Things to Keep You and Your Loved Ones Happy While Self-Isolating
STAYING AT HOME ALONE TOGETHER BUT APART
Having fun yet? I don’t know about you but I may have to buy all new clothes after this sweat pant pandemic is over. And, that darned Easter Bunny didn’t help with laying his/her chocolate eggs all over the place. Yes, I’m still a little bit confused with that concept.
Over the next few days, I will be adding more to the list of things to do while staying at home (over 100 and counting). The best way to access the ideas is to subscribe to my website and the list, along with a number of other things I have planned, will show up in your email automatically. You can do that by adding your info to the right of this posting in the box. Feel free to comment, add ideas and share with your family and friends.
The first thing you should do is to make a schedule. You don’t want to have spent this time doing nothing productive and then end up regretting it when it’s over. So start off by dividing your day into parts and make a tentative schedule that should include both productive and lazy hours. Get a good sleep, and then indulge in activities that make you happy, keep you healthy and add spice to your life.
2- Organize Your Space:
Cluttered and messy spaces can make us feel overwhelmed and lethargic. If you are working or studying at home choose a spot and organize it like you would any professional office space. A clean and orderly space will up your productivity levels.
Use the extra time you have been granted to de-clutter those spaces that you’ve been meaning to for ages – wardrobes, drawers, kitchen cupboards, spare rooms – the list is endless. Why not turn a spare room into a luxurious walk-in wardrobe / dressing room for yourself, or an office so you don’t have to use the dining table!
3- Keep Yourself Physically Active:
Physical activity is not just about keeping fit – it also keeps your energy levels high. With gyms closed, you can go for a walk or a run in the neighborhood as long as you keep away from others. Working out at home is also an option and much easier these days. There are exercise channels on TV and you can follow fun exercise or dance routines on YouTube to keep yourself fit.
4- Stay Socially Connected:
In this day and age I don’t need to tell you to stay connected. Social media is probably everyone’s go-to during this period of isolation. But if you usually find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of texts, emails and notifications, this might be a good time to reconnect with old friends, reply to unanswered texts and clear out your bulging inbox. Engaging with other people, in isolation elsewhere, can be refreshing. Try an app that allows you to meet virtually using the camera on your phone or computer. Make sure you check out what’s safe to use first.
5- Look Out for Others:
Perhaps helping people is not usually on your schedule, but this might be a good time to self-reflect and see if there’s something more you can be doing. With the elderly most at risk with this virus, you can assist them with getting groceries, medicines, or other necessities they may need. A quick phone call to your neighbor before going to the store may be very appreciated.
6- Donate:
There are many people who have lost their source of income due to Covid-19 with no finite end in sight so donating money, clothes, and food to them would be a good idea. Do you have a local food bank or charity who are crying out for supplies? Check with the clothing charities because many have stopped accepting more donations.
7- Take a Break from the People Around You:
It’s not possible to spend every waking hour with our families or roommates, so now that we find ourselves in this situation, it can be hard to keep from snapping. Take some me-time and do things that make you happy alone and suggest the same for the people around you. Creating a balance will prove to be a positive thing. Sometimes implementing a “closed door rule” will allow everyone some space mentally and physically.
8- Accept the Circumstances:
Perhaps the hardest part of self-isolation is accepting that this is how it is for now. It will end but the chances are that it will last longer than we expect. Looking forward to next week in the hope that you might be able to get back to normal is not a positive thing. Embrace the circumstances and turn a negative into a positive with the ideas in this and future postings.
9- Wash Your Hands:
Perhaps the most important part about this self-isolation is protecting yourself from contracting Covid-19. Wash your hands as often as you can and advise others around you to do so also. According to the guidelines, each wash should be using soap and hot water and last 20 seconds for it to be effective. Also keep a distance of 2 meters or 6 feet between you and anyone outside your isolation zone that you may come into contact with.
10- Raise Awareness:
We hear every day on the news about people who seem to not know the rules or be deliberately ignoring them. So while you’re isolating play your part in raising awareness around you on why isolation is important. Raise awareness about Coronavirus on social media, and to those around you about how the virus spreads, what its consequences are, and what precautions you can take to avoid it. Raising awareness is the first step in combatting it.
11- Get Tidying:
Does your ‘clothes chair’ have more clothes on it than usual these days? Do you have drawers that are hard to close? It’s probably time to do some tidying around the house, if you normally don’t have the time for it. Clean up the clutter, clear out storage spaces and enjoy the results.
12- Do Some Reorganizing:
This is probably the best time to mix up some things around your place. Reorganizing spaces can keep you busy and give things a new look. Start by reorganizing your closet, maybe your bedroom, and then move on to places like the kitchen, your living room, or even the garden! Changing the layout of a room can be fun and exciting. You’ll be surprised by the amount of space you can open up if you move things around a little bit.
13- Indulge in Some Pampering:
Does your normal day-to-day routine leave you with little to no time to look after yourself? Well then count this isolation as a blessing. This is probably the best time for you to kick back and relax with a cleansing face mask, your feet soaking in a tub, and indulging in a spa day designed just for you. Let’s face it gentlemen, a shave and a shower may work too.
14- Give Yourself a Manicure:
While you’re pampering, giving yourself a manicure or a pedicure can be relaxing and make you feel good about yourself. Your nails probably need some care after being neglected due to busy schedules so giving them attention now can be quite beneficial and result in nails you can be proud of. Even if you’re not going out why not show them to friends online?
15- Sort Out your Paperwork:
Not many of us have neatly packed folders that house our bills, receipts and certificates. This could be the best time to sort through them and organize them however we like. Order some box files or a small filing cabinet online to neatly order all your paperwork. You’ll thank yourself when the time comes that you need to find that insurance policy or birth certificate!
16- Divide the Chores:
Being house bound is not easy for anyone, and with more people spending more time at home, the number of chores increases considerably. Instead of leaving the majority of the work to someone else, why not make a list and divide the chores around the house amongst everyone at home. If everyone contributes, no-one will feel like they are being taken advantage of.
17- Clean your Phone:
We don’t mean dunking your phone in a tub of water and scrubbing it to keep it from contracting Covid-19. We mean, clean your phone from all the unnecessary data it may be hoarding. Get rid of your junk emails, all those forwarded pictures and videos from WhatsApp, and those screenshots from conversations you sent to your friends long ago.
18- Catch Up on Emails:
Not every email can be deleted – some emails actually need replying to. We are all guilty of having way too many emails in our inboxes that are unopened or ignored. With all this extra time on your hands this would be a great time to clean out your inbox and check for any missed emails from old contacts.
19- Video Call your Friends:
While we know we can’t actually meet our friends while in self-isolation we don’t have to forget their faces while doing so. Facetime someone you miss or send a message on Whatsapp for a group call (you didn’t know that was possible? Well it is and now you have the time to figure out how!)
20- Call your Grandparents:
Let’s face it, we always ‘mean’ to call our grandparents but somehow we don’t seem to get around to it often enough. So what better time than this to call our grandparents who don’t live with us? Catch up with them, keep them busy, and look out for them. Everyone will benefit.
I will have more to say about that tomorrow along with an actual project you might like to undertake that includes prompts and questions to ask.
OK, that’s it for today. If you found an idea worth pursuing, get busy and don’t forget to pass it along to those friends and family who are also self isolating.