If you’re anything like me, you would drive yourself crazy if you didn’t make a list of all the things you wanted to accomplish during the social distancing/stay at home period we’re in right now. It’s definitely been a unique time, but I’ve tried to make the most of my time by ensuring I stay busy. Here are 20 things I’ve been doing to feel productive + pass time:
1: Deep Clean
A deep clean of the house is pretty necessary right now, given all the germs going around. Dust, wipe everything down, sweep/mop the floors, clean/organize every cupboard, etc. This can also mean deep cleaning your inbox or photos on your phone.
2: Do A House Sweep
Do a “house sweep” by going around the house and writing a list of all the things you want to fix/update. For example, the clock in my bathroom has been out of batteries since like October. It takes all of 30 seconds to change the battery and adjust the time, but for whatever reason, I just haven’t done it. I also have chords that have been showing around my TV in my bedroom for SO long. Make a list and tackle it all at once or 1 each day.
3: Clean Out Closet/Dresser
Summer will be here by the time we know it. I’ve started organizing my closet/dresser and going through my “seasonal” clothes + getting rid of things I don’t want anymore. We don’t have much storage space, so I’ve resorted to “storing” them all in my car until I’m able to donate. It feels good to finally have some additional space, especially considering I’ve been online shopping SO much in anticipation of being able to wear cute clothes again.
4: Host a Virtual Happy Hour
Virtual happy hour is very much a thing now. You can use platforms like Zoom or Google Hangouts (super easy if you have a Gmail account) to create a meeting and send out to your friends.
5: Game Night
This can be with anyone you’re at home with or virtual (maybe mix it into the virtual happy hour!). My favorites are Jeopardy + Monopoly.
6: Binge Watch New Shows
There are a few series that have released new seasons recently, but there are also so many good shows out there to binge in general. My favorite recents are: Money Heist, Ozark, Tiger King (of course),
7: Re-Watch Old Favorites
We’ve started re-watching our old favorite 30 minute (or less) shows like Friends (I own all the episodes, unfortunately no where to stream…YET) and The Office (Netflix). When it’s “my-time” I thrown on old Real Housewives (Hulu) and Sex and the City (HBO Go).
8: Read a Book
So many good books to read while we have to stay at home. Some of my favorites are:
- Jackie, Janet, and Lee
- The Happiness Project
- Open Book
- The Gift of Forgiveness
- You Are A Badass
- Anything/Everything by James Patterson
9: Meditate
Especially with the all the tensity going on right now, it can be helpful to take time out of your day to be still. I’ve also started doing breathing exercises where I sit on the floor, close my eyes, and take 30 deep breaths.
10: Work Out
Luckily, so many studios are doing live streams so I’ve started working out remotely now. Since the “commute” to/from studios is also non-existent, you can totally justify working out. Working out has been a really good distraction for me while I’ve had to stay at home. Especially since I feel like I’m eating nonstop LOL.
11: Cook
One of my 2020 resolutions was to learn how to cook more. Right now is the perfect time to test out new recipes.
12: Make a Cookbook
I started an electronic cookbook on a Gmail Google Doc with all my favorite recipes. It includes everything I’ve made, family recipes, and recipes I want to try. Tip: If you use the Outline Feature, you can keep things more organized. I’ve made a list of all the recipes on the first few pages, and then I’ll hyperlink them to the recipe headings that I add below. That way, you can jump directly to the full recipe by clicking on the recipe on the list page.
13: Spa Night
There’s nothing more relaxing than some stay at home self-care. I love pouring a glass of wine and getting out my facial steamer followed by a face mask. These foot masks are also amazing (and necessary rn).
14: Journal
I used to write in my “diary” growing up, but for whatever reason I got over it. I’ve started keeping a digital diary. As much as I loved the idea of writing things down for me to read later, it was hard for me to physically write everyday. I decided a digital journal was better than nothing at all. This year is going to be a really interesting year to look back on/read your thoughts.
15: Give Back
There are so many places to donate money right now + help out from a distance. Giving back also doesn’t have to just be to a charity. It could also mean leaving an abnormally large tip to the person delivering your meal or ordering dinner for someone who is still working and can’t stay at home.
16: Budget
This isn’t the most fun, but it’s good to sit down and think through finances for the rest of the year (by month). Start with a list of your recurring monthly expenses. Then figure out how much money you have left over for “fun” spending + savings. For “fun” spending, I like to set a realistic amount so this means I over-budget to avoid feeling deprived/spending more money on my credit card. Then I divide my savings amount into 2: 1 for long term and 1 for short term/unexpected expenses.
17: Put Together a Photo Album From Old Trips and/or Events
It’s great that we have all our photos on our phones/computers now, but I miss having a physical photo album to look at. One of my goals this year is to: 1) Put all the photos/movies from each trip into individual iPhone albums. 2) Pick the top photos from the album. 3) Create photo albums on a site like Shutterfly.
18: Make an iMovie
Just like all my trip photos, I have SO many videos. I’ve started compiling all the videos from each trip and making videos on iMovie (super user friendly). You could also make a video from events or compile a movie with all the videos you have of your friends and add some music to it.
19: Plan a Trip
I definitely miss traveling right now. There are a few trips we wanted to take in the near future, so I’ve been mapping out the ideal trips for each location + doing research. Even though we can’t anticipate exact dates, we’re still able to map things out by at least having an estimate of the amount of time we’ll be there. It’s really making me look forward to our first trip after all of this!
20: Make a Bucket List
If you’re anything like me, you’re just dreaming of all the things you want to do when we’re able to venture outside the house again. This has made me think of all the things I want to accomplish in this lifetime, so I’ve started putting together my Bucket List. Somethings on my list are:
- Fly first class (can’t believe I haven’t done this yet!)
- Create a family tree
- Take a photography class
- And an endless list of places I want to travel/events I want to attend while I’m there!
What at-home activities have been keeping you busy?
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