10 Ways to Stay Occupied While You’re at Home
With the nationwide quarantine locking everyone up in their houses it can be hard to stay occupied. Many people are struggling to keep themselves busy. So in this article we’ll discuss 10 ways you can keep yourself occupied while you’re at home.
Schedule
Schedules are important to getting work done productivity. One thing I like to do in order to keep myself focused on goals is having a set schedule for the day. Everynight I like to take some time to think about what I have to do tomorrow, and I make a checklist. From this checklist I block out my schedule for the next morning. An example of a checklist I’ll write out in my notes looks something like this.
Homework (For all classes)
Assignment A
Assignment B
Assignment C
Internship Article
Write article A
Find Pictures for article’s B and C
Dinner with parents
Clean dishes in sink
Research for Article C
I take all this information the next day and block it out throughout my day. The schedule I make helps me stay on task and prioritizes things that need to get done.
Find something you enjoy doing that Builds a skill
One advantage of being locked inside and not being able to go out is you have more free time to pursue your other interests. For me it’s writing, but it could be anything. If you’re struggling to find a skill that interests you and challenges you here’s a list of suggestions.
Learn to play and instrument
Learn to edit on a computer
Drawing or painting
Read a book
Etc.
The point is you want to engage your mind with something that will challenge yourself. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day. I find that this is a part of my day I look forward to.
Go outside
Obviously this doesn’t mean go out and be by other people, but it doesn’t limit you from going on a run or a walk. Even just sitting on your front porch and soaking up sun is super healthy. I find that if I do something outside it clears my head and I feel better after I do it.
Call Your Family and Friends
This is for the extroverts but is really healthy for anyone. We’re all cooped up inside and have limited contact with other human beings. It’s good to talk to someone that isn’t living with you that you see everyday, or maybe you live alone in which case calling someone will allow you to not go insane.
Consume content you enjoy watching
Luckily we live in an age where entertainment is all around us. If you have an internet connection you can be occupied all day. And because you’re reading this article I’m guessing you have a connection to the internet. Use it, find things that you enjoy and watch those things. If you’re struggling to find things to watch, I have a plethora of other articles you can read about good movies, shows, and playlists that will entertain you for days.
Do something active
This one I struggle with just as much as anyone. Trying to be active without a gym, or not being able to meet up with people to play sports has been killer. But being active doesn’t mean you have to get in a workout. Go for a walk, do some pushups, maybe work in some core. Not many people are going to have their beach bods this summer but as long as you keep your body moving a little bit you should be fine.
Cook Something
What if I don’t know how to cook? Great, then you can learn a new skill. Watch a Youtube tutorial on something you want to make and cook it. There can be a lot of joy in cooking, and for once you have time to do it, so why not try?
Play a game
Bored games, video games doesn’t matter. Games are fun and meant to engage your mind. I’ve personally been gaming more than I ever have in college and it’s fun. Plus if you’re online you can play with your friends which is the next best thing to hanging out in person.
Start a project
Starting a new project can be daunting. The hardest part of doing anything big though is starting. The project could be anything. Cleaning out your garage, starting to write a book, etc. the possibilities are endless and there’s no better time than now to do something big you’ve been putting off for awhile. Plus the satisfaction of finishing a big project is such a good feeling.
Take time to meditate and decompress
I don’t know about you guys, but even though I feel like my workload has decreased recently my stress levels have been going up. Nothing like a pandemic to really put my anxiety on edge. I’m constantly nervous and so many things feel out of my control. I think it can be good to take some time in the day and just really do nothing but clear your mind. I usually do this before I go to sleep. I don’t look at my phone, I try to find a quiet dark place to just breathe. It kind of seems crazy, but it’s helped me a lot. It brings a sense of calming to myself that allows me to relax and fall asleep easier.
Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of lists that really focus on productivity and staying focused with your work. I think it’s important to remember that we’re in a worldwide state of emergency and not being okay is okay. Taking care of yourself is the number one priority right now. Don’t get mad at yourself because things aren’t working out the way you planned. At this point, everything is off script and the only thing we can do is learn to live are lives in this new reality. It’s important to remember that things will get better at some point. It’s not going to be like this forever.
Did I miss anything? What are you guys doing to keep yourself occupied? Let me know down in the comments below. Until next time stay occupied.
