With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, these past few weeks have been kind of crazy. I had to unexpectedly move out of college in LA, pack all of my belongings, and drive back home. A few days later, it was announced that my area was to be in a state of shelter-in-place until at least early to mid-April. Being in shelter-in-place essentially means that we can only leave our homes to get essentials, like groceries or medicine.
Self-quarantining and being in shelter-in-place has been hard. Although I’m an introvert and a bit of a homebody, this has still been a struggle for me, as it has been for everyone. The uncertainty and direness of the situation is scary, and I find myself wondering when things will return back to normal. I also really miss the daily social interactions and experiences that I had back in college and find myself frequently getting bored at home. It’s been difficult to stay motivated and be productive when I know I can just sleep in and spend the entire day in my pajamas.
However, despite the current situation, there are lots of things you can do while you’re stuck at home to keep yourself sane, productive, and happy. Below is a list of some things you can do while you’re self-quarantining—I hope you find these ideas and tips useful!
1. Get artsy!
Draw, paint, craft, or do anything else that is creative! I used to love to draw and paint and haven’t been able to do that in the longest time, and now that I have the opportunity to, it’s been really fun
2. Practice self-care.
Put on a face mask, watch your favorite TV show, or do whatever it is you need to do to take care of yourself
A small thing I’ve been doing to take care of myself is getting dressed for the day and not staying in my pajamas. Some days I’ll even do my hair and makeup and I’m always surprised by how much it boosts my mood. Try it out!
3. Journal.
Although this is a difficult time, it is a really interesting time as well. This event is something that is going to be written about someday in history books, so why not document it yourself? You can write about what you’ve been up to, what’s going on in the news, how you’ve been feeling, or whatever else you want!
Journaling is also super de-stressing—it can feel good to just get things off your chest and onto a fresh sheet of paper (…or maybe that’s just the English major in me).
4. Tie dye!
I tie dyed a white shirt pink and it was so fun and surprisingly easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Shirt
- Dye (I used Rit dye in the color Petal Pink!)
- Squirt bottle
- Gloves
- Rubber bands
- Plastic bag or plastic wrap
- Water
Here are the steps:
- Dampen your shirt with water. This allows the dye to set into the fabric more easily.
- Figure out what design you want on your shirt. For mine, I wanted a more splotchy effect, so I randomly crumpled my shirt and used rubber bands to keep it in place.
- Put both water and dye into a squirt bottle. For mine, I put more water than dye—it just depends how light you want your shirt to be.
- Squirt the mixture onto your shirt! Put as little or as much dye as you want, and make sure to wear gloves.
- Put the shirt in a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic and wait for 6-8 hours for the dye to set.
- After waiting for 6-8 hours, rinse out your shirt thoroughly with water.
- Machine wash and dry. Make sure to machine wash and dry the shirt alone, as there may still be some dye residue left over that could get on your other clothes.
- Enjoy your new tie dye shirt!
5. Work out.
Although gyms are currently closed, there are still lots of ways to exercise. It’s really important to try to stay active during this time, especially since we are stuck sitting around in our homes all day. I also find that when I work out, I feel more productive afterwards and am in a much better mood.
A lot of apps and brands now have free live stream workout sessions that you can follow along on Instagram or other platforms! There are also lots of amazing workout routines on YouTube that you can follow along with, too.
Or, get some fresh air and go on a run or a bike ride! Just be careful and make sure to continue practicing social distancing when you’re outside.
6. Learn a new Tik Tok dance.
If working out isn’t really your thing, learn a new Tik Tok dance! Learning Tik Tok dances is super fun, keeps you active, and is a great time killer (but beware: you may waste way too much time on this app… speaking from personal experience).
7. Cook or bake something!
I’ve been baking a lot more recently and it’s been really fun and de-stressing! I made some delicious gluten free and vegan peanut butter brownies the other day from one of my favorite bloggers, @alohabyamanda. Check out the recipe here!
8. Deep clean your room.
I’ve been in the process of deep cleaning my room and it feels really good to be productive and get rid of some old things!
I organized my entire closet and have been sorting through old clothes that I don’t wear anymore. I’ve been setting these clothes aside to either donate or sell. There are several apps you can use to sell clothes—I personally set up a Depop! This is a great way to earn a little bit of cash, too.
9. Watch a movie or TV show!
My family and I made a list of movies that we want to watch during quarantine, and as we go through the list, we’ve been rating all the movies we watch!
Here are some movie recommendations (my family and I rated all of these a 7/10 or higher):
- “Emma”
- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
- “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
- “Instant Family”
- “The Farewell”
10. Do your homework.
Although it’s difficult to focus and stay motivated during this time, do your best to do your homework assignments and stay on top of your online classes.
Here are a few things that help me stay motivated and able to get my work done:
- Turn off your phone and put it away. My phone is a huge distraction for me, and I find that when it’s off and away (out of sight, out of mind), I can focus better on my schoolwork.
- Don’t do your work on your bed. Your bed is meant for sleeping and relaxing, and so it’s hard for your brain to focus when you’re on your bed since that is not what your brain is used to! Do your work at a desk in your room or somewhere else in your house, or even outside in your yard to get some fresh air and a change of scenery.
- Make a routine for yourself. Allot a certain amount of time that you’ll spend on schoolwork during the day and try your best to stick to it. I also use a planner to write down all of my assignments to keep track of them and make sure that I hold myself accountable.
I hope you enjoyed this list and try out some of these ideas! And most importantly, remember to stay safe and positive.