For the wellbeing of our communities, and the world around us, we have been advised to self quarantine and practice social distancing. This can be tough. Especially for those who are extroverts and not used to spending that much time at home.
Making matters worse, our TVs are inundated with negative Coronavirus updates and depressing news, which can only make us more anxious and dim our lights by the minute.
So what to do?
I say we:
- Reduce our exposure to the news (to only once a day and from your most trusted source).
- Spend time connecting with people.
- Get creative and have some good ol’ fun.
Why not, right? We don’t truly know how long this self quarantine will last, so might as well start making positive changes. At least with things we can control. And that is: how we spend our free time.
Below are 55 suggestions, divided into 5 categories with 11 ideas each, of what to do to entertain ourselves and live it up in the midst of a pandemic.
If you have a few other fun ideas, please please please share those with us in the comments section below. Stay safe and healthy, friends! Sending love to all.
CREATIVE
- Play Board Games. Bust out those boxes and card decks from storage.
- Bake Something. Make it Paleo.
- Themed Dinner Night. Maybe some Italian?
- Movie Night. Watch an oldie; I recommend The Godfather (Space Jam, if you have kids).
- Make Healthy Ice Cream. Got a food processor and frozen fruits? Here’s how to do it.
- Make Hot Lemonade. Or cold! But hot (with a bit of honey) seems to soothe the soul, boost immune system and help fight colds.
- Have an indoor picnic. Why not? Open a sparkly beverage and work with what you’ve got in your pantry.
- Give yourself a mani. Make it gel by getting this kit on amazon.
- Read a Story Out loud. Gather round the fireplace, turn down the lights, grab a snack and blankets, and read a heart-warming story out loud.
- Color books. Try adult coloring books for those 16 up.
- Try calligraphy. Learn on YouTube. It will definitely up your mail sending game.
GOOD FUN
- Channel your Inner Bartender. Grab your roommate, chose 4 fun drinks, get on mixing and have fun sipping!
- Build a Fort. Add some Christmas lights to make it extra bougie.
- Virtual Happy Hour. Set a call with your bestie with a spirited beverage on hand.
- Scavenger Hunt. Make up rhymes, hide cute prizes and watch your kids overjoy.
- Create a Virtual Book Club. Message your girl friends, chose a book, get on reading and discuss it over FaceTime.
- Tour Celebrity Homes. Architecture Digest has awesome video tours of celeb’s homes…take a looksee.
- Cheese and Wine Date. Create the charcuterie and cheese boards of your dreams…and then devour it with your honey along with some wine.
- Mail Notes. To friends and family members; it will sure brighten their day.
- Try a DIY. Pick one of those Pinterest crafts you’ve got saved, and go for it.
- Gift mom, daughter or roomie a hairdo. Grab a few bobby pins, clips, brushes, hair spray, and make them look extra pretty.
- Buy gift cards from local shops, restaurants and bars. Keep them for upcoming birthdays and special occasions.
RELAXING
- Self-Care With a Face Mask. These are awesome.
- Take a bubble bath. Add some Epsom Salts for extra love and care.
- Swap foot rubs with your honey. Or kids.
- Diffuse Essential Oils. Some favorite combos here.
- Call your mom. Moms always welcome a call from their kids, and kids can always use a chat with their mom.
- Get some sun. Is the sun shining? 10-15 mins will do your body good; we can always use that Vitamin D.
- Nap…There’s an App for That. This app can help you have the best nap of your life.
- Take a Yoga Class in your Living Room. I subscribed to this app, and it has amazing options.
- Meditate. On your own if you’re an expert, by the help of apps such as Calm, if you’re a beginner.
- Foam Roll. This will do your body (and muscles!) good, even though it hurts. Trust me.
- Breath work. Ever heard of box breathing?
PRODUCTIVE
- Spring Clean Your Closet. Get rid of those items that don’t “spark joy”.
- Organize Pantry and Cupboards. Check expiration dates and organize by category.
- Re-arrange Furniture. There’s probably more than just one way your stuff looks good.
- Rainbowtize Cookbooks/Books. Because, THAT will definitely spark joy.
- Set a Healthy Family Meal Plan. What better time than now to set that great healthy lifestyle you’ve been wanting for your family?
- Place an Online Grocery Order. Whole Foods through Amazon.com delivers for free past a certain $$ amount. Have your kids pick an item or two, just for fun.
- Start ‘The Miracle Morning’ Routine. Read this book, it’ll change your life.
- Organize Phone Photos. Delete bad ones, and organize good ones into albums.
- Update Your LinkedIn. Chances are your profile can use a little cleanup.
- Aim for 0 Unread Emails. Go through your inbox and make it your goal to delete, respond and organize all unread emails.
- House projects. Fix that broken drawer or knob, paint that wall, replace that broken tile.
SELF DEVELOPMENT
- Visit Museums Virtually. Extra points if you do it in Virtual Reality.
- Make a dream/vision board. You can do this the old fashioned way with magazines, but a “secret board” on Pinterest is a good idea if you want to keep it digital.
- Learn that Skill You Always Wanted. YouTube has a million tutorials with your name on it. And some Ivy League Universities allow you to watch their courses for free.
- Watch a documentary. Google Oscar Nominated documentaries if you don’t know where to start.
- Read a book. Non-fiction. Novel. Biographies. History. All books will teach you something.
- Learn to Play an Instrument. Got an instrument nearby? Grab it and google how to play it.
- Master Makeup. Head over to YouTube and search for makeup tutorials; browse until you find one that speaks to you.
- Learn a Language. Duolingo is awesome for this, and it’s free.
- Research a Topic of Interest. Been wanting to dive-deep into a specific topic? Now’s the time.
- Journal. In the morning and at night; what are you grateful for, what are you proud of, what can you improve on.
- Pray. God listens and blesses. And He wants to hear from you.