During these unexpected times, many people are finding themselves with fewer things to do than usual. Even if you are still working from home, or are one of the many key workers doing a great job, there is still the time when you would be out doing things that you enjoy that you can't do at the moment. This change has been hard on a lot of people. Motivation can be hard to come by, and if you do have the motivation to do something, you might not know what to do.
It is okay if all you want to do is look after yourself by taking a shower and binge-watching some television shows, but if you want to do something else, below are a few ideas that might inspire you:
Arrange catch-ups with friends
This is a great time to live because there is tons of technology that allows everyone to stay in touch with their friends and family. Even though everyone has to be physically distant, it doesn't mean that you have to be socially distant. There are plenty of ways that you can all keep in touch. There are traditional phone calls, but you can also use Skype, Facetime, and a range of other apps to video call each other. Group chats are also a great way to keep in touch throughout the day without having to put in too much effort. In group chats, you can also send each other memes and funny videos to make each other smile.
It is also a great time to come up with ideas to give each other something to look forward to. You could start a weekly quiz night with each other, where the winner will become the quiz master for the next week. If you did stuff regularly together, you could make it on the same night, and have a few drinks with each other (online). There are also many online games that you can play together. You could even start a TV series or watch a film together, using an app like Netflix Party, which synchronises your videos and adds a group chat to whatever you are watching.
It is good to remember that we are all in this together, and your friends and family can be a real source of support during this time.
Learn something new
If you have more free time, now could be a great time to try something new. It could be that you try to learn how to cook something that you would usually buy from a takeaway, or learn how to do some origami. Doing something creative is a good route to go down because it can help you keep your hands and mind busy.
If you want to learn something more knowledge-based, there are online resources and phone apps that can help you. Duolingo is an excellent tool if you want to start learning a language, as it has short lessons that you can fit in whenever you want throughout your day. If you fancy trying some online courses, Future Learn is a good place to visit. They have a range of different short courses that you can complete for free. The best thing about it is that universities or other specialist organisations actually create many of the courses.
The skill you learn doesn't have to be useful, or something that you might be able to monetise in the future, it just has to be something that you enjoy.
Do some DIY
If you have some projects that you want to do around the house, it may be a good time to get started with them. If you can't get physical access to the supplies you need, companies like Complete Construction Products may be able to help as they offer delivery on items. You may be able to take this time to regrout the tiles in your bathroom, or finally repaint the living room. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you complete the job safely, and do some research or get some advice before you start. Also, make sure that if a job is dangerous, and would be better completed by a professional, leave it and get it completed by a professional when social distancing is over.
Declutter
Now might be a great time to declutter and get more organised. If you have a lot of clothes that you haven't worn in a while, you could sort through them. You could get rid of some of the clothes, but you might also rediscover some items that were old favourites, or find new ways that you can reinvent them.
If you have boxes of things under your bed or in your cupboards, going through them may give you joy from the memories, but you may also be able to free up some space by getting rid of things that you no longer need.
Catch up on television
There is nothing wrong with using your time to catch up on television series that you haven't seen, that have been on your to be watched list for a long time. It might be a good idea to ask your friends for recommendations. Maybe you could watch one of their favourite shows or films, and they could watch one of yours. There are plenty of streaming services available, so there are many things to choose from.
You could even spend time rewatching old series that you love. It can be comforting to revisit characters that you like and watch something familiar. Ignore people that say its a waste of time, you do you, and have some fun.
Exercise
Exercise can be great because while everyone is more confined to their homes, it is likely that you are not as active as you usually are. Even if the only exercise you did before was walking around your workplace, it might have been more than you are doing now. If you are able, going for a walk or a run outside can do you a lot of good. It will allow you to get in a bit of exercise and enable you to get some fresh air.
Exercise can be fun! If you don't want to go for a walk or a run, there are plenty of ways that you can get some exercise into your day. YouTube is a great resource because many people upload workouts and tutorials that you can follow along with. You can find yoga, Zumba, and tons of other things on there. It is also just as good to put on your favourite music and allow yourself to let go and dance.
Exercise is important because it can improve your mood and make it easier to sleep at night.
Rediscover something that you used to love
Is there something that you used to do when you were younger, but you fell out of the habit of doing it when life became busier? If so, this might be an excellent opportunity to get back into it, especially if it is easy to do from home. Whether it is drawing, colouring, reading, or anything else, trying something you used to do could make you remember why you loved it and encourage you to try to incorporate it into your life when everything begins to get back to normal.
Find out if there is anything that you can do to help
If you would like to try and be helpful with your time, there may be things you can do to help the people who are working on the front line. Some countries need people to sew scrubs; others need volunteers to deliver food parcels to people's houses while they are self-isolating. You could even volunteer to ring vulnerable people to check up on them, but also to speak to them because many of them will be feeling very lonely at the minute.
Helping doesn't mean that you have to go out if you don't want to, or are at high risk. There are many things that you can do from your own home. Social media can be a good place to look for groups in your area that are banding together to help.
Be kind to yourself
The most important thing during this time is that you are kind to yourself and look after yourself. Don't compare what you are doing to what everyone else is doing. Only do what you can manage to do, because living in uncertainty can have a negative impact on your mental health. You shouldn't feel guilty if you aren't using this time to do anything that you deem useful, as it can be hard to find the motivation. If you are doing something, make sure it is because you want to or because it is helping you, not because you feel like you have to.
If all you manage to do in a day is shower and eat, that day is still a success because, at the moment, even the simplest of tasks can feel difficult.
This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links
It is okay if all you want to do is look after yourself by taking a shower and binge-watching some television shows, but if you want to do something else, below are a few ideas that might inspire you:
This is a great time to live because there is tons of technology that allows everyone to stay in touch with their friends and family. Even though everyone has to be physically distant, it doesn't mean that you have to be socially distant. There are plenty of ways that you can all keep in touch. There are traditional phone calls, but you can also use Skype, Facetime, and a range of other apps to video call each other. Group chats are also a great way to keep in touch throughout the day without having to put in too much effort. In group chats, you can also send each other memes and funny videos to make each other smile.
It is also a great time to come up with ideas to give each other something to look forward to. You could start a weekly quiz night with each other, where the winner will become the quiz master for the next week. If you did stuff regularly together, you could make it on the same night, and have a few drinks with each other (online). There are also many online games that you can play together. You could even start a TV series or watch a film together, using an app like Netflix Party, which synchronises your videos and adds a group chat to whatever you are watching.
It is good to remember that we are all in this together, and your friends and family can be a real source of support during this time.
Learn something new
If you have more free time, now could be a great time to try something new. It could be that you try to learn how to cook something that you would usually buy from a takeaway, or learn how to do some origami. Doing something creative is a good route to go down because it can help you keep your hands and mind busy.
If you want to learn something more knowledge-based, there are online resources and phone apps that can help you. Duolingo is an excellent tool if you want to start learning a language, as it has short lessons that you can fit in whenever you want throughout your day. If you fancy trying some online courses, Future Learn is a good place to visit. They have a range of different short courses that you can complete for free. The best thing about it is that universities or other specialist organisations actually create many of the courses.
The skill you learn doesn't have to be useful, or something that you might be able to monetise in the future, it just has to be something that you enjoy.
If you have some projects that you want to do around the house, it may be a good time to get started with them. If you can't get physical access to the supplies you need, companies like Complete Construction Products may be able to help as they offer delivery on items. You may be able to take this time to regrout the tiles in your bathroom, or finally repaint the living room. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you complete the job safely, and do some research or get some advice before you start. Also, make sure that if a job is dangerous, and would be better completed by a professional, leave it and get it completed by a professional when social distancing is over.
Declutter
Now might be a great time to declutter and get more organised. If you have a lot of clothes that you haven't worn in a while, you could sort through them. You could get rid of some of the clothes, but you might also rediscover some items that were old favourites, or find new ways that you can reinvent them.
If you have boxes of things under your bed or in your cupboards, going through them may give you joy from the memories, but you may also be able to free up some space by getting rid of things that you no longer need.
There is nothing wrong with using your time to catch up on television series that you haven't seen, that have been on your to be watched list for a long time. It might be a good idea to ask your friends for recommendations. Maybe you could watch one of their favourite shows or films, and they could watch one of yours. There are plenty of streaming services available, so there are many things to choose from.
You could even spend time rewatching old series that you love. It can be comforting to revisit characters that you like and watch something familiar. Ignore people that say its a waste of time, you do you, and have some fun.
Exercise
Exercise can be great because while everyone is more confined to their homes, it is likely that you are not as active as you usually are. Even if the only exercise you did before was walking around your workplace, it might have been more than you are doing now. If you are able, going for a walk or a run outside can do you a lot of good. It will allow you to get in a bit of exercise and enable you to get some fresh air.
Exercise can be fun! If you don't want to go for a walk or a run, there are plenty of ways that you can get some exercise into your day. YouTube is a great resource because many people upload workouts and tutorials that you can follow along with. You can find yoga, Zumba, and tons of other things on there. It is also just as good to put on your favourite music and allow yourself to let go and dance.
Exercise is important because it can improve your mood and make it easier to sleep at night.
Rediscover something that you used to love
Is there something that you used to do when you were younger, but you fell out of the habit of doing it when life became busier? If so, this might be an excellent opportunity to get back into it, especially if it is easy to do from home. Whether it is drawing, colouring, reading, or anything else, trying something you used to do could make you remember why you loved it and encourage you to try to incorporate it into your life when everything begins to get back to normal.
Find out if there is anything that you can do to help
If you would like to try and be helpful with your time, there may be things you can do to help the people who are working on the front line. Some countries need people to sew scrubs; others need volunteers to deliver food parcels to people's houses while they are self-isolating. You could even volunteer to ring vulnerable people to check up on them, but also to speak to them because many of them will be feeling very lonely at the minute.
Helping doesn't mean that you have to go out if you don't want to, or are at high risk. There are many things that you can do from your own home. Social media can be a good place to look for groups in your area that are banding together to help.
Be kind to yourself
The most important thing during this time is that you are kind to yourself and look after yourself. Don't compare what you are doing to what everyone else is doing. Only do what you can manage to do, because living in uncertainty can have a negative impact on your mental health. You shouldn't feel guilty if you aren't using this time to do anything that you deem useful, as it can be hard to find the motivation. If you are doing something, make sure it is because you want to or because it is helping you, not because you feel like you have to.
If all you manage to do in a day is shower and eat, that day is still a success because, at the moment, even the simplest of tasks can feel difficult.
This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links
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