10 Things You Can Do During The Corona Virus Self-Isolation
Published on April 5, 2020 – Last Updated on March 29, 2022
Now that you probably have a lot of time on your hands, you might be wondering what to do with yourself while you are under self-isolation. Even though it may be stressful to be home, now is the time to do those things you don’t have time for on a typical workday. Here are ten things you can do during your self-isolation.
Get Organized
You know how you’ve been thinking, I’ve got to get my cupboards or garage organized. Maybe you’ve wanted to rearrange your furniture. Well, now’s your chance. Use this time to be productive and manage those areas of your house (or your life) that you’ve wanted to do for a while now. Here are some tips for getting everything neat and tidy:
- Define what being organized means to you
- Start with something that going to motivate you first
- Create a list of things you want to organize
- Make a deadline for your project
- Take breaks
Your house isn’t the only thing you can organize. Please write down your goals, write the steps on how you will work towards them, and give yourself a deadline. Then, when everything gets back to normal, you will have an organized house and a plan of action.
Binge Watch Your Favorite Shows
During this COVID-19 isolation, it’s a perfect time to binge-watch that show you’ve wanted to watch. You have plenty of time now to sit down, relax and watch something like Game of Thrones. An I Love Lucy marathon is a good choice too. Lucy makes almost anyone laugh, and laughing takes your mind off of your problems. Here are some binge-worthy shows you can watch again or for the first time:
- Breaking Bad
- House of Cards
- Stranger Things
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Killing Eve
- Westworld
- Vikings
If you are more into movies, here are some epic films to watch:
- Lord of the Rings series
- Gladiator
- The Godfather series
- Schindler’s List
- The Color Purple
- Forrest Gump
Whether you have streaming services or DVDs, there’s no end to things to watch. Don’t forget the kids either. Disney’s streaming channel has every Disney movie imaginable. It’s a great family time activity.
Read A Book
You know, that best seller you said you were going to get to and never did? Reading is very therapeutic, whether it’s a novel you have wanted to read (yes, audiobooks count) or a self-help book. Like a movie or TV, it takes you away to another place.
A good book will draw you into the story, so you forget about your problems and get involved in the main character’s issues. Sometimes yours don’t seem so bad! Whatever topic you are interested in, there’s a book or audiobook. If you a sci-fi/fantasy fan, now is the time to catch up on the whole series of books you’ve wanted to read.
Here are Bill Gates recommendations:
An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones
Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker
Here are some selections from Oprah’s Reading Club
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness
Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken
This is a good time for you to read to your little ones. There is nothing better than having your mom and dad read your favorite story to you! You can buy hard copies, audiobooks, or Kindle books at Amazon or other online book retailers.
Create an Eco-Friendly Closet
Most of us have clothes we haven’t worn for years. You can’t bring yourself to let things go because something could come up, and you’ll need those shoes, that dress, or that particular shirt.
Well, that day hasn’t come yet! It’s time to go through your wardrobe and get rid of clothes you don’t wear anymore or don’t fit anymore. There are plenty of organizations you can gift your clothes to that will welcome them into their flock.
You can start creating an eco-friendly closet by keeping staple clothes that make more than one outfit. For instance, maybe you have a shirt or a blouse that goes with two different pairs of pants or a skirt. That way, you can coordinate more than one outfit out of three or four items.
When you are ready for a new clothing item, keep in mind what you have in your wardrobe, so everything matches. This will eliminate buying clothes you will only wear once or twice and don’t wear them anymore because they go out of fashion.
Have A Virtual Party
Maybe you can’t see your friends in person, but you can still see them through video. Facetime is a great way to connect up to 32 people. Not everyone, however, has an iPhone. Another app called Hangouts lets you video chat with up to 150 people at one time! That means you can invite all your friends or family and host a party. You can play games, toast your friendship or have a Happy Hour catch-up session once a week.
Another user-friendly app is Zoom. Traditionally used for business, Zoom has a free plan that allows you to have up to 100 participants with no limit on how many meetings you can have.
These apps allow you to get in the socialization you are missing because of the coronavirus and keep you in touch with your family that may not live close to you. The best part is you can’t get sick virtually!
So now, you have no excuse; plan that party or family gathering!
Exercise
If you don’t already have an exercise routine, use your COVID-19 isolation to get started. Exercising does wonders for both your mind and body. Exercise can help you get in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise strengthens your cardiovascular health, and it can help lower blood pressure. The activity contributes to a healthy body and moves the cells in your immune system through the body faster. It also relieves stress.
Another perk of physical activity is that it helps your mood. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, and you feel good.
Find Online Activities
In the UK, a mental health charity runs a Friday night lock-in on Instagram TV. The charity is leading a movement to reduce the number of suicides in the UK, especially with men 45 and up who have the highest rate. They have a Friday night lockdown party to get you through the Friday night blues. They feature star talent in Jukebox sessions, so check it out! You can follow them on Instagram @calmzone.
If you wonder what to do with the kids, Children’s Hospital Of Orange County (CHOC) provides a list of activities from engaging YouTube channels to virtual field trips by Google Arts and Culture. Here is the link if you want to take a look. Now is the perfect opportunity to spend the time with your kids you don’t usually have during working hours and help them explore.
Bake A Cake
Hey, you know you watch those shows on TV where they create phenomenal desserts; now’s your chance. Grab a recipe from the Internet and start baking. By letting your creative juices flow, you may come up with the next big thing in a dessert. If you’re vegan or on keto, you can experiment with vegan or keto-friendly desserts that will wow your friends and family! Preparing and baking take time, so it will keep you busy and make the time go faster during your coronavirus isolation.
Get Crafty
Self-isolation is also a great time to get a new hobby. Have you always wanted to learn to knit? Maybe you’ve always wanted to create a scrapbook of your photos. You’ve thought a crocheted blanket would be cool to make.
Write down a list of hobbies you’ve always wanted to start and pick one. Depending on the pursuit, it can also be a family project. Getting involved in a hobby makes you feel good because you create something. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Painting
- Embroidery
- Sewing
- Journaling
- Caligraphy
Meditation
Meditation is a way to help calm your mind and relieve the stress that has come out of the COVID-19 scare. Meditation helps take your mind away from the future and bring it to the present. In addition, meditation helps reduce negative thoughts, so you have a sense of wellbeing.
Meditation can also help you get your creativity ramped up. Studies have shown that mediation helps with problem-solving, which means that you problem-solve with creative solutions and not just the obvious ones.
Meditation also helps with focus. The brain is geared to do one task at a time. Sometimes the focus is difficult when we have a lot of things on our minds. Meditation helps you relieve stress and calm the mind to concentrate on what you need to focus on instead of worrying about the things that are stressing you out.
Meditation is the perfect way to start your day. Beginning the day with mediation is an excellent way to have a positive outlook and a sense of wellbeing each day. It’s also a perfect way to end your day. A bedtime meditation can help you fall asleep quickly if you have trouble sleeping, whether you choose sounds or a bedtime story.
Meditation is not just for adults; get your whole family involved. Meditation helps kids with stress and helps them do better at school. In addition, meditation allows everyone time for self-reflection and to think of things they are grateful for.
MindTastik has hundreds of meditations to get you through the coronavirus blues. You can download MindTastik on Apple App Store or Google Play.
