Staying at home for days or weeks can be boring to some, especially for those outgoers and adventurous ones. But there are some situations like the COVID-19 pandemic where everyone is encouraged to stay at home.
Relaxing and watching TV all day is not a bad idea. But how bout using your time for more productive activities?
Below are the 10 things you can do at home to stay productive.
1. Practice kindness.
Being kind is necessary at all times, at home or not. When you are isolated at home during a crisis, you are more prone to overreact or oversensitive to small issues and also tend to become selfish. We have witnessed it during the hoarding of grocery items and supplies by individuals, leaving others with no items to buy.
Call your parents, grandparents, or other relatives who are at higher risk of complications from coronavirus. If you have elderly neighbors, check if they need supplies (but observe social distancing) and offer to get them groceries if they feel unsafe going out.
Help when you can and do this with preventive measures and disinfecting everything too.
2. Involve yourself in a passion project.
Every individual has a passion. Are you lucky enough to have a career or job that is also your passion? If you think your heart is on baking, this is the right time to discover new recipes, plan your marketing materials and start your own home bakery. You might want to plan on how to turn your home baking hobby into a real profitable business.
If you are dreaming of writing and publishing a book, start now. Get a pen and paper or open a word document and write whatever ideas you have in mind.
Start the ball rolling, the perfect time to start is NOW.
3. Meditate or pray.
Meditation and prayer have benefits that are proven by various studies. But it seems impossible to fit them in your schedule when you are too busy at work and at home while attending to your kids. Now with your much time at home, you can.
Dedicate your 15 minutes by not scrolling your social media newsfeed or any distracting activity. Practice this everyday to give way for your meditation and prayer, and time might add up each day. Here are the 10 meditation tips to get started.
See how it can improve your life and you might want to continue this activity once everything gets back to normal.
4. Grab and read a book.
Did you wish to try a book but your schedule and time didn’t allow you? Now, you have ample time to start while sipping your favorite coffee. If you are fond of reading romantic novels, try some books for personal development or something deeper that you can enjoy as well. Check out these 12 reasons why you should start reading.
5. Exercise while at home.
Your favorite gym might not be available during a pandemic, so the best way to keep yourself fit and in shape is by exercising at home. You can browse YouTube for workout videos.
6. Learn new skills.
Learning new skills is quite impossible when you are juggling at work. With our constantly changing business world, there is a need to learn new skills to keep up with the trend. Discover and learn new skills through online courses. There are a lot of free courses you can get online like video editing skills, writing, SEO or even speaking different languages.
Surprise your coworkers when you get back to work with your newfound skills!
7. Limit intake of social media information.
Social media has advantages and disadvantages. Factual information is available on social media as long as you follow credible and trusted sources. But there are a lot of people spreading fake news too to benefit themselves and info that is designed to cause panic. It is important to filter, unfriend, or unfollow those people or accounts that are unhelpful and have a bad effect on your mental health.
8. Practice self-discipline.
There are so many reasons why self-discipline is essential in life. Practice self-discipline by going to bed on time and waking up early. When you are at home, it is so tempting to check your emails at the same time you are eating your breakfast or take a nap when you are supposed to be at your computer. Yes, they are the benefits of being at home but it can also develop a lazy attitude.
Starting your day by waking up early in the morning, doing the workout, focusing yourself on meditation and prayer, and having a great breakfast will give you enough energy to face the day with daily activities.
9. Do brain-stimulating activities.
As you exercise your body, it is also important to exercise your brain. Activities like watching tv or scrolling your phone all day can make you feel anxious and depressed. Do brain-stimulating activities like playing board games with your family or find brain game apps that can sharpen your mental energy.
10. Keep your surroundings clean.
Grab this opportunity to declutter and keep your surroundings clean. It can also clear your mind and make you feel comfortable, relaxed and happier. Fix your bed every morning, wash the dishes and do the laundry. Any chores you finish each day will make you feel accomplished, plus keeping your home enjoyable.
Almost everyone has their list of things they want to do if only they have time. Go through your list and plan the things and activities you want to start soon while you have enough time at home. Stay healthy, happy, and productive!