Things to Do While Quarantined!
For must of us it’s been at least a month and you may be running out of tv shows to watch. The novelty of sleeping late is wearing off. Maybe you are out of books to read, too. Now what?
Here’s a list of quarantine activities for you to do:
Write Thank You Letters! Did you know the act of writing a thank you letter and sending it not only increases the receivers’ happiness but it also increases your happiness. Is there someone who helped you with your career, always provided a listening ear, dropped off cookies … no matter what the reason big or small let’s thank these important people in our lives.
Delete emails. This is one of those tasks that you just never get around to and it’s tedious. But now is the time to clean out the inbox. I can tell you from experience it feels good to see that email inbox shrink. Do your self the favor of unsubscribing from sites you don’t buy from anymore. I also believe there is a small degree of stress that comes from that overwhelming number of emails - getting rid of them is comforting.
Go through your pictures. Similar to the emails - we take lots of pictures but how often do we go back and delete the ‘b roll’. Free up some memory on your computer or phone by deleting those pictures that did not make the cut.
Exercise every day. Walk and get out there and get your vitamin D. Take advantage of online videos and streaming workouts. There are plenty of FREE options so you don’t need to be spending money right now if that’s an issue for you. Movement improves our moods and also helps with anxiety, sleep and how we feel about ourselves.
Take a break from social media. Studies show it really does negatively impact our well-being and happiness. If you are struggling right now - turn off that negative impact. Seeing others thriving unfortunately can make us feel less then.
Go through your pantry and find 3 ingredients - google them and find a recipe you can make with those three ingredients as the base. Get creative! The other day I had fire roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and chicken - and I made a delicious Tuscan Skillet Chicken recipe with them!
Read - if you haven’t been reading now is your chance. I had a stack of books I just didn’t have time for and I am enjoying making my way though that stack.
Purge that closet. Marie Kondo it if you like or take your own approach to going through and making a Donate pile of clothes that don’t fit, you don’t like, or won’t wear. We all have items we don’t really need and someone else could benefit.
Pressure wash and clean your outside environment. Again this is one of those items I wouldn’t want to waste my precious free time on usually but with ample time - there is no excuse not get your patio, garden or porch looking adorable. Planting flowers and herbs while brighten your environment and lift your mood, too!
Touch up paint. If you have some paint left over - go around your house and touch up all those marks and dings on the walls. Instantly your home will look fresher and cleaner!
Re-organize. Do your kitchen cabinets look like a disaster? Is your hall closet about to spill out. Get yourself organized. Tackle one space at a time. Often times you’ll find items you no longer need. Google closet organization or look on Pinterest for some creative ideas of how to store your sports equipment or kitchen appliances. Instead of opening cabinets with dread - you will be smiling when you see your newly organized space!
Learn something new! Try an online course, do some continuing education, learn calligraphy. Find something that interest you and take on a new skill. I am learning new Pilates skills, taking a class on Happiness, and I’m about to start working on calligraphy and lettering! It’s fun and challenging to learn something new!
iron! I don’t enjoy ironing and sometimes the need to iron means I choose another item to wear! But now is a great time to get everything ironed and ready to go. When it’s time for date night, back to work, or social events I will have freshly pressed clothes to wear!
I encourage you to keep looking for ways to use your time! Put things on your calendar. Hold yourself accountable. If you read my blog two weeks ago - you’ll know I encouraged making a nightly list of what to do the next day. This has really helped me on those days when I didn’t have anything I ‘had’ to do. I feel better at night seeing what I have accomplished and seeing my home environment improve. Keep Shining People!