Quarantine has come to most cities and states as a result of the COVID 19 outbreak. With local and state governments issuing stay at home and shelter in place orders, many of you may already have been stuck at home for weeks. Beyond the difficulty of working from home, or being laid off, there is the impending boredom lurking just around the corner. How many times can you watch the same movies and TV shows! Well fear not, because here’s seven new things you can still do while you’re in quarantine!
You don’t have to be bored anymore. And even if you weren’t bored, these new activities will give you plenty to do while stuck in your house without contact with the outside world.
ONE: LEARN A NEW SKILL
What’s great about learning a new skill is there’s always another one you could pick up! Learning a language, cooking, sewing, or juggling are all great options, and are easy to learn from home through the internet or with different apps on your phone or smart device. The key to being successful in learning a new skill however is choosing one that you actually care about. If you chose a skill to learn that you aren’t super interested in, it’s likely you’ll give up before you’ve really mastered it. Start with something that you actually have an interest in. Maybe it’s something that will help you further your career goals.
In many cases, learning a new language fits into that category. Duolingo is a phone app that easily allows you to pick up a new language on your time. There are options for learning nearly every language, including some fictional languages, like Klingon from Star Trek! So whether you’re looking to expand your skills to improve your resume, or to increase how cool you are at comic con and parties, learning a new skill is a sure fire way to stave off boredom during a lengthy quarantine.
TWO: SPRING CLEANING
This one can have major health benefits, too. It’s likely while you’ve been in quarantine that you’ve been doing more cleaning. But whether you have been or not, there’s still more to be done! How often do you actually deep clean your home? Most people only fully clean their home once every 3 months. But even that doesn’t include moving all the furniture away from the walls to get the nooks and crannies around your home! By taking the time to work in one room a day, and to get behind everything, you reduce the amount of dust and irritants that are in your home.
You’ll be surprised what you find under your couch and behind your bookcase. Sometimes pleasantly so, other times not so much. But there is a great amount of peace of mind that comes from knowing your home is freshly cleaned of all the gunk that was lurking behind your furniture. Plus, the added bonus of spring cleaning is you get to know what things you actually have in your home. Do you have clothes you’ve not worn in years? Old electronics you’re not using anymore? You can box those old items up to donate or recycle, giving new life to things that were just collecting dust!
THREE: MAKE YOUR OWN GAME
It’s likely that you and your family have played through your board games more than once by now while you’ve been in quarantine. And if you haven’t, you’re probably not far away from hitting that quota. Playing the same game over and over can be fun up to a point, but eventually you’ll start craving something new. Whether you know it or not, you have some creativity inside of you! Being stuck in quarantine is the perfect time to let that creativity blossom and flourish. Take some time to come up with your own games. You can even build your own game boards, pieces, or cards to go along with what you come up with! Make it a family affair. If you are struggling to find some creative ideas, your kids will gladly fill in the blanks.
FIVE: START AN EXERCISE ROUTINE
Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and improve your health. If you’ve been stuck at home for over a week, it’s likely you’re feeling stressed. Set up a time every day that you exercise. Invite your whole family to participate. It doesn’t need to be anything super hard or serious, just something to get you moving and your blood pumping. There are many apps you can use to create simple exercise routines for you and your family. Find one that works for you and get started on your own routine!
SIX: PLAY A TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAME
Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons? Now could be a good time to start! Granted, you may feel it’s not for you; maybe you don’t think of yourself as a nerd. But you don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy a good game with your family. Dungeons and Dragons, and other tabletop adventures like Pathfinder, Star Wars Edge of the Empire, or Gloomhaven are all great creative outlets for people of all ages. Tabletop games are a change of pace that you could really enjoy if you gave it a chance!
SEVEN: LEARN A DANCE
Your spouse might like it if you learned some somba and took them ‘out’ for a night of lively dancing in your mood lit living room. With access to the internet, learning a new dance style or routine is as easy as pressing enter. If you have kids, you could learn a dance routine together. Your parents and extended family are probably stuck in their homes too, and getting a fun video from you and your family could be just the thing they need to stave off their loneliness and boredom! Time to learn that TikTok dance you’ve been hearing about!
No matter what you choose to do with your time in quarantine, you’ve got a unique opportunity here to create good memories with your loved ones. Take the time to let them know you love them, and that you care about them. By making the effort now to show those you care about that things are going to be okay, you can create an atmosphere of trust in your home that will last long after the quarantine is over.
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