I know it’s tough being cooped up at home for most of the day and night for weeks, likely months on end, and life has slowed down dramatically, especially on the weekend (what day is it anyway?). That’s why it’s important to keep yourself busy and engaged while abiding by social distancing rules.
Here are some ideas to inspire you:
- Check in on friends and family by phone and FaceTime
- Write a letter to someone special – especially seniors whom you care about
- Go through old photos and make albums and frame your favorites
- Disconnect from content that gives you anxiety (don’t keep the news on 24/7)
- Send care packages to people you love
- Virtually donate your time and money to helping those in need
- Clean out your closets and drawers and prepare items for donation
- Set up your Zoom coffee breaks and happy hours for the week (if you don’t know how to use Zoom this is the time to learn)
- Start keeping a journal
- Play sports in your yard (with your immediate family only of course). If you live in an apartment, you can play online sports
- Organize your email – delete emails. Read emails. Unsubscribe from bulk email – this is the time to do all of the organizational tasks in your inbox to make your life easier now and later
- Write articles or start a blog – I find this a great way to help and connect with others
- Take your dog for a long walk (while abiding by social distancing rules)
- Plant a garden (or just one plant if that’s too much for you to handle)
- Take a bubble bath
- Do at-home workouts. My favorite instructors are teaching classes by Zoom and Instagram Live
- Read books/audio books
- Listen to podcasts
- Start to learn a new language with an online course
- Master the art of taking a selfie – I keep trying (see above)!
- Catch up on your favorite TV shows and rewatch some of your favorite movies (for me it’s the original Star Wars trilogy)
- Watch how-to YouTube videos (I’m trying how to figure out how to groom my own eyebrows because I now resemble the wooly mammoth)
- Organize and declutter your home (give gently used items to charity)
- Find ways to virtually volunteer from home
- Get involved in a committee in your industry. There are plenty of bar and trade association groups seeking extra assistance
- Master LinkedIn – this is the most important social media network for professionals and it enables you to build your brand right from home (just be sensitive to market conditions)
- Learn a newer social network – such as Pinterest, Snapchat, Tik Tok or Instagram – there’s no time like the present
- Start a video or podcast series – these can be done for free – no one expects studio quality right now
- Play board games (Scrabble anyone?) or do a puzzle (If you live alone you can play online games)
- Create various music playlists and share them online with friends and family
- Think about future plans and vacations
- Draw or paint
- Cook or bake
- Learn how to knit something (this will take lots of time!)
- Take a nap (or two)
- Online shop (from small businesses if you can). I’ve bought future gifts (my best friend and sister in law are expecting babies the same week in May!) and even holiday gifts (just need to remember where I put them…)
Just remember that this too shall pass. We may never be the same but we will recover. Make the most of your time at home. This is an opportunity to slow down in life and think about what you really want.