Like many Americans, I am currently working from home and trying to maintain my sanity. As of today, I haven’t left the house for anything other than to go walk around my neighborhood in a week and a half. As an introvert, this is fine for me. I have a window opened, I can wear sweatpants and leggings instead of jeans, and the kitchen (and my snacks) are nearby. For many people though, the thought of suddenly being effectively trapped in, or at least closely tethered to, their house isn’t a particularly pleasant one. Many will be afraid of going stir crazy or running out of things to do.
There have been a good many listicles out there with ideas of new hobbies to take on or things to do while maintaining social distance. But if you’re still worried about the outside world, here are some less conventional things you could do, grouped for your convenience:
Cleaning
1) If you are one of the lucky who managed to snag a can of Clorox or Lysol wipes, wipe down your bathroom and kitchen surfaces. This is, of course, a good thing to do weekly as it is, but it’s even more important now, especially if you or someone you live with still has to go to work instead of staying home.
2) When was the last time you organized your sock drawer? Or your t-shirt drawer? Or your underwear drawer? Now would be the time to do so, and with the recent popularity of fancy, space-saving folding techniques (thank you Netflix and Marie Kondo), finding out how is easy! Here’s a link to fancy-schmancy folding: https://goop.com/food/decorating-design/the-illustrated-guide-to-the-kondo-mari-method-2/
3) Clean out your closet! Summer is coming, and your shorts from last year may not fit. You might have clothes in there from years ago that you never wear anymore. Maybe you shove all manner of stuff in your closet and just really need to go through it before you can’t find things anymore. Whatever the case, now would be the time to do it.
4) Wash your bedding. I don’t mean just your sheets; I mean the whole lot. Quilt/comforter, fuzzy blankets, stuffed animals if they’re machine washable (and don’t say you don’t have any…). If you find yourself needing to fold your sheets when you’re done, here is how to fold a fitted sheet flat without issue: https://findingjoywithsusan.com/wizardry-101-how-to-fold-a-fitted-sheet-flat/
5) Clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Throw out what’s definitely expired, move what expires soon to the front (and actually use it), and take stock of what you have left so you can come up with things to cook with it while you stay at home.
Brain Exercise
1) Work from home as best you can. This can be for your job or for school, depending on where you are in your life. There will, of course, be distractions, but remember that we all have to deal with those right now. The world as a whole will be slightly less productive for the time being, and honestly, that’s okay. Make sure that you actually accomplish what you need to by the set deadlines though.
2) Get some puzzles and put them together. This is a great thing to do, especially if you live with your family or with roommates. Barnes and Noble has lots of nice options, and they can be ordered online!
3) Get a coloring book and some colored pencils and go to town! Not only will you have something to hang on your fridge or wall when you’re done, you will have exercised your brain as well!
4) Learn something new with an online class. MIT has open courseware, and YouTube has plenty of interesting videos (personal favorites are True Facts and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, although neither are exactly family friendly, so if you are younger maybe save these for later). Alternatively, go the old-fashioned route and buy a book about something new. For example, I’m brushing up on my organic chemistry knowledge.
5) Journal! This can be a bullet journal, a gratitude journal, or just an account of your day. Set time aside to work on it every day and make it a ritual.
Hobbies
1) Finish projects that you’ve been sitting on for a while. I, for example, am trying to finish a blanket I’ve been knitting for a couple of months now. Make it a goal to complete these projects before starting a new one and use the new projects you want to start as incentive for finishing the current ones.
2) Start a new hobby! Now is the time! Have you ever wanted to try origami? What about knitting or crocheting? Bullet journaling? Video games? Drawing? Dancing? The possibilities are endless.
3) Share your hobbies with others. If you live with other people, have hobby-sharing nights where you all try on person’s hobby. If you live by yourself, social media can be used (constructively) to share your hobbies. Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all excellent outlets to share what you do.
4) If reading is more your speed, read those books you’ve been collecting! And if you read all of them, order one or two more online. Make sure you finish the ones you have first.
5) Start a book club with your friends or family! You can all read the same thing and discuss the book, or you can read different things and share.
Entertainment
1) Watch those movies you’ve been saving. I’ve been watching a bunch of older Disney movies on Disney+ recently, but Netflix, Hulu, HBOGo, and Amazon Prime are all full of excellent offerings as well. Don’t want to watch alone? Have a Netflix Party with the free Chrome extension:
2) Watch that new TV series everyone has been talking about, or rewatch an old favorite. If you’re watching with your family, there are plenty of options out there that everyone will love.
3) Keep up with new music. Spotify releases a list of new music every Friday that I usually go through to see if there’s anything I like. Sometimes it leads me to new artists, sometimes it just brings me back to my favorites. I use New Music Friday as motivation at the end of the week.
4) Keep music playing while you work. Listen to holiday music without judgement if it brings you joy. Or classical music. Or movie music. Or anything, really. Recently I’ve been putting my entire Spotify playlist on shuffle, which is a good way to remember songs you forgot about. iHeartRadio and Pandora are also great options if you don’t want to build your own playlist, and if you don’t feel like creating a new account for something, many radio stations have “listen online” options too.
5) Keep up with YouTubers you follow. They’re going through the same things we are right now, and watching their videos will help you see how other people are dealing with the world right now.
General Well-Being
1) Make your bed every day. You will be less tempted to get back in it if it’s made. You can simply fold your blankets back over the mattress, or you can go all-out and put all of your decorative pillows and blankets back on. Just remember that each thing you add is one more thing you have to take off when you go to bed at night, so I would keep it relatively simple.
2) Start an in-home exercise routine. I personally plan on taking up yoga, as it’s relatively low impact and there are plenty of videos online. There are plenty of things you can do that don’t involve tons of equipment, so your options are open.
3) Get up and go to bed when you normally would. I know it’s hard when you feel like you’re constantly on “vacation”, but this is so helpful when it comes to productiveness and actually getting your day going.
4) Set a routine. Work the same hours you usually would and eat when you normally would. Use the time you would usually spend commuting to wind down from your day or do something you enjoy.
5) Go outside, or at the very least open a window (as I have). Social distancing does not mean you have to sacrifice your daily run or bike ride, it just means that you have to do it without getting too close to people. Spring is coming in the northern hemisphere, and with the rising temperatures and longer days, being cooped up in the house is enough to drive anyone insane. Going outside for a little while every so often will keep you from going completely stir crazy.
So there you have it. This list is in no way complete, but it is a good place to start. If you have any other suggestions, I would love to hear them, so please leave a comment!