knock out a ton of books during this time. Turn off the TV, save your binging for later and open that book that’s been staring at you for what feels like eternity. I promise, you will feel good about yourself! You will feel accomplished and productive all while putting in very little effort!

Want to learn a new language? Check out Duolingo! It’s an amazing, free app with a ton of languages on there! It makes learning fun and easy! You can use it on your phone or computer.

Want to learn a new skill such as sewing, photography, knitting, drawing, cooking, baking….etc… Well, YouTube is your best friend! There are countless tutorials on YouTube. You can literally learn how to do anything you can think of!

Want to watch videos on cool topics? Check out Ted Talks. There are fascinating, influential talks. I can watch them for hours and hours.

There are so many websites that offer free online classes. Some of these websites offer classes from Universities! You can take college level classes for free! Amazing! You just make an account and register for a course! Easy peasy.

Here are some sites to check out for free online classes:

Khan Academy, Coursera, Class Central, edX, MIT

Fun:

Not only is this a great time to be productive and to learn, but this is also a great time to veg out and watch everything! Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO…the watching is endless. There are so many amazing shows and movies out right now that it is almost overwhelming!

With commuting to and from work, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to watch anything before. But I sure do now! What are you going to watch?

I personally hate cooking but there are so many great, exciting, new recipes you can try out! Do you have any family recipes you have been wanting to try? Do you have a cookbook you have been meaning to open for years? If not, head over to Pinterest! It’s where I get all of my recipes for lunch and dinner!

Ah, baking! My favorite pastime of eating sweets starts here. I have never been particularly great at baking but it is something I like to try! Its a fun activity for the family to do together. Also, there are tons of great recipes trending on Tik Tok. I find it fun to bake as well as make videos of the process. Fun all around.

Learning to play an instrument is something on a lot of people’s lists of things to learn but rarely do we have the time or energy to dedicate to trying something new. Learning an instrument takes time, focus, patience, and dedication. What better time than in Quarantine? There are so many great instructional videos on YouTube. Its never been easier to learn something new! Don’t be afraid. Give it a go!

Making art or crafting is a great activity to do with the people you are quarantined with! Its great quality time. This is also a great solo activity! Few things feel as great as creating something from nothing with your own hands and mind! The great thing about crafting is that there is no pressure! You can create whatever you feel and you don’t even need formal crafting supplies. You can take anything from around your house, even trash or recycling! Get out some supplies and see what you end up with. Just have fun!

Okay, so I have been trying to buy sidewalk chalk and I have not been having any luck! It’s completely overpriced on Amazon and it is not at my neighborhood Target. I am on a mission to get some because I want to have some fun outside! I have been seeing all of these great posts on Facebook about artists drawing amazing things on their sidewalks with chalk. I am no artist but still love the idea of drawing outside on my sidewalk. Get some sun and have some fun!

Socialize:

I keep saying, thank goodness we have internet! Can you imagine being in this lock down back in the day when internet didn’t exist and we had 1 house phone attached to the wall?

It has never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family from a distance. Facetime, Zoom, Skype…even Facebook and Instagram have video calling.

When we are working everyday, going to school, bringing kids to and from school…time just passes. Life gets in the way and soon we go days, weeks, months without having a quality conversation with the people we love. We fall out of touch with friends. We grow distanced.

Try to use this time to connect. We can’t see our friends or family but we can have a long, quality conversation with them. Let the people you love know you love and miss them. Times are uncertain. Don’t let time pass you by. Don’t disconnect.

I have been attending so many virtual hangouts! At first I was hesitant and uncertain it would workout or be fun but let me tell you, its been great! Its been so fun to connect with friends and groups I’m apart of on another level! Its nice to see friends “face to face”.

Work On Past Projects:

I have a 45 minute commute to and from work everyday. I have a demanding, exhausting job. By the time I get home from work, I have zero energy to work on personal projects. On top of already being drained, when I get home I have so many chores to do. The sink is overflowing with dishes. The laundry needs to get done. The cats are screaming to get fed. I need to cook dinner but first I need to wash all the dishes I need to cook dinner with. Then I need to eat and clean up. Before I know it, it’s 9pm and I’m exhausted. Does this sound like you too? Whether you are now working from home or found yourself one of the millions of people currently unemployed- we have some extra time and hopefully extra energy.

We all have those half finished projects that loom over us like a black cloud. It could be weeks, months, or even years since you have picked up this project! You might even feel guilty for not completing them. Well no more! Now is the time to finish Ghost of Projects Past!

Dream of publishing a novel? Been meaning to start a blog? Are you like me and have multiple half finished screenplays on your desktop?

I always want to write but feel so drained after work. I sit to write and usually fall asleep at my laptop. There are no excuses. We have the time and hopefully the energy. Get writing! It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be finished.

Do you have many unfinished sewing or quilting projects in the back of your closet? Have you been meaning to knit your niece a scarf and haven’t gotten around to it? Now is the perfect time to complete some sewing or knitting or quilting. Pull that half of a blanket out of your closet and get going! I promise, it will feel so good to hold a finished product.

Do you have a mile long list of things you want to fix in your house? I do! Have you been putting it off since you moved in or since it broke? Yep!

Home Depot is open and poppin! It seems that everyone is working on some house projects. A great way to feel good about yourself is to also feel good about your living space. Don’t know how to do something? Again, YouTube is your best friend.

And a little side bonus of working on your house projects is that you will go viral on Tik Tok. The viewers on Tik Tok just love home makeovers!

Support

Local restaurants and shops are struggling right now! So many businesses have been forced to shut their doors and the ones doing take out probably aren’t making as much as they were before.

If you are still lucky enough to be earning an income, support your favorite local restaurant. Buy something from your fave local shop. Shop local and help your neighbor! We are in this together and we will help each other get through it.