Chances are, you’ve experienced some pretty big changes in your life over the past few weeks. Whether you’re in forced isolation or if it’s self-imposed, we all need to keep ourselves happy and sane (and hopefully feel productive while we’re at it). While some of us are still busy as ever working from home, quite a few of us are feeling a bit lost.
There’s only so many times you can deep-clean the fridge or watch Parks & Rec on Netflix before you start getting restless and anxious. From practical advice to simple tips on how to keep yourself entertained, here are all my best tips on how to fill your day productively, to keep you (and those around you) feeling good! 1. Set Goals
An important part of self-isolation during this time is keeping our morale up. One way to do this is to feel productive -- for example, by checking things off your to-do list!
Whether you’re still at work or on leave, you can set goals for what you want to accomplish in your free time at home. I made a few different lists of goals I planned to accomplish during this quarantine period (some of them are on this list), like greening up my house and focusing more on my art practice. You can use this list as a jumping-off point, or dive right in to brainstorming all the things you’ve wanted to do but never got around to trying!
Source: cottonbro
2. Work Through Those Emotions
Let’s be real: we’re living in historic times. It’s okay to feel things.
I’m really afraid for a lot of people -- both people close to me and strangers. We read terrible stories in the news on a daily basis, we’re dealing with immense uncertainty, and nobody knows how long this may go on or how our lives will change because of it. It’s okay to be upset about this! It’s also okay to be upset about the little things: not being able to see your friends in person, or plans falling through, or your routine being shaken up. I was set to leave for a birthday trip to England when the borders shut down. I had been planning this trip for half a year, and was so excited to celebrate my dad’s birthday (today!) abroad. Then, as I tried to plan a local trip, we were told to self-isolate. Now I’m stuck at home for the next 3+ weeks (including my spring break) -- and I'd be lying if I said I immediately accepted it gracefully. We’ve all had disruptions to our lives, and it’s okay to be disappointed! We’re human, and while we’re all aware that others may have it worse, it still sucks… and it’s okay to feel upset, so long as you don’t wallow in it. Now is the time to work through your feelings. No, panic-buying thirty packs of toilet paper is not the solution. Start a journal; reach out to a friend; pray or meditate or engage in a healing spiritual practice. It’s okay to be afraid or angry or sad. It’s also okay to experience happiness or relief when those feelings arise in your life. 3. Self-Isolate… But Don’t Isolate Yourself
While we can’t meet up with friends and loved ones IRL, that doesn’t mean we need to cut ourselves off from our support network. Reach out to people you love through the phone or social media, and see how they’re doing! Skype your friends to see them face-to-face, or use apps like Netflix Party on Chrome to have a movie night together.
If you have the ability to help the people most at risk in your community -- the elderly and sick or immunocompromised -- reach out to them and ask if there’s anything you can do. Even something as small as picking up groceries or medicine for them and leaving it on the porch can help the most vulnerable among us stay healthy (and make their lives a whole lot easier). 4. Get Inspired
While this isn’t the most productive thing to do on this list, I would argue that keeping yourself passionate and inspired is essential to staying calm and happy during quarantine!
A great place to start is right on your computer, where Google Arts and Culture has featured over 500 museums, which have shared high-quality photos of their collections for you to explore without leaving the comfort of your home. Still photos not really your thing? Try a virtual reality tour! Google also has nearly 5000 museums and cultural sites which you can explore through their street view, ranging from Prambanan Temple in Indonesia to the Taj Mahal in India to Cinque Terre, Italy. There are also several museums which have opened up virtual tours of their famous halls, including the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, United States. Finally, several arts organizations have been livestreaming their performances, so you can watch live or experience recordings of symphonies from around the world. (At least you can feel cultured while sitting on the couch in your pajamas). 5. Learn Something New
I mentioned this one earlier, but there’s no time like quarantine time to learn a new hobby! Have an old painting set that’s been sitting in the back of your closet for ages? Why not bring it out and have some fun? Been meaning to fix up your bathroom but aren’t sure where to start? Pull up a tutorial on youtube and get going!
If you don't know where to start, you could pull up my tutorials page and learn some new tips for travel and art, or check out my Pinterest for tutorials and recipe ideas... maybe learn how to make the perfect milkshake? I’m learning/re-learning Spanish and Irish right now using Duolingo, a free app/website you can use to learn a new language, and have been using my free time to experiment with new art projects and fun recipes! 6. Go Green!
One of my biggest goals during this quarantine period is to green up my house. I made a list of short and long-term projects I can work on to reduce the energy I use and be less wasteful.
Something as simple as turning down my water heater a few degrees and replacing all my lightbulbs with LEDs will end up saving me hundreds to thousands of dollars over the years (that’s a whole lotta travel… you know, when we can travel again). I’m also experimenting with growing my own vegetables -- I had bought quite a few plants before the quarantine period, and have spent the past week re-potting and tending to my new plant babies. 7. Become a DIY-ing Hippie Queen
I’ll be super honest with you: I went a liiiittle overboard with the DIYs in the first couple days of quarantine. Homemade candles, shaving cream, soap, reusable (un)paper towels, herbal antiseptic salve… it was a lot. And it was awesome.
I had all of the materials I needed on hand already, but you can order what you need from online, or purchase it at a store if you’re allowed to. I have lots of low-waste sustainability ideas saved on my Pinterest, as well as a lot of fun DIY recipes for an at-home spa day, which will keep you busy for days. After all, there’s not much better than pampering yourself using luxury organic products you made yourself, right? 8. Get Your Exercise
Gym shut down? No worries -- make your own private gym in your living room with Youtube! There are tons of instructional videos online if you’ve been missing your exercise routine. Practice yoga, or learn a new dance (there’s gotta be a good lindy hop tutorial, right?)
If you’re not allowed outside, even going to your backyard/balcony or opening a window will help you get some of that much-needed fresh air. That being said, some areas still allow you to step outside in your neighborhood for brief, non-essential tasks like walking your dog. If this applies to you, take advantage of it! Keep in mind the current rules and regulations -- stay at least six feet apart from anyone you happen to pass by -- but it’s a good way to get some exercise and experience the beautiful spring season around us. After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I've been trying to exercise more, but I struggle staying motivated. I joined a gym with my mom so we could motivate each other, aaaand four days later it closed due to the coronavirus shutdown. Oops. I'm luckily still allowed outside for walks, but even then my chronic pain made it difficult to motivate myself to take long walks. Then I found the app Sweatcoin, which basically bribes you to move by giving you points for every step you take throughout the day. It takes a long time to rack up enough points to purchase anything really exciting beyond monthly free trials, so if you're looking for "free" money/vacations, this isn't the best way to go, but the idea of earning points (even if I don't buy anything) helps keep me motivated to take a walk a few times a day! My dog is very happy, at least. It's a free app, so if you're looking for a way to keep motivated, it's pretty darn accessible. You can use my sign-up link here to check it out (and give me a handful of bonus points if you sign up to make me feel like I accomplished something today lmao). 9. Plan Your Next Trip
This is a travel blog, and just because you can’t travel right now doesn’t mean you’re never going to travel again. Check out the ideas listed previously under the get inspired section, browse Pinterest travel boards, or hey, read some of my travel posts!
I’m still planning on posting guides to places I’ve previously visited, and continuing to share stories on this blog. Once we’re allowed to travel safely again, there will be plenty of areas which will desperately need an economic boost from tourism. Stay safe and sheltered for now, but don’t be afraid to dream big, too.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and got a few ideas to try from it! How have you been keeping yourself entertained? Please feel free to add some of your own tips for making your isolation happy and productive in the comments section below!
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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