“You must stay at home,” Boris Johnson told the nation on Monday evening.
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, the British government has accelerated measures to help contain the spread of the virus.
This means that we must all stay indoors as much as possible. Whist many will rejoice at the thought of watching Netflix shows back-to-back, others will struggle and become restless.
I’ve been social distancing for almost two weeks, and though I fell into the Netflix binge-watching category at first, it became clear after a few days that I was getting very, very bored.
So I spent some time jotting down some really simple activities that I can take part in to pass the time indoors.
I’ve decided to share the list I came up with to help you overcome the boredom.
Reading
I’ve accumulated a large list of books that I’ve been meaning to read “when I get the chance”. This list goes years back, right to the start of my time at university when I promised myself that once graduated I’d find the time to read all the books I wanted to read that weren’t part of my degree. Well, naturally, I graduated and still didn’t start unpicking the list of books. But now that I’m indoors, it’s time to finally sit back and start reading.
Gardening
If you’re lucky to have a garden right now, make the most of it whilst social distancing. You can exercise, read and have a hot drink out there, or even just spend a few moments outdoors each day for fresh air.
Spring cleaning
When the weather does go back to its usual gloomy self and you can no longer enjoy your garden as much, it might be a good time to deep clean your home. Not only will you create a hygienic environment during a pandemic, but you can also put away the winter items you no longer need and prepare your home for a (hopefully) warmer climate. Now might also be a good time to declutter your living space and donate items to charity or sell them online.
Exercising
Whilst social distancing, we are still allowed to leave the house for one form of exercise a day, like running, walking or cycling. But if this isn’t enough for you, it’s not impossible to keep active at home. There are many, many free home workouts on YouTube that require little to no exercise equipment. You might have a few dumbbells lying around, which will make your home workouts even more intense.
Personally, I’ve been doing half an hour of yoga each day to keep myself moving and stretching.
Cooking
If you’re able to find the ingredients you need, now is a great time to get creative. I’ve always wanted to try making pasta from scratch, so I made my own fresh pasta last week and it didn’t turn out too bad! Plus, now’s a good time to learn how to make pasta given it’s so difficult to get your hands on a pack. You might want to try baking something fun to lighten the mood in your house, or just cooking healthier and more balanced meals; whatever it is, cooking is a great way to pass the time.
This all might seem really obvious, but it’s so easy to just sit on the sofa and not do anything other than scroll endlessly on social media. These are just a few activities; you can also listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, play board games, write, paint…
Scheduling time in your day to take part in these simple activities will really help pass the time whilst social distancing, and it will also help your emotional wellbeing during a time when so much emphasis is being placed on our physical health.
Remember, whatever you decide to do, stay indoors. Don’t be selfish. We are simply being asked to stay indoors.