It’s hard. It sucks. It’s not, by any means, how this semester was supposed to go.
But. Even here, we can do things that enrich us, that teach us, that help us to grow. No place is ever too dark for evolution.
Here’s a list of 100 things to do while you’re social distancing (besides being bored out of your mind and feeling sorry for yourself–although you’re allowed to do those things, too!)
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Call or Facetime a friend and have a makeshift “coffee” or “lunch” date.
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Cook a fancy meal.
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Do a long, intuitive yoga practice.
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Read those books that have been collecting dust on your shelf for eons.
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Make an Amazon wishlist and treat yourself to something when this is all over.
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Write out a list of things that you didn’t like about your life before quarantine. Then, pick one, and make a game plan to improve upon it.
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Go on a long walk.
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Find a fun, new type of workout that you’ve never tried before on YouTube.
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Search for three happy pieces of news every day, and share them to your social media.
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Play with your pets, and actually be 100% engaged (they’ve been waiting their whole lives to have you home!)
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Get ahead on your assignments for the semester. Nip that procrastination habit in the bud!
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Go on a drive with the windows down and your music blaring.
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Journal. If you don’t know where to start, start by writing, “I don’t know where to start,” and then write literally whatever else comes to mind until your hand is aching and lead-stained.
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Rearrange your room.
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Clean out a new drawer in your wardrobe, a new section of your closet, or a new cabinet in the kitchen each day.
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Put on some pump-up bops and have a one-gal dance party.
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Find a meditation practice online.
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Dedicate yourself to a consistent skincare and haircare routine.
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Practice makeup.
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Sort through your clothes and make piles of things to thrift or donate.
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Print out old pictures of happier times and make a collage.
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Do something silly that you wouldn’t normally dream of doing. Example: I might f*ck around and fingerpaint today.
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Make a list of things that you love about your body. Spend a lot of time on it, and hang it on your mirror.
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Break out the coloring books.
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Write handwritten notes to your friends while they’re still too far away to be getting on your nerves.
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Call up your grandparents or an old mentor and settle in for a chat.
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Make a pillow fort and watch a Disney movie.
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Start a blog or a YouTube channel. Even if it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s something to do!
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Dedicate yourself to learning a new software. Master Photoshop, or Garage Band, or even Excel. Watch videos and read articles until you can confidently add it to your resume.
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Look for creative ways to remotely make money (get one of those sketchy survey apps…you’ve got nothing to lose!)
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Watch old home videos.
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Go through your social media and find new, empowering people to follow while getting rid of those that are toxic.
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Take pictures of the most random things in your house, but try to make them look artsy and beautiful.
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Find poems or quotes that speak to you, and put them in a document for when you feel alone.
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Make a comprehensive plan for the future. Research apartments in your dream city, descriptions of jobs that sound enticing, breeds of dog that would fit with your lifestyle. Truly meditate on what you want out of your life–then start making a plan to get there.
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Email alexis.kayser@slu.edu and start writing for Her Campus.
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Actually educate yourself on another culture, political party, or religion. Read news sources written by those people and attempt to put yourself in their shoes.
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Get all dressed up and have a self-timer photoshoot in your backyard.
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Break out the old Nintendo DS and have a walk down memory lane.
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Listen to your favorite song and try to paint how it makes you feel.
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Watch debates you missed, read up on the presidential candidates, and form an intelligent opinion so that you’re ready for election day.
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Go through your emails and unsubscribe from auto lists that have been getting on your nerves or that don’t serve you anymore.
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Give yourself a full spa pedicure.
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Do a photo library cleanout on your phone.
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Make new, long playlists for every mood and every time of day.
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Dig into your grandma’s old sewing kit and try to upcycle unwanted clothes from your parents’ closets.
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Make a written schedule with times to wake up and go to bed, times to relax, to workout, to do schoolwork, to be creative. The more structure you have in your day, the more in-control and calm you’ll likely feel!
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Set intentions every morning, and write about how you feel that you met those intentions every night.
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Make your own episode of Chopped by throwing random food from the fridge into a comprehensive dish.
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Check in on someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Be the love the world needs.
And remember. It’s okay not to be productive. It’s okay to take a nap. It’s okay to watch the whole season of 90 Day Fiance in 24 hours. Because these are not normal times, we can do not-normal things. Take care of YOU, whatever that may look like.