Well, it looks like most of us will be spending a lot of time at home over the next few weeks/months and I think it’s important to stay positive and come up with some great activities that not only cure boredom, but also help your mind and body stay healthy!
It’s easy to get stuck staring at your phone for coronavirus updates or watching the news for the entire day, but that isn’t really doing anyone any good. I think it can also cause you to worry more than you need to.
I think we can find the positive in this situation and realize it gives us more time to spend with our family, friends and maybe neighbors. It also allows us time to help those around us and to come up with creative ways to keep ourselves occupied with productive activities.
Here is a list of things I have come up with to help myself, and my family – and that will also hopefully give you some inspiration.
- Read. I love to read and I have a list of books I want to get through this year, but sometimes I find it hard to find time to read because I know there are other things I could be doing, but with a lot of time on our hands, it’s a great time to curl up on the couch or in your favorite chair and dig into a great book. I use an app called Libby and I love it! It’s tied to my library (with my library card) and it’s also tied to my Kindle account so I can search for ebooks, put them on hold and then when they come available easily move them over to my Kindle app – all through Libby. It’s great for times like this when you don’t want to go to the library or your library is closed (like ours is right now).
- Go for a walk. Getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine is proven to help us stay well (and helps cure sickness). This article talks about what was learned from the 1918 influenza pandemic in regards to fresh air and sunshine – but not only can fresh air and sunshine help you heal faster they can also help you stay healthy and improve your immune system. Getting outside and walking is also great exercise and is good for your mind! If I’m feeling a little stressed or anxious and good walk outdoors brings me a lot of peace. You can also take time to stop and notice God’s creations especially with all of the flowers that are blooming right now.
- Organize. You know there some areas of your house that you have been meaning to organize, now is the time! I love organizing, but I know that’s not true for everyone so maybe start with small chunks like the junk drawer or your sock drawer and move on from there. Sometimes once you get started and you see the results its motivation to keep going! You could also have your kids help you with their rooms as well. It’s a great teaching opportunity to teach kids how to organize and how to let go of things.
- Cook or Bake. I love to cook and bake but I don’t always have time to do more elaborate or time consuming recipes, but now is the time. Last night I made this homemade bread in my dutch oven. Or use this time to bake with your kids or teach your teenager a new dish to cook. These are invaluable skills for your kids to have as they get older and we don’t always have time to slowly (and calmly) teach them – so now is the time! 🙂 You could also bring some extra baked goods to family, friends or neighbors.
- Play games. We love playing card games over the holidays with family, but we don’t do it enough through the year. Card games and board games are a great way to use your mind, have some fun with your family and friends and pass the time. You could even have some card game tournaments if you have enough people.
- Work on a puzzle. After Christmas we went on a vacation to Colorado and stayed in a cozy little condo and one of the activities we did during that time was a puzzle. Not only was it missing one piece, but the picture on the front of the box didn’t completely match the actual puzzle pieces – so it was even more of a challenge. But we had a good time working on it together. It’s a fun way to pass the time and work as a team.
- Help a neighbor. Reaching out to the community around you and asking if anyone needs anything is a great way to serve others. Maybe your elderly neighbor is not comfortable going to the grocery store right now – so you could offer to go for them. Or you could bake or cook something for them. You could also ask if they need any errands run. In times like this we need to think of others and how we can all help each other through this.
- Write out goals. Writing out goals for the future, for a few months or even for this week is a great way to make things happen. Use this time to brainstorm and be creative. If you might need some extra money, come up with ways you can make some extra money and develop goals and an action plan. If you have other goals you want to work on this year, like lose weight, read 20 books, organize your whole house – take time to write out an action plan.
- Write letters. One thing we have stopped doing as often these days is sending handwritten letters. It could be a great activity and would make someone’s day to receive a letter from you (or your family or kids). If you have some unused birthday cards at home start filling them out and get them ready to mail to friends and family with birthdays coming up. Or send grandma and grandpa some sweet notes telling them why you love them and include drawings or artwork from your kids. You could also write little love notes for your spouse or kids and leave them around the house for them to find over the next few weeks. Or write your friend that moved away or your sibling that lives in another state. Writing down and sharing some positive things about someone you love is a great way to brighten their day and it will be remembered for a very long time, I promise!
- Rest Our sermon on Sunday was all about resting and taking a sabbath. Life these days can keep us very busy and we go from task to task and the days can run together. We stay up late to finish what we think needs to be finished and we get up early to continue the cycle. It’s so important to take time to rest, even God rested on the 7th day. Use this time to get some much needed rest – it also helps your immune system fight off illness.
There are many other activities that you can do during this time, but hopefully this list has given you some inspiration and ideas. I think it’s easiest to just stare at our phones or log into Netflix, but using this time creatively will go a long way for your health and wellness – physically and mentally! I hope you find many ways to create more peace in your days at home. 🙂
Margaret says
Great post. Thanks!