Sitting at home during the quarantine and not sure what to do? Boredom killing you, here are some of the things you can try to stop you from going insane.
There was never a better time to clean your house than this. It is both the need and something that you would have probably been putting off for such a long time. For those who think their house is already clean, maybe just disinfect the house at least.
For those who don't know Marie Kondo check out her website - https://konmari.com/ she also has a few episodes on Netflix and Youtube
I mean immediate family in your house obviously. When was the last time you all got together sat at home and chatted with each other face to face? Switch off the TV, internet and spend at least 1 hour together talking. This can be done during lunch & dinner and who knows this could become a regular habit that you all enjoy.
Most needed in these times to pray. Maybe its something you can do as a family activity. After all, a family that prays together stays together. If you are an atheist the least you can do is spare a thought for all the medical staff who are on the frontline and their lives are in danger. For all the poor and the daily wage workers who already don't know what to do and how to manage. And the people who control law and order this is going to be very important in the days to come.
Think of the last time you picked up the phone and spoke to someone. I don't mean a WhatsApp or Facebook forward to say your alive. I suggest speaking to one or two different people a day for at least 5 mins. Think of all the people you have lost touch with. No one has the "busy" or "have to go for a meeting" excuse for at least for the next few days.
Why use this only for work? Use your skype or other apps to have a video conference with friends, this can help you have a chat, have a party maybe even play charades sitting in your own house just use the online option.
How to play charades
Its also probably the right time to reflect on all the people you have issues with and forgive them. Say sorry soon cause you never know if and when you will see the person again. Forgiving helps you more than the other person.
Never has there been a good time to start doing this if you have not already been doing this. Don't know how to do it? Download a guided app that helps. My recommendation in the last few years has always been Headspace (see link below) this one has 10 min sessions to begin with. You can do it at the start of your day before you get into your daily activities.
https://my.headspace.com/
You can try the code: REW30-V93MNY (not sure if it's still valid since it was sent to me a long back, but it had a one-month trial option)
There are some other apps as well, you can download and use the trial versions and see what works for you. Most of the guided ones have topics like depression, anger, love, etc so you can also focus on a specific part of your growth.
https://attentionshifting.page.link/okms (link for mobile phones)
https://www.calm.com/
https://www.aurahealth.io/
Of course, download these on your mobile phones and it can help you not just now but once you get back into the daily routine of life.
Do you know who you are? When was the last time you described yourself to someone? You should write your journal. A few questions to get you started - Who am I? What do I like? What are my dreams/ambitions? If not about yourself, just do a daily gratitude list of things that you are grateful for. For more detailed way of how to journal check out Rob Dial. He has podcasts on various platforms including Spotify. He is a motivational speaker and his topics can be helpful to listen to on your way to work as well later.
https://www.dialedinjournal.com/training1
If you don't want to write about yourself then try your hand at stories or poems or even just helpful tips in a blog like this one.
For long you probably kept wondering if this was the right job for you or not? Maybe it's a good time to think of your career choices. There are 2 types of coaches, one who can give you general advice about life and help with making decisions and there is the expert coach like a professional in the field that you want to excel in. e.g. Sachin Tendulkar if you want to be a cricketer or a Steven Spielberg for a wannabe director or a Mark Zuckerberg or a Bill Gates you get my drift. You will probably not make contact with these people and even if your do they may never have the time for you. The ideal coach for you is someone who is in your desired industry who is only a few years ahead of you in their career path, that way they are fresh of their mistakes and would be most willing to help and guide you. You can look online to see who can help.
You might not want a coach but you can definitely google some motivational speakers and hopefully get inspired.
How to find and pursue your passion - Think out loud with Jay Shetty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG3EUMArrU0
Listen to this first thing in the morning every day. These help you keep your day positive also help you change your mindset into thinking positively. In these days of being stuck its a boost of positivity that is needed. Listen even if you are not paying attention as your subconscious will pick it up at least. A few examples below
https://open.spotify.com/album/32HwMvas3unyLt3e5Xa3au
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEm-a0AhLu0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWlERK0UJc
You can also look for a specific topic like an affirmation for confidence or wealth etc
This is not to difficult these days and probably the most important thing you can do sitting at home, whatever you want to learn these days is available online from paid Masterclasses by professionals to free online learning on any topic under the sun. Name it and there should be enough videos online already and if not then maybe it's a topic for you to make a video on and become the master in that field.
You can work on getting your degree in a subject or learn a new language or learn how to play an instrument (especially if you have one collecting dust in your house) master your DSLR camera, the list is endless. If you don't know how to find these videos or lessons then maybe its the first thing you need to learn.
TIP: Challange someone online and see who learns quicker, this always helps to keep you motivated.
PS: Not just google, look at apps that teach you all of these.
This is going to be important. You are going to be stuck at home for a few days with not too much movement so make sure you do some easy home exercises. Look online and you will find a lot that can be done sitting at home with almost nothing.
Best ways to exercise at home
Top-25 at home exercises
Well if you did not know how to cook then now would be a good time to start. Look at simple recipes to begin with. Try cooking your egg in different styles you will be surprised at how many different ways are there to cook eggs
Different types of ways to cook eggs
If you already know how to cook them maybe teach your partner or child how to if not that then at least try new recipes after all not too much ordering is going to happen for a few days.
I know accounts are something that you probably run away from but it would be a good time to have a look and your bank statements and see where your expenses are going and plan some investments. Have a look if you have enough insurance and medical coverage as well not just for you but your family as well. Maybe fie your tax's as well while you are at it.
This does not take too much to do, you can start off with just a basic pencil or pen and paper and move up to watercolours or crayons or go of oil or acrylics if you have them at home already. Have a look at https://zentangle.com/ for just pen and paper inspirations.
Zentangle for Beginners - Step by Step Tutorial for How to Draw a Zentangle
5 min craft is also a good place to start if you want to get inspired. That should give you some handy ideas for home projects. Why not paint that wall in your living room or bedroom with some design, you can have a few days to get it right and anyway no one is visiting you for a few days if you get it wrong.
Maybe its time to pull out all the board games that have been collecting dust, a game of UNO or monopoly which can last you for hours. Don't forget the old carrom board something that keeps you close and 1 foot apart at the same time.
If you don't have books at home a lot of them are available online in ebooks and pdf's as well, so what's your excuse? Mine is I don't like to read.
It might be a nice time to grow a few plants, after all, you are there every day to water and look after them. Help the planet even more now than before, just don't go looking to buy these if you don't already have a few to look after.
What have you done with all the pictures and videos that you shot on your last few holidays? Now might be a good time to pull them out, and relive the good times. Maybe make a montage of them, or post them on your social media if not already done so. Another tip could be selecting a few nice ones and having them printed, framed and put up in the house (obviously later when things go back to normal) All in all these are your memories which might make you feel good while your stuck and can't go anywhere.
Put on your headphones or speakers and dance and sing by yourself, or involve the whole family in a sing-song session. Play antakshari or look for karaoke versions of your favorite tunes online.
Here is something fun for you to try - Play antakshari on your WhatsApp group with your family or friends using the record audio option. You can come up with rules to go alphabetically on the group or the person who ends the song nominates the next person on the group.
Don't have to suggest this one you probably already know this. Discover OTP platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime where you can binge-watch your serials. If you are bored of your regular stuff look for the Natgeo or Discovery type stuff even on these channels and you will be surprised. Check "Night on Earth" or "Our Planet" or "The Mind Explained" to name a few on Netflix
If your alone in your house there are a lot of solo and multipayer games that you can play online. For the ones who think gaming is only for kids to look for the mystery ones or games like chess, quiz etc. See what suits your style and happy gaming.
There is no need to do all of the activities in one day, but pick what suits you and mix and match your activities for different days. To keep your day busy you can plan a TO DO list and that can help your give time to different activities and you can also plan different days for different activities that way keeping the days mixed up.
Suddenly you feel that there is a lot more work just because you are working from home, I tell you its just an illusion. Follow the below tips if possible and you will see the difference
- Get ready as if you have to go to work (so you keep your morning alarm, shower, breakfast etc keep your morning routine the same)
- Dress up - maybe not the tie and shoes but change from your home clothes into something more formal.
- Walk / Step outside your door and back. If possible only go at least a flight of stairs up and down or take the lift all the way down and back up to give you a feeling of going to work.
- Ideally have a separate room to work in, of not try having at least a workstation, a desk and chair. Working off sofas slows you down.
- Keep your workspace clean as if your office had an inspection. Try and keep the home distractions away from your workstation.
- Let the people in your house know that you are work so not to disturb you.
- You can tell them that you will be taking breaks during which you can chat or do whatever household with them. Think if you were in the office would you have been able to do that?
- Remember not to keep the breaks long, after all, if you were at work you wouldn't have had that long breaks?
- and finally, pack up you normally wouldn't take work home then leave your pending stuff till tomorrow (only if possible - trust me it is)
- you can go back up and down the stairs/out of your front door before you change back into your home clothes
- Don't forget to sanitize once you go out and come back.
All these tips still not enough, then just slap yourself and control your mind. Tell yourself that you have to do this not so much for yourself but for others too. If you have any more interesting tips to do at home besides washing your clothes and dusting then do share them in the comments below
Remember the choice is between sitting at home or in the ICU staring at the ceiling
- Go Marie Kondo
There was never a better time to clean your house than this. It is both the need and something that you would have probably been putting off for such a long time. For those who think their house is already clean, maybe just disinfect the house at least.For those who don't know Marie Kondo check out her website - https://konmari.com/ she also has a few episodes on Netflix and Youtube
- Talk with your family
I mean immediate family in your house obviously. When was the last time you all got together sat at home and chatted with each other face to face? Switch off the TV, internet and spend at least 1 hour together talking. This can be done during lunch & dinner and who knows this could become a regular habit that you all enjoy.
- Pray
Most needed in these times to pray. Maybe its something you can do as a family activity. After all, a family that prays together stays together. If you are an atheist the least you can do is spare a thought for all the medical staff who are on the frontline and their lives are in danger. For all the poor and the daily wage workers who already don't know what to do and how to manage. And the people who control law and order this is going to be very important in the days to come.
- Call
Think of the last time you picked up the phone and spoke to someone. I don't mean a WhatsApp or Facebook forward to say your alive. I suggest speaking to one or two different people a day for at least 5 mins. Think of all the people you have lost touch with. No one has the "busy" or "have to go for a meeting" excuse for at least for the next few days.
- Conference call
Why use this only for work? Use your skype or other apps to have a video conference with friends, this can help you have a chat, have a party maybe even play charades sitting in your own house just use the online option.
How to play charades
- Forgive
Its also probably the right time to reflect on all the people you have issues with and forgive them. Say sorry soon cause you never know if and when you will see the person again. Forgiving helps you more than the other person.
- Meditate
Never has there been a good time to start doing this if you have not already been doing this. Don't know how to do it? Download a guided app that helps. My recommendation in the last few years has always been Headspace (see link below) this one has 10 min sessions to begin with. You can do it at the start of your day before you get into your daily activities. https://my.headspace.com/
You can try the code: REW30-V93MNY (not sure if it's still valid since it was sent to me a long back, but it had a one-month trial option)
There are some other apps as well, you can download and use the trial versions and see what works for you. Most of the guided ones have topics like depression, anger, love, etc so you can also focus on a specific part of your growth.
https://attentionshifting.page.link/okms (link for mobile phones)
https://www.calm.com/
https://www.aurahealth.io/
Of course, download these on your mobile phones and it can help you not just now but once you get back into the daily routine of life.
- Write
Do you know who you are? When was the last time you described yourself to someone? You should write your journal. A few questions to get you started - Who am I? What do I like? What are my dreams/ambitions? If not about yourself, just do a daily gratitude list of things that you are grateful for. For more detailed way of how to journal check out Rob Dial. He has podcasts on various platforms including Spotify. He is a motivational speaker and his topics can be helpful to listen to on your way to work as well later.https://www.dialedinjournal.com/training1
If you don't want to write about yourself then try your hand at stories or poems or even just helpful tips in a blog like this one.
- Get a life coach
For long you probably kept wondering if this was the right job for you or not? Maybe it's a good time to think of your career choices. There are 2 types of coaches, one who can give you general advice about life and help with making decisions and there is the expert coach like a professional in the field that you want to excel in. e.g. Sachin Tendulkar if you want to be a cricketer or a Steven Spielberg for a wannabe director or a Mark Zuckerberg or a Bill Gates you get my drift. You will probably not make contact with these people and even if your do they may never have the time for you. The ideal coach for you is someone who is in your desired industry who is only a few years ahead of you in their career path, that way they are fresh of their mistakes and would be most willing to help and guide you. You can look online to see who can help.You might not want a coach but you can definitely google some motivational speakers and hopefully get inspired.
How to find and pursue your passion - Think out loud with Jay Shetty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG3EUMArrU0
- Affirmations
Listen to this first thing in the morning every day. These help you keep your day positive also help you change your mindset into thinking positively. In these days of being stuck its a boost of positivity that is needed. Listen even if you are not paying attention as your subconscious will pick it up at least. A few examples belowhttps://open.spotify.com/album/32HwMvas3unyLt3e5Xa3au
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEm-a0AhLu0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWlERK0UJc
You can also look for a specific topic like an affirmation for confidence or wealth etc
- Learn a new skill
This is not to difficult these days and probably the most important thing you can do sitting at home, whatever you want to learn these days is available online from paid Masterclasses by professionals to free online learning on any topic under the sun. Name it and there should be enough videos online already and if not then maybe it's a topic for you to make a video on and become the master in that field. You can work on getting your degree in a subject or learn a new language or learn how to play an instrument (especially if you have one collecting dust in your house) master your DSLR camera, the list is endless. If you don't know how to find these videos or lessons then maybe its the first thing you need to learn.
TIP: Challange someone online and see who learns quicker, this always helps to keep you motivated.
PS: Not just google, look at apps that teach you all of these.
- Exercise
This is going to be important. You are going to be stuck at home for a few days with not too much movement so make sure you do some easy home exercises. Look online and you will find a lot that can be done sitting at home with almost nothing.Best ways to exercise at home
Top-25 at home exercises
- Cook
Well if you did not know how to cook then now would be a good time to start. Look at simple recipes to begin with. Try cooking your egg in different styles you will be surprised at how many different ways are there to cook eggsDifferent types of ways to cook eggs
If you already know how to cook them maybe teach your partner or child how to if not that then at least try new recipes after all not too much ordering is going to happen for a few days.
- Finances
I know accounts are something that you probably run away from but it would be a good time to have a look and your bank statements and see where your expenses are going and plan some investments. Have a look if you have enough insurance and medical coverage as well not just for you but your family as well. Maybe fie your tax's as well while you are at it.
- Draw, Paint, Craft.
This does not take too much to do, you can start off with just a basic pencil or pen and paper and move up to watercolours or crayons or go of oil or acrylics if you have them at home already. Have a look at https://zentangle.com/ for just pen and paper inspirations.Zentangle for Beginners - Step by Step Tutorial for How to Draw a Zentangle
5 min craft is also a good place to start if you want to get inspired. That should give you some handy ideas for home projects. Why not paint that wall in your living room or bedroom with some design, you can have a few days to get it right and anyway no one is visiting you for a few days if you get it wrong.
- Boardgames
Maybe its time to pull out all the board games that have been collecting dust, a game of UNO or monopoly which can last you for hours. Don't forget the old carrom board something that keeps you close and 1 foot apart at the same time.
- Read
If you don't have books at home a lot of them are available online in ebooks and pdf's as well, so what's your excuse? Mine is I don't like to read.
- Garden
It might be a nice time to grow a few plants, after all, you are there every day to water and look after them. Help the planet even more now than before, just don't go looking to buy these if you don't already have a few to look after.
- Photographs
What have you done with all the pictures and videos that you shot on your last few holidays? Now might be a good time to pull them out, and relive the good times. Maybe make a montage of them, or post them on your social media if not already done so. Another tip could be selecting a few nice ones and having them printed, framed and put up in the house (obviously later when things go back to normal) All in all these are your memories which might make you feel good while your stuck and can't go anywhere.
- Sing & Dance
Put on your headphones or speakers and dance and sing by yourself, or involve the whole family in a sing-song session. Play antakshari or look for karaoke versions of your favorite tunes online.Here is something fun for you to try - Play antakshari on your WhatsApp group with your family or friends using the record audio option. You can come up with rules to go alphabetically on the group or the person who ends the song nominates the next person on the group.
- Watch TV & movies
Don't have to suggest this one you probably already know this. Discover OTP platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime where you can binge-watch your serials. If you are bored of your regular stuff look for the Natgeo or Discovery type stuff even on these channels and you will be surprised. Check "Night on Earth" or "Our Planet" or "The Mind Explained" to name a few on Netflix
- Online games
If your alone in your house there are a lot of solo and multipayer games that you can play online. For the ones who think gaming is only for kids to look for the mystery ones or games like chess, quiz etc. See what suits your style and happy gaming.
- TO DO List
There is no need to do all of the activities in one day, but pick what suits you and mix and match your activities for different days. To keep your day busy you can plan a TO DO list and that can help your give time to different activities and you can also plan different days for different activities that way keeping the days mixed up.
- Working from home - Tips
Suddenly you feel that there is a lot more work just because you are working from home, I tell you its just an illusion. Follow the below tips if possible and you will see the difference- Get ready as if you have to go to work (so you keep your morning alarm, shower, breakfast etc keep your morning routine the same)
- Dress up - maybe not the tie and shoes but change from your home clothes into something more formal.
- Walk / Step outside your door and back. If possible only go at least a flight of stairs up and down or take the lift all the way down and back up to give you a feeling of going to work.
- Ideally have a separate room to work in, of not try having at least a workstation, a desk and chair. Working off sofas slows you down.
- Keep your workspace clean as if your office had an inspection. Try and keep the home distractions away from your workstation.
- Let the people in your house know that you are work so not to disturb you.
- You can tell them that you will be taking breaks during which you can chat or do whatever household with them. Think if you were in the office would you have been able to do that?
- Remember not to keep the breaks long, after all, if you were at work you wouldn't have had that long breaks?
- and finally, pack up you normally wouldn't take work home then leave your pending stuff till tomorrow (only if possible - trust me it is)
- you can go back up and down the stairs/out of your front door before you change back into your home clothes
- Don't forget to sanitize once you go out and come back.
All these tips still not enough, then just slap yourself and control your mind. Tell yourself that you have to do this not so much for yourself but for others too. If you have any more interesting tips to do at home besides washing your clothes and dusting then do share them in the comments below
so please #DONOTSTEPOUT of your house unless it is an emergency.
Remember the choice is between sitting at home or in the ICU staring at the ceiling
