Whether you’re held up at home, experiencing a period of shelter-in-place or national lock down, or even in self-isolation, one thing is for certain – you’ve got far more time on your hands than usual. We’ve put together a selection of fun things to do, including some work from home tips. Adjusting to an at-home office comes with a curve, but keep these inspirational ideas in mind, and you’ll manage your seclusion with a smile.
Bored Game Night
Bored? Try a family game night setting out a selection of your favorite board games. If you’re stuck for options, there’s everything online that you could ever hope for. Share your screen to a big display like your main TV or gather around a monitor. There are also cooperative tablet games to try, while a simple Google will typically supply you with a flash-based version of every card, tabletop, word or board game out there, and a few new ones to boot! Remember to include adult games in your search for more mature offerings such as drinking games.
Clean, Sort & Organize Your House
The next time seasonal spring cleaning comes up, you’ll have a holiday ahead of you if you make the healthy choice. Clean, sort, and organize your house while remembering to disinfect all surfaces that are in your vicinity or regular use on a regular basis, as per the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Pay attention to areas where you interface with the outside world, and make sure that you only wear your clothing once before promptly washing. Pulling everything into the place that you prefer will consume hordes of time for most households, but once you’re done, you’re set up for the easiest most effective cleaning ever.
Discover All-New Recipes, Techniques & Flavors
Now is the time to fall in love with your kitchen. Cooking doesn’t need to be arduous and time-consuming, but innovation, exploration, and experimentation are the key to finding tastes that make you want to cook. The fun of looking for a new dish is often enough to pass the time while inspiring with so many extra culinary ideas that you’ll be trying new things on a daily basis. Make an active effort to find at least one new meal or manner of cooking a day, and you’ll be rewarded with a permanent boost to your personal cooking repertoire that’ll forever brighten the prospect of your next breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
Find Something That You Enjoy Reading
Our world’s selection of literature is so expansive that each person, regardless of their individual interests or reading affinity, will always be able to find something that they not only enjoy reading but can’t wait to read more of. If you’ve never been sad to see a book finish, from non-fiction to romance, leaving no genre out, then this is the time to read. Keep an open mind while searching for your next book, but don’t forget about the ever-expansive range of best-sellers. Keep in mind – you’ve got the whole of history to pick from, and everything from pop-up books to pictures & comics. Feel like learning a craft or language? Get a book or two, but be broad. There are lots of other people who have undergone a similar journey in life, perhaps directly in your field of interest. Find a “how-to,” a biography, perhaps some history, and something related.
Carry Out House-Wide Maintenance
Leaky tap annoying you? That fixture just not fitting? How about never having stabilized the shaky rack, never replacing that leaky gutter, or leaving a ‘forever’ extension cord in place instead of just fixing the problem? Fix everything that’s broken. Perform maintenance wherever it’s needed. Assess the whole of your house and prioritize what you need to be done over what you’d like done. Preference is often the motivator that you need to get started, and there’s nothing stopping you from carrying on once you’re going. Pick a maintenance project and complete it instead of endlessly mulling of which is necessary if you find yourself getting stuck.
Try Home-Improvement or Art Projects
Being stuck at home is an opportunity to make your life better. Each of us has to put many home-improvement projects aside simply because of not having the time, so start making a list to pick from. Practical projects give immediate gratification, but it all depends on how you’re wired. Consider what you’d like to have in your home, and what you’re capable of given your supplies. Pick things that you can finish, and have the resources to. If you’re feeling creative, get out those art supplies. The great thing about both DIY and art is the ability to innovate. Missing a canvas? Make one. Are design elements missing from your patio? Build them.
Find And Follow A Home Fitness Plan
There are tons of ways to stay fit at home. All types of exercise are possible, ranging from light cardio to weight routines. Resistance training at home takes nothing other than resourcefulness, and people of all ages and fitness types will find forms of Yoga perfect for their individual physical condition. Explore more forms of fitness than you would usually consider. Internal martial arts like Qigong and Tai-Chi promote total body wellness and serve as an active, moving meditation. Combine various disciplines to create a fitness plan that suits your individual preferences and state of health. Exploring something new often grants the energy and drive needed to stick to it long enough for a healthy habit to be built. Be diligent in reaching your goals, and remember that fitness should always be fun.
Get Outside And Breathe
Even if you can’t leave your home, we all need fresh air from time to time. Don’t fall into the trap of being stuck inside all day, every day. Gardening offers a practical escape to the outdoors, while simply taking the time to be present in nature will clear your head and grant a fresh perspective. A timer is a great help for keeping on track. Set an alarm and stick to it. If you live a primarily sedentary life or have been for a while, this may seem daunting, but you’ll thank yourself for it later. Plan activities outdoors or look for ways to utilize outside space, but ultimately the fresh air is a must, and the more of it that you can in the safety of your own yard, the better.
Keep Your Immune System Strong & Get Some Rest
Maintaining a healthy immune system overlaps to the whole of your well being, leaving you feeling better, doing more, and reaping the many benefits of invigorated vitality. Right now, it’s also our best and only true defense against COVID-19. Immune-boosting herbs and supplements like Vitamin C are excellent to augment a healthy lifestyle, but by themselves, the effect is limited. Bolster your immune system by following a healthy diet incorporating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while avoiding refined grains and sugar. Good physical health must be upheld by performing at least half an hour’s worth of exercise for most days of the week. Healthy sleep is essential to a strong immune system, so don’t slack on your hours. If your sleep quality is poor, do something about it. Maintaining healthy body weight is vital, while alcohol should be avoided or drunk in moderation only. Smoking causes your immune system to plummet, and always take proper steps to avoid infection such as good-practice social distancing, washing your hands frequently, disinfecting counters and other commonly accessed surfaces regularly, and cooking all food thoroughly. Raw plant-based diets need to be impeccably washed before consumption.
Keep A Safe Distance
Social distancing is imperative to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus. Vaccines are months (if not longer) away. Global supplies of critical items like respirators are lacking. The only way that we can slow the global pandemic to the point where healthcare can gain control is to each do our part and keep our distance from each other in addition to taking as many precautionary steps as possible. Keep yourself in good health. Wash yourself and your hands frequently, and don’t put your health or the health of others in jeopardy by acting contrary to local recommendations. This, too, shall pass – stay safe!