With students going back to college and the rise of COVID-19 slowly on the rise, there might be a few unexpected quarantines to come. My college was recently put into one, so thinking of ways to entertain myself, I resorted to my classic comfort system: list-making. I have decided to make a list of things to do if you find yourself in an unexpected quarantine or just want a list of things to do during this time
- Comfort Albums
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Pick an artist or album that always makes you happy or boosts your mood. It doesn’t matter what it is exactly, but mine is Phantom of the Opera because of the loud music and how the lyrics always make me want to act them out in my room. Anything that will make you feel more relaxed and calm, the better. Just find something that matches your current mood and just let it out, you’ll feel better
- Rewatch a Show/Movie That Makes You Smile
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We all have our comfort characters, now is the time to bring them out. In our big lockdown back in March, I learned how important it was to try and stay positive when the news reminds us of how bad things are. But if you can watch this comfort show or movie, the stress might ease. You might even venture onto Netflix or Hulu and find a new series that could make you discover a new character you love. It’s okay to escape into a new reality every now and then
- Read a Book
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Going along the lines of new realities, for me personally, books have been a great way to just get away from everything happening and dive into a new world. Or you could always pick up your favorite book and do a good ol’ fashioned re-read. But try to add a new twist to it. Maybe try to pick a theme in the book and look for it in the book or take the side of the villain to see how it might change your perspective on the book. Keep yourself looking for positives
- Venture Onto Omegle
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Not the best place to cure that loneliness feeling…but it makes for weird or fun conversations with people. To avoid all the creeps on that site, however, it would be best to type a hashtag to find people who have similar interests as you do. This is likely the last resort because there are better ways to spend your time than this website of interesting, but odd people. Try not to let that loneliness emotion take control
- Experiment with Makeup
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Pick random colors, try an eyeliner look you never would, put on a bold lipstick, copy your favorite artist’s most popular look. Honestly, go crazy and have fun. You don’t have to post it, unless you want to, maybe get an outfit to match it and do a little photoshoot. Boost up your confidence with this fun game. Maybe get your friends in on it too: set a time limit, a theme, make a Zoom call and play music together
- Discover Weird Food Combos
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Okay, hear me out, Takis and popcorn. Like plain, salted popcorn with Takis are so good. Another I like is goldfish with Cheerios or Cheez-it. Or if you really want some weird ones, I heard soy sauce and caramel ice cream is supposed to be good. Maybe you can come up with your own and see where that goes. It could be turned into a game too, make a weird food combo with friends, virtually, and see who comes up with the strangest food combo. Just don’t become super obsessed with your new food combos
- Pick Up an Old Hobby
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Whether it be painting, drawing, working out, writing, making jewelry, try to pick it up again. You might remember how fun it was and start getting into it again. Anything to make the time go by a little faster so that Tik Tok doesn’t consume all your time. Baking and cooking is also something you might be able to do, depending on where you are quarantining. Let the creativity out sometimes
- Clean/ Re-organize your Room
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A clean room means a clear mind. If your room has clothes and water bottles and food everywhere, take 5-10 minutes to just clean it a little. It will make you feel a little less stressed maybe. Or you might need a change in how everything looks in your room and move everything around. Put on some music or a podcast and clean up your room. Remember to breathe too
- Journal It
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We are living through major historical events, more than one. We just went through 2020, someone needs to write this down. Everyone’s story matters, and maybe with you looking back and writing your experience, you might learn something new. You might read through your journal in a few years and remember how strong you were to make it through such a hard year. You are capable of doing this
- Remind Yourself You Aren’t Alone
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It really might feel like it, but you aren’t. There are so many people out there who are there to support you in any way possible. Call your family and say hi, or reach out to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Text a friend and see if they wanna talk and maybe watch a show through Netflix Party or Zoom. This time is temporary, things will get better, you are not alone in this time, keep reminding yourself of that. Put sticky notes everywhere if you have to
I hope my list helps you through these tough times, hopefully, things will start to get better and the world can recover from this pandemic. Stay strong and keep positive during this time.