Millions of people across the country are practicing social distancing. Now, if you are one of the people that can’t because of work, I understand. Let me pause and say a HUGE thank you to all of the people that are on the front lines fighting this thing to keep people safe and the world moving forward. If you can practice social distancing, and you should be if you’re able), then at this point you’re most likely looking for things you can do while social distancing.
Social distancing isn’t house arrest
You don’t have to resort to survival mode and sit inside in front of the TV all day. Of course, you could certainly do that if you wanted! I’d love to do that for a day or two, to be honest. I have little kids, though, so that’s not really an option for me. Currently, we’re about a week into the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’ve been working on finding a balance between relaxing and getting shit done.
So far, in the last 6 days, I’ve allowed myself to sleep a little later than I normally would, I caught up with a friend that I haven’t spoken to in months, my kids and I made cookies, and I fixed a button on a dress that had fallen off almost 2 months ago. I’ve had groceries delivered to my in-laws, spoke with my grandpa, and Face-timed with my family. We’ve also taken the dogs for walks around the neighborhood, washed the cars, and my husband was able to clean out the garage!
Things you can do while social distancing
Since it seems like social distancing is something that we’re going to be practicing for a while, I thought I’d put a list together to help give you some ideas of things you can do during your time at home. I’ve included things you can do for yourself, projects you can tackle around the house, and activities you can do if you have children. Here are 35 things you can do while social distancing.
For yourself:
- Relax – take a nap, do nothing, let your body re-charge
- Journal – get all of your thoughts out of your head and onto paper
- Mental health check – make sure you’re not living in a negative mindset. The situation is overwhelming, but there are always positive thing you can take away, even from negative situations.
- Read – re-read a favorite, or check out a new release
- Podcasts – listen to podcasts or audio books
- Netflix – start making your way through your watch list
- Catch up on your recorded TV – clear out that DVR
- Meditate – sit quietly and re-focus
- Exercise – get your body moving and release any anxiety
- Learn a new skill – watch videos on YouTube or take a Skillshare class
- Home spa day – mani/pedi, facemask, body scrub
- Text thread with friends – share funny memes or videos
- Call someone you haven’t in a while – catch up with old friends
- Back up your phone/photos – create back-ups and free up space
- Get important paperwork organized – organize that filing cabinet
- Get your taxes ready – collect all paperwork & info you’ll need
- Create an online family photo album – great way to create a physical item to showcase your family’s memories
- Fresh air – open the windows, get outside, soak up the sun
For your home:
- Start your spring cleaning – use this time to deep clean your space
- Windows/treatments – start with only 1-2 windows/day
- Under kitchen/bathroom sink – get rid of products you aren’t using
- Small projects – patch a hole on your wall, sew a button on a shirt, etc
- Collect items for donation – go through your house, clothes, kids things
- List items to sell online – anything in great condition you’d like to sell
- Clean out your fridge/pantry – great way to see what you actually have
- Organize the junk drawer – clean out that dreaded kitchen drawer
For the kids:
- Build a fort – use blankets, sheets, & towels to create a killer fort
- Movie night – family movie night complete with candy and popcorn
- Board games – great family activity
- Card games – teach your kids “go fish” or Rummy
- Bake – make a mess and have fun
- Bike ride – get outside and get some exercise and fresh air
- Create a chore chart – perfect opportunity to make a chore chart and prep/teach your kids of their new responsibilities
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
- Create artwork – send finished products to family & friends
These are scary times that we’re living in. But while we’re home, it’s important for us to not only stay safe, but stay sane. Being cooped up inside day after day can start to wear on you, especially if you have kids at home to entertain. There is so much that is unknown, and everywhere you turn is offering another piece of information that seems to only add to your anxiety.
In times like these, it is important to remember that there are a lot of things out of your control. So what do you do in those situations? You focus on what you can control. You focus on maintaining a positive attitude, you limit the things you absorb from the news and social media, and you find things to do at home to help with all of that.
In these next few weeks, please do what you can to take care of yourself and others. We’re all going through this together, and the more we can do to help, the quicker we can get through this.
