The last few weeks the world took an unexpected turn and now we are obligated to stay inside for at least two weeks to avoid the coronavirus. No gym, no parties, no parks, only sitting inside and grocery shopping every once in a while to breathe in some fresh air. So, what can you do to keep yourself busy and distracted while being locked inside? Here is a list with things to do at home that might help you remain entertained for the upcoming weeks!
Work from home/for School
The first thing you will now have plenty of time for is the least fun one, but it must be done. This is doing your homework and/or work from home. If you have any important upcoming deadlines for assignments and essays, you will now have all the time in the world to work on it. You don’t have to feel like you are missing out on anything, because there are no parties or other activities going on and at least you are still studying in Madrid. If you are working from home, you will maybe even finish your work a lot sooner, because you cannot be distracted by any of your colleagues or other aspects that occur in the office. More importantly, you can wear your pajamas while working and no one would be bothered by it!
Find a New Hobby
Being obligated to stay inside is a perfect time to find a new hobby or to improve on one. You could work on your art skills and draw, paint, try some new make-up looks, etc. You could also refine your taste buds and learn how to make some great and delicious cocktails. Imagine how you’ll be able to impress people at parties with your cocktail making skills. There are many other great hobbies you could work on as well, such as dancing, yoga, play an instrument and so much more. You could also read a book or maybe two or three, add a few new paintings to your gallery. You can play guitar and knit and basically, just wonder when your life will continue. If Rapunzel could entertain herself for 18 years in her tower, we can survive a few weeks.
Workout
Some of us are used to working out regularly and others may plan on beginning. These upcoming weeks are a great opportunity to learn some at home workout exercises. There are many different workouts that you could do and there even are some two-week workout challenges that you can find on YouTube. Another great workout is dancing and now that there are no parties, your body will probably miss this ‘exercise’. So, turn up some music and dance in your living room, kitchen, bedroom, everywhere. If you really want to party and dance with others, you can always FaceTime your friends and party from your own rooms!
Netflix & Chill
Ah yes, the one thing that you were probably doing anyway, but now you won’t have to feel guilty about it. You can binge-watch all the Netflix series you want and watch as many movies as possible. You can even improve your Spanish skills at the same time by watching some great Spanish series such as Élite, La Casa de Papel, Siempre Bruja, etc. Perhaps, you and your friends really wanted to go see a movie together, so now you can improvise by FaceTiming each other and starting the movie at the exact same time. It’s almost the same as sitting in a cinema together!
Improve Language Skills
Speaking about improving your Spanish skills, you could absolutely take this opportunity to work on any language skill you want. Perhaps you have been forgetting a language and you want to pick it up again or you have always wanted to learn a language but never had the time to do so. Well, now you can. Buy some books, watch videos, listen to audio, and if you haven’t already, download the Duolingo app. If you already downloaded it, the Duolingo owl is probably very happy to finally see you again!
Improve Baking/Cooking Skills
During these long weeks, there will probably be a lot of stress eating and eating because of boredom. So, you might as well use this time to improve your baking and cooking skills to learn something along the way and to have tasty homemade food. This will make you feel satisfied as well as keep you busy for some hours. If you are not home alone you can use this opportunity to bond with your family/roommates by cooking/baking together. However, be careful and wash your vegetables and fruits, avoid contact with other people and wash your hands very often!
Clean up
Now that you will be inside for several weeks, you finally have time for that big clean up that you’ve been wanting to do, but hadn’t had time for. Not only is it very wise to clean your house to avoid further contamination, it is also very satisfying to do so. You could even rearrange some furniture, perhaps re-decorate some areas, light some (scented) candles and it will appear as if you got yourself a new home. Maybe during this big clean up you will finally find some things you thought were lost forever or you find something that you had completely forgotten about!
Self Care
This little ‘vacation’ is a great time to work on yourself and to take some proper care of yourself. You can improve your skincare routine with face masks, moisturizer, scrubbing, etc., you could take a long warm bath or shower (not too long, think of the environment), change your hair up a bit, give yourself some hair masks, take care of your nails, etc. It is also very important to relax and rest well enough, so take naps and go to bed on time. A healthy well-rested body is stronger and fights better against viruses. So, treat yourself.
Show your Appreciation
Last but not least, show your appreciation. These times are very strange and very difficult and we cannot get through this alone. We need all those who continue working to make sure people receive the proper health care, that we can get our groceries and medicine, that the streets remain safe and well taken care of, etc. Because of that, show how much you value these people and at 20:00, every day, applaud all the nurses, doctors, supermarket and Farmacia employees and all the other people that help keep the world going.
Now you’ll be able to survive and thrive during the next weeks. Don’t forget to wash your hands, eat lots of veggies and fruits, stay inside, stay safe and healthy and good luck!
