7 Ways To Keep Busy During Quarantine

Right now, we are all in a nationwide quarantine, and self-isolation can take a toll on your mental health. Keeping busy during quarantine is extremely important for your mental and physical health. There are a million ways you can spend your time but here are my recommendations!

1. One Word: Netflix

If anything is going to keep you busy during quarantine, it’s Netflix. Netflix released 371 television series and movies in just 2019 alone, so there is no way you’re going to run out of content anytime soon. From comedy to thriller you’ll find just about everything you need. So grab some popcorn, coffee, tea, candy (or maybe an actual meal), and head on over to the couch to binge some new shows. And if you don’t know what to watch, check out our article ‘Binge-Worthy Shows You Need To Watch Right Now’ and I promise you, you won’t even notice the time passing you by. Also, Netflix launched the new program ‘Netflix party’ that lets you watch simultaneously with your friends, even pausing at the same time! So now, even though you’re in self-isolation, you don’t have to watch Netflix alone!

2. Paint!

Painting can be extremely therapeutic and is a good way to keep busy during the quarantine. Painting is something that can take hours or minutes, depending on the effort you want to put into it. There’s no better time to start painting than when we are in quarantine because you can lose yourself in the process and detail of it all. Just google an image of what you want to paint or go on Pinterest for inspiration and you’re golden. Painting can be a good outlet for whatever you’re feeling, and as an outlet for your creativity. There’s no such thing as a bad painting – it’s just ~abstract~. Bonus: you can gift your paintings to your friends that are spending their birthdays in quarantine!

3. Read A Book

There are millions upon millions of books in the world. If you don’t want to watch television and still want to get immersed in a different world, here’s your escape. You might be in quarantine, but you can fall into a completely different world when reading a book. Most of the time, we don’t get time to read, we’re busy working or doing schoolwork it’s hard to find a time to relax and pick up a book, but here’s your chance! At this point, excuses are just that – excuses. Draw yourself a bath or pour yourself a nice cup of tea and pick up a good book. My past read: Fool by Christopher Moore. Absolutely hilarious.

4. Exercise

This is probably the most important thing you could do right now. Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of your body physically. Not being allowed outside is not an excuse to slack off and eat junk food, which is detrimental to your physical and mental health. And if you’re not a fan of working out, go on walks! Listen to your favorite music or podcast and take a stroll around your neighborhood. Make sure you’re getting some activity in, you only need 30 minutes of activity per day at the minimum. There’s a ton of workout apps that can help you work out from home, many of which are offering a 90-day free trial due to the coronavirus quarantine. It might feel silly following workout tapes and videos, but who cares? You’re at home! No one is going to see you! Furthermore, exercise is very important for your mental health, and during times like this, all of us are struggling. The release of endorphins increases positivity for hours after you worked out.

5. FaceTime Your Friends!

You miss them, they miss you, call them! Human interaction is important, and we are all lacking it right now. Not only that, but it’s hard for people to be spending this much time alone with little interaction with others, this is a good opportunity to check in on your friends. So have a FaceTime date! (Or a Zoom date!) This is a good way to pass the time during quarantine and still keep up to date with your friends. Play online games, take a pop culture quiz, drink, or just talk, you’ll always learn more. Trust me, they want to hear from you too.

6. Learn to Cook or Bake

Look, you need to eat, so what better way to spend your time by learning how to cook or bake? There’s no better time to become a cooking connoisseur than during quarantine. Now, you can spend your time cooking and baking, then eating! Fancy meals always feel like they take forever to make, but right now, you have all the time in the world. Check out Pinterest for some new, fun recipes. You can make extravagant meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even snacks! And don’t forget about dessert, baked goods, homemade ice cream, chocolate-covered fruit, I’m getting hungry just writing this…

7. Find A New Hobby

This one is on you. You have free time now, use it! What have you always wanted to try but never given a chance? Even hobbies that feel like they take a long time, are a good way to keep you occupied right now. Give a chance to drawing, sewing, writing, gardening, or gardening. Or take this opportunity to learn something new, pick up an instrument, or learn a new language. This is a great way to spend your time during quarantine while simultaneously being productive.

It’s important to keep busy during quarantine, it’s good for both your mental and physical health to keep busy. These are just some ways to pass your time, but there are an infinite amount of options. Take this time in quarantine to re-set and re-charge. This is your time! So, make of it what you will.