At this point, I’m sure that you’ve seen the viral, “bored in the house and I’m in the house bored” TikTok videos that have been circulating.
While I’m a big fan of social media and try to maintain an active presence across most social platforms, I haven’t gone all in on TikTok just yet (but if we wind up in full quarantine mode again, all bets are off).
In all seriousness, even though we know that it’s important to stay active on social channels, especially to support our family members, friends, and colleagues, it can be easy to fall down social media rabbit holes and waste time that could be put towards personal productivity.
So, in an effort to inspire you with a few different ideas for how you can spend more quality time at home, here are 6 ways that I’ve been avoiding being “bored in the house” that you can also adopt:
1.) Engaging in Online Learning
Maybe it’s because I’ve been spending an unusual amount of time at home, or it could be attributed to effective advertising, but I’ve been engaging in online learning more recently.
With in-person social activity remaining slower than usual, try adding some additional experience under your belt as this summer unfolds. A few outlets that have some really great online courses include LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Coursera.
If you’re looking for one in particular that will not only help you with personal development, but will also help you combat Covid-19 related stress and sadness, check out Yale’s class that’s offered on Coursera called, “The Science of Well-Being.” It covers misconceptions about happiness, overcoming biases, rewiring your thought process, and more.
2.) Perfecting My Cooking Skill Set
It’s no secret that I love food—it’s why I started First Down Feasts.
However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, I haven’t been able to dine out or meet up in-person with fellow foodies to conduct these conversations as I normally do.
Since I’ve been spending quite a lot of time in my apartment lately, I’ve been perfecting my cooking skills (and who knows: by the time we’re allowed to roam outside of the house more freely, some of my dishes might just rival Gordon Ramsay’s).
If you’re searching for a place where you can find a plethora of dishes to try cooking or baking, one great resource is BuzzFeed’s Tasty videos and recipes (they even have a mobile app where you can save your favorite dishes).
One dish that I’d like to try making is this Spicy Asian Peanut Butter Noodles dish showcased on Barstool.
3.) Reading and Reflecting
Although I’ve been limiting my news intake, I have been focused on reading articles on Apple News and Medium in order to stay informed as well as entertained.
However, sometimes I press pause on my content consumption and instead, try to focus on clearing my mind through meditation techniques.
A resource that I find particularly effective when it comes to meditation is an app called Headspace, which offers guided meditation and mindfulness practices. And the best part? Their Basics pack is free.
4.) FaceTiming Family and Friends
Now more than ever, it’s important to make sure that you carve some time in your day-to-day to connect with your family and friends, especially since you might not fully know how the pandemic has affected their lives.
Zoom fatigue is a thing. Which is why I also make sure that I spend plenty of time on point #5…
5.) Playing with My Puppy
We’ve been taking walks while maintaining a safe social distance. And yes, I’ve been wearing a mask of course, per protocol.
[[dog picture]]
Don’t have a pet in the house with you? Try checking out the San Diego Zoo’s animal live cams.
6.) Vegging Out and Taking Time to Think
As much as I’ve been attempting to keep myself engaged in different activities while quarantining, I’ve also been taking advantage of this time by chilling, vegging out, and trying to reconnect with myself.
It’s more than okay to spend time relaxing and binging different series on Netflix. Plus, literally Netflix-ing and chilling is a perfect distraction to the global situation at hand. Personally, I’ve been binge watching 90s cartoons and cooking shows.
It’s safe to say that the cartoons have definitely brought me back in time and helped me to reflect on different stages of my life thus far—which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Spending Time Wisely This Summer
The likelihood that we will get this downtime again is slim, so one way to take advantage of it is by reflecting and focusing on personal development.
In addition to maintaining contact with those whom you love in order to remind them that you care and at the very least, stay sane while in quarantine, it’s okay to stop and smell the roses and really think about attempting activities or passion projects that you may have put off beforehand.
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