What To Do While Social Distancing

It’s been some week, huh? I’m sure you are consuming enough news at this point to know the facts about coronavirus and how best to keep immune compromised populations healthy. And, yes, that means “social distance”. My husband and I have both worked from home for many years now so we haven’t taken a huge hit to our day to day activities… but I admit, it’s tough to not go stir crazy. Right now, we’ve been hanging at home except for grocery or takeout pick ups and the occasional quick errand. So what are we to do in our non-working hours? Below are some ideas (including some sent to me from friends!):

– Read, read, read — here are some of my favorite books from 2019
– Move 27 items in your home
– Puzzles
– Crosswords
– Binge watch Korean dramas (the most addictive shows of all; even my parents are obsessed)
– Clean out a closet/pantry/everything
– Finally organize the junk drawer
– Deep clean the shower/tub
– Do workouts from Youtube (and remember to stretch!)
– Cook, bake, eat
– Paint a room (like what my husband and I did this weekend!)
– Pretend everything is normal and plan imaginary trips on Pinterest. Cry.
– Learn to mend clothing
– Embroider/cross stitch
– FaceTime with friends and family
– Don’t forget to walk your dogs (or yourself) — yes, you can still get some fresh air!
– Make up new cocktails
– Give yourself at home spa treatments
– Finally learn how to style your hair
– If you have a yard, take the time to de-weed
– Plant some herbs from seed
– Send snail mail letters to friends
– If you are healthy, there are some volunteer activities that are still occurring/are still important for the community (including online ones!). For me, this is composting at our community garden — it’s a completely solo activity that involves just me and sifting pounds and pounds of compost. The composting process stops for no one!
– Get super in to something random (or not so random… for me, I’ve finally learned why BTS is a big deal… I’ve gone down a very deep rabbit hole of music videos and interviews lately).

Finally — do what you can to stay healthy so that hospitals + doctors’ offices have the resources to care for those who do get ill! Remember, a big part of staying healthy involves caring for yourself and keeping stress levels low — so stay calm, informed, and use this time to slow down.