Things to do during Quarantine

Author: Sushmita Singh

It appears to be that most of us will have to spend more time at home in the coming weeks as many of us are now entering the second or third week of restrictions on our movements. It is becoming ever clearer that overcoming this crisis will take some more time. We always long for a weekend getaway, wish that the holiday season could stay a little longer but now when that is actually happening, where every-day is like Sunday, just that you cannot go outside. As much of the world adjusts to a new normal of restricted living, this question often arises in our mind, what on earth will you do with yourself? What’s there to do while stuck indoors?

Beat the quarantine blues: We’ve compiled some suggestions to help make your quarantined time interesting and even more productive.
Self-discovery and growth:

• Start a journal or blog: Sure, it can be about the coronavirus, but it could also be about a specific interest from chess to cheese.
• Make your own music: If it won’t bother people around you, dust off that old instrument and practice.
• Write poetry: Perhaps you can write something without a specific structure. Just try it!
• Practice Gratitude: Make a list of things for which you are grateful, you can write thank-you notes to service people who support you, went out of their way for you.
• Take time to reflect: What have you accomplished in the last year? What goals are you setting for yourself in the next year?
• Connect with nature: Don’t have enough people around to talk to? Talk to your plants. How are they doing? Make sure they are getting the amount of sunlight they should be. Check their soil. Water if necessary.

Learn new skills:

• Download an app and you can learn a foreign language.
• Utilise this time to upgrade or develop further your professional skills by taking up online courses or reading resource material.
• Cooking : Try hands on that new recipe you always wanted to make, but never had the time to experiment. Some can also sharpen their skills and learn to cook their own food (beyond tea and coffee or boiling eggs).
• Household chores: Finally get around to fixing that broken door knob and loose tile or cleaning scuffed up walls.

Self-care and discipline:

• Work out at home: Time to start working on your new year resolution to get fit. Stay home, Stay safe and Stay in shape by including some form of exercise in you daily schedule. You can try out at-home aerobics or yoga, there are plenty of videos available online for beginners or you can consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists.
• Make a routine: This will help you deal with anxiety of any sort and build a sense of control. Don’t forget to sleep and rest well.
• Meditate: Try sitting down with your eyes closed, palms up and focusing on your breath for 10-15 minutes.
• Practice relaxation: Take deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Time to indulge in some self-care: Treat yourself to a skin care routine you don’t have time for during a normal work week.
• Work on your financial planning, such as exploring whether to refinance your loan or ways to save more money.

Leisure-time:

• Watch all the pending movies, web series and shows you didn’t have the time to see until now.
• Play games: UNO, antakshari, video games, board games or you can download apps and connect online with friends to join them.
• Read books that you’ve intended to but just didn’t have time. Too bored to read? Listen to audio books.
• Catch-up with your friends and family: Reach out and re-connect virtually using video call apps like Zoom or FaceTime.

The country is experiencing lockdown, as concerts are postponed, sporting events are cancelled, schools are closed and tourist hot spots are also shut down, we understand it must be difficult to explain it to the kids, manage temper tantrums and stir craziness while keeping them away from getting bored all day at home. Below are some activities you can use to engage them.

Indoor activities for kids:

• Camp indoors with all blankets, popcorn and movies of your choice.
• Write a story book with your family. Pick a character and each member writes a chapter about their adventures. Read aloud to each other.
• Colouring is not just for the kids, its has been proved to be a stress reliever, so pickup those crayons and join your kids in colouring their rainbow of creativity.
• You can get into comics with digital subscriptions on your tablet, like Marvel Unlimited.
• Indoor games can be fun too! Bring out the Legos, build your house inside of your actual house. You can try indoor scavenger hunt too. Solve puzzles, scrabbles, play charades – write down phrases or words to act out on pieces of cut-up paper, then take turns pulling a single paper out of a container and have fun acting out the description, etc.

Get your children moving:

• Create an obstacle course : Use items around your house (pillows, pool noodles, baskets, etc) to create a fun obstacle course.
• Play a flashcard hide and seek: For younger children, hide flashcards of letters and numbers around the house. Have your child find the cards and tell you the letter or number they found. For older children, hide word or math fact flashcards and have them tell you the answer when they find them.
• Play follow the leader: Have your family take turns being the leader. The leader gets in front of the line with everyone else behind them mimicking the leader’s actions. Get creative with your movements! Wiggle your arms while walking, march, bunny hop, etc.
• Play the floor is lava: Decide which furniture is ok to jump on and considered safe. Set a timer and the first-person yells, “The floor is lava.” All other players must get to the “safe” spot before the time runs out.
• Go on an animal safari: Draw or print different animal shapes and have your child colour them in. Hide them around the house for your child to find.

We have also compiled a list of helpful resources, click here to access it.
We hope the above suggestions help you deal with your quarantine time effectively, keeping you engaged and ecstatic. Stay home and Stay safe.