As most of you know, we are going through a global pandemic right now — the spread of the Coronavirus. For some people, this means they are quarantined to their house from anywhere between 14 to 30 days without much social interaction. Those of us that are not quarantined to our houses are still urged to practice social distancing of 10 people or less. This can be a very stressful time for people, and it does not make it easier when people are stuck at home all day … trust me, I am on day 7 and I myself am going crazy!
How do you get through these next few weeks and stay sane while doing so? Some of us are at work, school, and other activities more that we are at our own house most of the time, but now we are supposed to strictly stay at home. A lot of people are panicking because of the global pandemic, but a lot others are panicking because staying home with our roommates or families for a few weeks seems stressful … some people are panicking for both reasons. I am going to help you come up with a few ways for you and your friends or family to get through this crazy time!
I think the most important thing to do, is to remind yourself of a few key realities. When you start to think “I am stuck at home”, replace that thought with “I get to be SAFE in my home and spend time with my family/friends”. When you start to get paranoid and think “I am going to get sick”, replace it with the mindset of “I will self-isolate and wash my hands, this will significantly decrease my chances of getting sick”. If you find yourself thinking “I will run out of items at home during self-isolation”, reassure yourself with “I have prepared for this and I will use my items wisely – I have everything I need for now”. Replace “everything is shutting down, I am panicking” with “The most important places, such as medical centers, pharmacies, and grocery stores remain open”. Lastly, if you find yourself worrying about all of the uncertainty, remind yourself “I cannot control the situation around me, but I can control my actions: breath work, calling loved ones, getting enough sleep and proper nutrition, prayer, and doing activities I love at home – these action will all help during this time”.
If you are worried about running out of activities to keep you and your family busy during self-isolation, well that’s where I come in! I am going to give you ideas for activities to stay sane while you are safe in your home either by yourself, with family, or with friends. During this time, it is important that you do not set yourself up for failure – such as giving yourself strict daily schedules that you may not be able to stand by. Do not beat yourself up if you sleep in an extra hour, take a midday nap, or don’t get through all your daily chores. Be nice to yourself and others during this insane time, everyone will be thankful for kindness!
Activities for one
- Movie day
- Start a new show on Netflix
- Reread your favorite novel
- Go through old scrapbooks, photo albums, and yearbooks
- Daily journal entry – you can find a list of random topics here
- Go through and get rid of clothes that you don’t wear anymore
- Try new recipes from a cookbook you’ve been wanting to make
- Daily play dates with your dog … treasure this time!
- Write letters to loved ones that live far away
- Enjoy a home spa day
- At home workouts
- Yoga
- Spring cleaning – here is one of my previous blogs to help you get started!
Activities for two or more
- Movie marathon
- Start a new series together on Netflix
- Board game day
- Plant flowers in the yard
- Have a baking competition
- Card night
- Go through old pictures together and point out your favorite ones that tell stories
- Come up with a play and post a video on social media for your friends to enjoy
- Have a painting contest and post pictures for your friends to vote for the best painting
- Group Spring cleaning – get the job done faster together!
Activities for the kiddos
- Craft day – find some creative kids crafts here
- Teach them the basics of cooking their favorite meals
- Have a karaoke contest
- Have them write a play and then act it out with them
- Play Bingo
- Teach them a new board game
- Read their favorite book with them
- Show them your favorite childhood cartoons
- Go through their rooms with them and have them make a charity pile
- Reorganize rooms
- Create cards for senior citizens for when self-isolation is over
- Play “store” where kids earn Monopoly money to buy extra snacks and treats for the day (see picture below)
As you can see, there are a lot of activities that you can participate in while being in self-isolation in your home. Do not think of this as a negative time, think of this as a time to either spend with your loved ones or to get that self-care time you are always longing for. I know that being alone is quite dreadful for a lot of extroverts – if this is you, try to think of only positive things. Don’t forget, phones still work … so do not forget to use it to call friends and loved ones that you are not isolated with.
If you have any other ideas to stay busy while in self-isolation, please comment below – I would love to hear some other activities that I did not think to mention!
Talk to you later!
Samantha
Endless Events & Heartfelt Holidays 