With all the hysteria revolving around the Coronavirus, it’s hard not to get swept up in the panic. The last few weeks have been interesting and quite frightening. With each breaking news story and horrifying headline, it becomes challenging to stay positive. It seems like every conversation that I’ve had over the last week has revolved, in some sense, around the virus. During times like this, it is important to stay calm, stay informed, and stay the f*** inside.
With a lot of people being declared ‘Work from Home’ status, including myself, staying occupied and not going stir-crazy is going to be difficult. I have come up with a handful of things to do in order to beat the boredom and stay healthy. There are so many things to do from the comfort of your home that don’t involve face to face contact and stay safely in the parameters of the suggested social distancing.
Get a head start on spring cleaning
There’s nothing better than a clean house. Now is the time to clean out your closet and get rid of the clothes that you haven’t touched in months, reorganize storage spaces, and put up your spring décor. You can use this extra time at home to tidy everything so that you have a comfortable space to live/work from over the next few weeks.
Cook/ Bake
Personally, I love to cook. But there are always a few amazing looking recipes that I steer clear of because I don’t have 2-3 hours to dedicate to making dinner. Plot twist: I do now! If you have some extra time at home, try to challenge yourself to cook a more challenging meal that you’ve been hesitant about. If it doesn’t turn out great, pop some ramen in the microwave and try again tomorrow.
At home workouts
Just because we’re practicing social distancing, doesn’t mean we have to use that as an excuse to skip the gym. Getting in a workout at home can be just as beneficial as going to the gym. There are so many exercises that don’t utilize equipment to help build muscle and stamina. As the weather is breaking in the Midwest, heading outside for a jog or bike ride can get your heartrate up. Running the stairs at your home or apartment complex can replace the StairMaster at the gym. Bodyweight exercises such as push ups, sit ups, burpees, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, etc. are all tried and true movements.
Dust off an old book
At the beginning of the year I saw a lot of people saying that their new year’s resolution was to read more in 2020. I guess we can thank the universe for giving us no other option but to check it off our resolution list! This can serve as a productive way to pass the time.
Inevitably binge Netflix
A crowd favorite, and obviously the inevitable. Here’s a shout out to all of my top-rated binge-worthy Netflix shows: The Goop Lab, Dirty John, Love is Blind, Insatiable, Sex Education, You, What If, Good Girls, Schitt’s Creek, and The Politician. Parks and Recreation, Dexter, New Girl, Homecoming, and American Horror Story also make the list, but I’m hoping you’ve already binged those and they go without saying.
Perfect your skincare routine
Personally, my AM skincare routine always gets neglected because I’m too tired in the morning to go through all the steps I need to. Equally, my PM routine gets neglected because I’m too tired by the end of the day to go through my 10-step routine before bed. Take these more laidback mornings and evenings as a chance to perfect your skincare. You don’t have to rush around in the morning to get out of the house to work. Enjoy your coffee in the bathroom and complete all your steps. With a less hectic day in the office, this should allow for you to have a little more energy at night to hit all your 10 steps before heading to bed.
Call/ FaceTime your parents/ Grandparents
In times like this, being distanced from your loved ones is extremely challenging. I know for me, this is the hardest part. I’m used to seeing my Grandpa and my parents a of couple times a week. It’s devastating thinking about my Grandpa being alone in his house, unable to leave, and in complete fear of the unknown. I’ve made it a point to FaceTime him everyday and send him some silly texts throughout the day. I also scheduled a few puzzles to be delivered to his house so that he has an extra something to do when he gets tired of watching tv. I’ve made peace with the fact that I likely won’t see him next week for his birthday, and that will be the first time in my life that I can recall not celebrating with him. Instead of dwelling on that, I’m trying to stay positive and communicative with my family members throughout this trying time.
Hopefully some of these tips help you to fight off the boredom of staying inside over the next few weeks. Realistically, this can be used as a time to catch up on sleep, cleaning, communication, and exercise. This doesn’t have to be looked at as complete doomsday. Now we have unlimited access to all of the “me time” we so desperately need!
Please keep in mind that there are millions of stories surfacing right now. A lot of them are scary and are fear-inducing. And a lot of people are half ass reading them and then telephoning their version of the news releases to everyone they know. Stores ARE limiting hours, businesses ARE temporarily closing, and citizens ARE being encouraged to self-quarantine and practice social distancing. These measures are being put in place for our safety, and in order to limit the spread as much as possible. These restrictions are not put into effect to induce panic and increase hysteria. That is not the intention. As scary as this all is, please try to stay level-headed and encourage others to remain positive about this. These are scary times, and the more we can lean on each other for support, the better.
Stay safe, stay informed, and stay inside. We will get through this.
Written by Alyson Markos