Why Home Projects Are The Best Way To Be Productive During Quarantine Time

Trying to stay busy and be productive is more difficult than it sounds. Especially when being told that you will be quarantined for 30 days and that it could potentially be longer than that. To help keep myself busy during this time, I make myself a list of projects to do at home. The project that lasted the longest was rearranging my bedroom. Here are a few reasons why.

1. Rearrange Furniture

When it comes to my bedroom, I am at my most extreme level of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), or in my case, over-the-top cleaning disorder. My OCD is so bad that I cannot fall asleep at night if something is out of place. It could be something as small as a pen that fell off my dresser, or that all my books are stacked on the floor instead of on the bookshelf. I am the real-life Monica Geller, except instead of an entire apartment it is just my bedroom. That being said, when I made the plans to rearrange my bedroom, I did not think it through. Upon starting the project, I assumed that this task was only going to be a day’s job. No. It was not.

It had now been eight hours since I started to rearrange my room, and nothing was going like I thought it would. The furniture did not look as I thought it would when I laid it out, inside my mind. My dresser did not look right standing below my hanging bookshelf, my queen-sized bed was blocking part of my tall window, and I was second-guessing everywhere I put my newly purchased ladder desk at. Also, while I was trying to arrange my furniture, I was throwing all my things onto the bed. Little knick-knacks, throw pillows, canvases, paintings, wall décor, stuff I stored under my bed, storage bins with the items still in them. If something was not on my bed it was on my floor. My room was a mess and at first, it did not bother me, and again, because I assumed that this was going to be a day’s job. Instead, it took me almost three days to complete the task, and I cannot tell you how happy I was when everything was done and arranged to my satisfaction.

2. Clean Out

One of the reasons I was not able to complete the job of rearranging my bedroom is because, in order to fit my dresser inside my closet, I had to clean it out. I was going to put the 6-drawer-dresser inside the right side of my closet. Giving myself more room to move around in my bedroom. However, the right side of my closet was where I stored a lot of unessential items. Things from high school, any craft supplies I had, and a box filled with mugs (my parents made the statement that I had too many and had to box some of them up). Plus, I did have some clothes hanging on that side of the rack, as well. It was almost 10 o’clock when I made this realization. I was not going to stay up all night cleaning out my closet and moving around my furniture. I ended up sleeping in the living room, on the couch and left that part of the project for tomorrow to worry about.

3. Clean

Now, here is where the real fun begins. After cleaning out my closet and throwing more items onto my bed, arranging all my furniture to my liking, I was finally able to clean everything, and I do mean everything. I began by first dusting the top wall shelf in my closet, and properly cleaning every item that I was going to store on top of it. Childhood books, yearbooks, photo albums, mini storage bins filled with pictures, movie tickets, concert tickets, saved birthday, holiday and graduation cards. I even stored some unused closet hangers up there. I followed this process of dusting all the furniture, cleaning all little knick-knacks, canvases, paintings, and framed pictures this way before I even allowed myself to think about vacuuming the floor. I probably vacuumed my floor about three times that day, after everything was said and done. It was a longer job than I thought it would be, but at the end of the day, I was finally happy and satisfied with how my new room was arranged. To commemorate the job well done, I went and bought myself some flowers to put in a vase and on display in my room.

4. At-Home Projects

Trying to be productive is hard to do, nowadays. We are so used to everything being online and within a few touches or clicks away. That is why, I am telling you, an at-home project list is the way to go. I am sure, if you sat down and really thought about it, you would be able to find little projects to do, here and there. Whether it is painting or repainting a room, rearranging furniture, cleaning the baseboards, dusting the window blinds, updating pictures, redecorating the hallway, redoing a bathroom, considering a new color scheme, or making a purchase online for any room. It could be wall décor, a throw pillow(s), or anything, really. If none of these sounds appealing or good enough to complete for your at-home project list, then make one for something new you can do at home. Whether it is learning a new language online, taking up some online classes for knitting or sewing, researching DIY projects, learning a new recipe, or doing some yard work in the backyard. The grass can always be mowed, and the bushes could always use a good trim. My point being is that there are always things to do that can keep you busy if you really think about it. If you have a long project list you have been waiting to get started on, now is the time.

How do you keep yourself busy during the week? Did this list help you, or inspire you to find ways to be productive? Let us know in the comments below.