Unless you’ve been on a meditative retreat for the past two weeks (yes Jared Leto I’m looking at you…), you are aware of everything that’s been going on in the world. Which means, that you’ve probably decided that the best thing for you to do to help prevent the spread is stay at home and get together in groups. Now if you’re anything like me, the idea of no physical contact with the outside world and other humans is THE LAST THING that you EVER WANT TO DO (this is the only time in history that I hate myself for being an extrovert).
When you spend hours at home by yourself, it can be so easy to be sucked into your screens searching for entertainment. We binge watch tv shows, watch all the Harry Potter movies, and constantly scroll on social media hoping to be fulfilled. Well let me be the person who tells you… THIS DOESN’T WORK. Doing this can get old, boring, and depressing very fast.
So what the heck am I going to do then?? Well I am so glad you asked because I’ve come up with a list of 10 things you can do to keep your mind and body in check during these next couple weeks and be entertained without technology. Let’s do everything we can to avoid being covered in Cheeto dust and wearing our pajamas for 2 weeks.
Go For A Walk
We’ve been advised by the CDC and governments to stay inside and avoid contact with large groups of people, but it’s still safe to go outside. Take an opportunity each day to go outside, get some fresh air, maybe give your pup some exercise, and keep a little active when we can’t go to the gym.
Coloring Books!
Whoever said that color was only for children was straight up WRONG. Coloring is so relaxing, allows us to be creative, and honestly why not have some cool art for my fridge?! Haha but for real… there are actually a lot of “adult” style coloring books out there which really cool designs and patterns. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is not your only option! Coloring is such a great passive activity that you can do while you listen to music, podcasts, or just talk on the phone with your friends. Here’s a few links to some of my favorite coloring books!
National Park Poster Coloring Book
Modern Art Designs Coloring Book
Macrame or Other Crafts
Seeing as I’m all about the 70s and all that hippie dippy stuff (as my mom would say) I’ve really taken an interest in macrame and all the cool ways you can use it around your house. Plant hangers, wall decor, or maybe even a cute throw pillow (I’m currently in the middle of trying to make a rug for my bathroom) there’s so many things you could create. But if macrame isn’t your thing, there’s so many other fun crafts that you could do to decorate your home. Maybe spend a little time searching on Pinterest for something you’d love and then let your imagine run wild!
Puzzles
So as a child I really hated puzzles… like a lot… but I’ve gotten some for the past 2 year as Christmas gifts and they are actually such a great way to pass the time! Similar to coloring, you can do a puzzle while you listen to other things like music or a podcast. Sometimes I like to challenge my husband to a “puzzle-off” and see who can finish their puzzle first. It might be frustrating at first, but after you’ve done a couple you end up getting really good at them, and then it becomes a bit addicting. Here’s some of the puzzles I’ve been enjoying latey:
Thomas Kinkade Disney Puzzle 4-in-1 Set
Harry Potter Marauder’s Map Puzzle
Journaling
So I am most definitely not the best person at journaling. I never have been able to be consistent with it for more than 2 weeks. But this is one of the most unique times you will probably ever experience. It’s so important to write everything down so that one day someone(whether that’s you, kids, or other family members) will be able read through it and remember what this was all like. Not to mention how therapeutic it is to write down your thoughts and feelings and be able to sort through all that stuff. Journaling can help you make sense of things and understand your own feelings even more. Every day write down some things that stands out to you and even in 2 months from now when you read back through it all, you’ll be happy that you did.
Clean Your House/Apartment
Oh man, I felt that major eye roll you just did there… wow that hurt. Okay… just bear with me for a second. For some people, this may not apply, but I know a lot of people out there in the world actually find a little enjoyment from cleaning their house. I know there’s some chores that you’ve been meaning to do or would like to have done that you’ve been putting off for quite a while cause you never had the time. Well now you have the time! I know for me, I need to mop my floors, deep clean my bathtub, organize my home office, and finally I might actually get to sifting through my shoes to donate. I’m sure you can come up with something that needs to get done around your house. Pick one and do it. You’re gonna be stuck in your house for 2 weeks so might as well enjoy being there. I know for me, I feel like my life is much more put together when my house is clean. Cleaning things up will actually clear your head a bit and make you feel more relaxed.
Improve Your Cooking and Baking Skills
So I was at the grocery store 2 days ago (what a fun adventure that was) and you know what I saw?? Yes you’d be right… empty toilet paper shelves. But the noodle aisle, canned soup aisle, and frozen meal aisle were also totally empty. But you know what aisles weren’t empty?? Produce, baking supplies, and dairy. I was actually surprised at how much food was available. But of course, everybody went for the pre-made and prepackaged food first because nobody actually wants to cook. Well instead of buying a can of chicken noodle soup you could buy some chicken, carrots, celery, and flour and make your own chicken noodle soup. Or instead of buying a frozen pizza you could buy pepperoni, cheese, and marinara sauce and make your own pizza. You see where I’m going here?? This is the perfect time to figure out how to use that oven for things other than pre-made cookie dough. Wouldn’t you love to come out of these next few weeks with a recipe that you’ve perfected and now you can make with all your friends??
Read a Book
This is most definitely not my strong suit. For years I refused to pick up a book, mostly because I said I was terrible at reading and I took too much time. But recently I’ve discovered that 1: if you make the time you will always have time, and 2: the more you read the easier it gets (of course…. because the brain is a muscle that just needs a little exercise… DUHH). All you gotta do is find the right genre for you, something you’re interested in, and go for it!
Just Dance
So you actually have to go online for this one but considering it’s something active I would say it’s okay… haha 😜 Between the ages of 13-17 I was actually very obsessed with just dance. Dancing for fun was always such a big part of life. While I was in college I found that if you search “just dance songs” on Youtube SOOOO MANY VIDEOSSS come up that you can dance along to. Now, no, you don’t have a controller and you’re not actually getting any points, but that was never the most important part for me. Just being able to get your heart pumping and dance to your favorite songs feels so great! So this is such an awesome way to be active while staying in the house, listen to awesome music, and have a little fun. I promise it will put you in a better mood. (side note: if you do happen to do this I really wanna know about it so please post a video of you dancing on Instagram and tag me @abbyqphoto in it! It will brighten my day)
Learn To Play An Instrument
There’s a good chance that you have some sort of instrument lying around your house somewhere. Maybe it’s a guitar, ukelele, piano, violin, literally whatever it may be… PICK IT UP AND START PLAYING IT. I have probably not picked up my guitar in maybe 2 years because I never think about it and I never have the time to dedicate to it. So you know what I did yesterday?? I picked up my guitar and I played it… and I SUCKED! haha but that’s okay. Everybody sucks at first. But if I pick it up every day for the next 2 weeks, I know I’ll get better. I’ll also have so much fun playing music and an instrument that I used to love. Playing music is such a good and fun skill to have. You don’t have to be a professional musician to enjoy it.
Alright friends, so hopefully there’s something on this list that you can start doing these next 2 weeks to try to keep your eyes off your screens and avoid that depression. Make sure to stay safe and healthy out there! Do your part to stop the spread and don’t forget to check up on your friends. Many people are struggling right now and it’s so important to be there for one another… even if it’s from a distance. Happy social distancing! 😄
