I feel like the number of times we’ve read or heard the words “quarantine”, “social distancing” and “coronavirus” in the past month has been more than the number of times we’ve heard our own name in our entire LIVES. However, today I want to share with y’all ten ridiculously simple yet effective things that I’ve been avidly doing to pass the time and work on myself for ~growth~.
Now before I begin, I feel like I owe it to all my readers to come out with the truth right off the bat—I already cut my own bangs. SO! That will not be part of the ~official~ list, HOWEVER! If you feel like that is the place where your mental state is during the quarantine, then, by ALL means, go ahead! :)
Let the games begin!
Working out every day: grind never stops!
While I used to work out semi-frequently in Tallahassee, I always made up excuses for myself to not go to the gym. It was always a meeting, homework or wanting to spend time with my friends. But! Now that I can’t do anything from the above, I’ve been working out and getting active every day! Whether I jog around the block, do lunges until I drop or do 30-minute indoor circuits, I’ve found that working out is a great way to pass time AND your body will thank you in the long run!
Unleashing my inner artist and painting!
Over one of our quarantine stock-up trips, my sister and I stalked up on art supplies in order to get back into painting. And by back, I mean when we used to paint when we were 4 and 6 years old. ANYWAY, we paint almost every day together in my grandparent’s backyard, so we’re both spending quality time together and practicing our art skills! SIDE NOTE: painting AND bangs? How Amy March from Little Women of me to do.
Getting active and playing sports!
Aside from working out every day, my sister and I have gotten into the habit of tossing a ball around for the sake of moving around and being active. We like to play soccer and volleyball, just like our pre-societal ancestors did. Trust me, it’s a lot more fun than it sounds.
Snuggling in bed with a good book!
Reading is one of those activities that I always revert back to. At the beginning of the quarantine, my brain was too frazzled with all the new information we were receiving every day. But, now that events seem to smooth out and we’re all basically grounded, I’ve found that picking up a good book is a great way to pass the time and live ~vicariously~ through other characters!
Bingeing Tik-Tok’s instead of going to sleep
Now c’mon now, we’ve all been there at some point. Now that classes have moved online, sticking to a regular sleep schedule and some form of routine has been next to impossible. What ends up happening almost every night is somebody drops a tik tok in a group-chat and the binging begins. HOWEVER, in all of our defenses, Tik-Tok is a great app to pass the time and watch content without ~committing~ to a YouTube video.
Stripping it all back and going back to writing!
One thing I’m really thankful for because of all of this free time is finally focusing on writing again. Whether it is going back to songwriting or finally brainstorming and kickstarting creative writing, I finally have the time to do it! Writing is one of my favorite ways to get creative and if you ever wanted to get your hand at it, now’s the time! Get creative, start writing!
Catching up on movies and shows I’ve been meaning to watch!
All this free time means one thing and one only—binge-watch time! Now is your time to finally watch that show that you’ve been meaning to watch since fall semester or watch all those movies in that one thread you’ve bookmarked J
Discovering new music and making playlists for EVERY mood!
I think my favorite thing to do so far has been finding new albums to become obsessed with and new artists to binge their entire discography. There will always be an album you haven’t heard but have been meaning to or an artist that you’ve always wanted to get into and now’s your time to shine! Go make that playlist girl!
Catching up on assignments and schoolwork
With all the time in the world to do absolutely anything, the voice in the back of my head kept nudging me to dedicate at least ~some~ of it to schoolwork. So, whenever I can, I finish up that paper, write that discussion post or study for that test. Like, what would my excuse be? I didn’t have time to do it? Now c’mon now we all know that isn’t true!
Virtual downtime with my friends <3
Last but absolutely not least, I’ve been taking this time to spend needed time with my friends. Whether it’s constantly texting or snap chatting them or being on FaceTime with them, I’ve made it a point to stay in touch with my friends for both my sanity and theirs. During these trying times, we don’t realize how much our mental health is being affected due to a lack of human interaction, increased stress and anxiety because of the current conditions of our planet and overall discomfort due to quarantining and being thrown out of our routines. So, whenever you can, check-in with your friends.
It will get better, beautiful girlies! I hope you are all doing well and are staying safe! Never hesitate to email me at bh19@my.fsu.edu if you ever need somebody to talk to! Stay safe!
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