Social distancing seems to be the name of the game these days with the novel Coronavirus (aka COVID-19). When you’re trying to avoid getting sick (or getting others sick with your own germs) it’s going to be one of the most effective steps you can take. It can be tough to realize you have to cancel things you were looking forward to, but that doesn’t mean you have to just sit at home staring at the wall for days on end. We have a few ideas to help you pass the time in the weeks to come.
Clean Your Bedroom
Why? Because it’s like a pleasant little surprise for yourself every evening. Wash your sheets, vacuum the floors, pull out your dust rags and find that chocolate mint you picked up 2 months ago at a restaurant. If you’re trying to disinfect the joint as well, just remember to not mix bleach and ammonia cleaners and grab a pair of those big rubber gloves like the ones the mom wears in Dexter’s Laboratory (hello millennials). Oh! And put on something fun to listen to while you do it — more on that later.
Hop On A Call
Not a business call, a fun call. Catch up with a friend you haven’t talked much with since they moved out of state. Call your parents so you feel less guilty. Video chat with your Great Aunt Florence and ‘eat dinner together’ while you chat. People are about to get really, really lonely.
Take An Online Class
This one is especially good for when you have more than a day or two on your hands. It offers structure and something challenging each day. Places like edX have some really cool options for free, and you can choose to pay only if you want the certificate at the end. Your employer might have a partnership with an online education tool, too.
Make Interesting Foods
The beauty of bread making is that it has simple ingredients that can come together in less simple ways. The difficulty of bread making is that it takes five billion* hours to rise. Look up recipes that have ‘foolproof,’ ‘miracle’ or ‘complete idiot’s guide’ in the title if you’re feeling nervous.
*Probably an exaggeration, but who can say for sure.
Start Some Habits
Raise your hand if you’ve told yourself that you’ll start working out at home…eventually. Now’s the time to get that habit up and running (ha, see what we did there?) finally. It can also help add structure to your suddenly loosy goosy days.
Tackle Something Stressful
File your taxes. Check your credit score. Finally make a savings plan. Make a meal plan for the week and meal prep. Get your kid to memorize the state capitals or whatever. Beat the tough boss level. Whatever has been weighing you down, punch it in the metaphorical face.
Take Online Quizzes
Look, you’re allowed to have some fun. Go try to figure out which Disney princess you are or what your personality type is. The tests are probably not terribly useful, but they’re funny and that’s important right now.
Take Care of the Yard or the Car
If you’re just trying to stay away from other people, take the time to get some stuff done outside at home. Check your oil, change your windshield wipers, maybe even give it a scrub. Pull some weeds and make your HOA ecstatic.
Update Your Resume
Tackle updating your resume in all this free time. Sure, you might have to look at your own LinkedIn and Facebook timeline to remember all your previous jobs, but what else are you doing right now? Maybe you can add that online course to it!
Find Fun Things To Listen To
This can sometimes feel better on the brain than hours of streaming TV. Find a podcast, a new music playlist or an audiobook to listen to while getting other things done inside.
