2020 has truly been an interesting year – and it’s only March. The latest hurdle this year is the COVID-19 outbreak intensifying into a global pandemic. With more than 150 countries infected and over 400,000+ confirmed cases worldwide, countries around the world have gone on lockdown, limiting as much human interaction as possible in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus.
If you’re one of the millions of people instructed to stay inside, you’ve probably grown tired at scrolling on your phone and eaten most of your quarantine snacks out of boredom. With our previous daily routines of going to class, working, and participating in extracurricular activities, we definitely stayed occupied and, oftentimes, a little too busy to complete the tasks that were best for us.
However, with this newfound time comes a newfound opportunity to accomplish the activities that we always put off. Here are some ways to make your days count during this period:
- Read a Book
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Even for the most avid reader, life can get a little too hectic to make time for reading. With the sudden change to a quieter and less busy life, now is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in a good book. Go through your drawers and reread some of your old favorite books, or browse through a large selection of E-books online.
Books allow readers to escape reality and get immersed in the main character’s world. Escape the stressors and headaches surrounding this disaster and pick up a book.
Ask your friends, look at book accounts on Instagram, or use book recommendation websites, like Goodreads, to receive suggestions on what to read next. My personal favorite books are The Lovely Bones and Everything, Everything.
- Apply for a Scholarship
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On top of studying for tests, reading several textbook chapters, and completing assignments, even the possibility of winning free money isn’t enough of an incentive to write a scholarship essay at times. The writing process can be somewhat daunting. With such a large amount of money on the line, the need to make your submission perfect, and the constant overthinking of how to format your piece can have you burned out before you even finish it.
Dedicate your newfound free time to complete at least one scholarship essay. Multiple resources exist to help you craft the ideal submission, such as tips letting you know how to make your essay stand out and what you should avoid along with providing essay examples of past winners.
- Give Yourself a Mani-Pedi
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While nail salons may be temporarily closed, your hands and feet don’t have to suffer in the meantime. An at-home mani-pedi will do just the job and save your coins in the process.
Any bottle of nail polish will do, but if you happen to have a bottle of a base coat and a top coat as well, these products will ensure a longer lasting and better looking outcome. If you have gel or dip powder nails at the moment, easily remove the product by doing the following:
1. Buff your fingernails with a nail file
2. Place an acetone-soaked cotton ball on each nail
3. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil on each nail to keep each cotton ball in place, then leave that on your nails for 20 minutes
Achieve salon-soft feet with ease by trying these steps:
1. Soak your feet in warm to hot water for 20 minutes (add Epsom salt for further relaxation and softening of the skin)
2. Scrub your feet with a pumice stone, then exfoliate using a body scrub
3. Rinse your feet in warm water and pat them dry with a towel
4. Moisturize lotion or cream into your skin
- Exercise
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Exercising isn’t limited to elliptical sessions or cycling classes at the gym. Thousands of videos exist online to fit your desired strength or style of physical activity. Power yoga, HIIT workouts, and kickboxing routines are only a fraction of the wide variety of videos you can find.
Exercising will keep you physically fit throughout this period and help you sleep and relax better. Additionally, your mood will improve due to the increased production of the “happy” chemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine.
- Stretch
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Whether right when you wake up in the morning or at the end of your workout, stretching is a beneficial activity that you should add to your daily routine. The action decreases muscle stiffness, helps alleviate post-exercise aches, and improves your posture.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest advantages stretching produces is its stress-reducing abilities, a component that will be especially helpful during this time.
- Get Back Into a Hobby
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Growing up, I would draw for hours on end, could do a backbend, did jazz dance; the list goes on. Now, my stick figures are laughable, my back wouldn’t dare bend so far, and I’ll be lucky if I can execute at least one pirouette all the way through. Sigh. As a young adult, so much of our time is spent towards school or work obligations, that we rarely have the chance to get back into the activities we once enjoyed.
Fortunately, you now have the opportunity to dedicate your time to pick back up a hobby or talent you used to have. Doing so provides an outlet for challenging yourself and will give your mind something positive to focus on.
- Clean Your Room
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Spring cleaning is still in full effect, and now you have extra time to make your bedroom ultra-refreshed and organized. For all of the old assignments from classes three semesters ago, unwanted art projects from elementary school, and knick-knacks that have accumulated in your drawers and underneath the bed, finally begin to recycle or throw those out.
Sort through your wardrobe and eliminate clothes that either don’t fit or aren’t your style anymore to donate. Keep in mind to research organizations that are legit, as some organizations are unethical with where they deliver the donations. Atlanta Mission is an example of an excellent nonprofit organization, while Blue Jeans Go Green is a program that recycles donated denim products.
Note: Until it is deemed safe to resume public activity, it’s in the best interest to leave your donations at home for the time being to keep the possibility of the virus spreading at a minimum.
- Delete Unnecessary Emails
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Between stores bombarding you with “biggest” deals and questionable scholarship websites persistently messaging you, the number of emails in your inbox racks up in no time.
Take this time to sift through emails and delete those that are unneeded, update your email preferences from different companies, and unsubscribe altogether from ones that don’t interest you. The sight of the annoyingly large notification number of unread emails will finally go away and leave you with more storage.
- Go for a Walk
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Even though the practice of social distancing is paramount at this time, officials have deemed it okay to go for a walk. Maintaining a minimum of six feet between you and another person in public is critical for the prevention of the spread of the virus. Take a stroll at a local park, around your neighborhood, or a couple of blocks away from your apartment.
Since walking is a form of exercise, it too produces similar effects, such as improving your mood and the condition of your physical health. A distinguishing factor, though, is that it will increase your vitamin D levels, which will be especially helpful during this time of solitude.
In this time of social distancing, remember to practice the proper hygiene steps, give yourself a break from watching the news, and be considerate of those around you. My heart goes out to the patients who’ve succumbed to the virus and those currently fighting it off, along with all healthcare professionals, scientists, grocery store clerks, and other workers who are on the front line in the midst of this crisis.