In the coming days and weeks, we all have to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It may seem as though our lives will come to a standstill during these times, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

There are so many activities we can do at home to take care of our physical and mental wellbeing, as well as enriching and progressing our lives. We are lucky to have tools such as the internet and smartphones, which greatly widen the number of activities available, as well as the social ‘contact’ we can have, albeit not in person.

In this article, we will be listing all the activities we can think of that can be done during social distancing. Of course, not all of these activities will be suitable for everyone. But we hope this article will provide some inspiration and help you to make the most of your time at home.

Work

• Work from home if applicable.
• If you cannot work from home, work on improving the skills needed for your job so that when the time comes to go back to work, you will be better at it. This way, you may get a promotion or be able to apply for a better position, so in the long run, you will earn more.
• Start a new online venture, for example, a blog, a YouTube channel or a blog website.
• Simply take a break from work! You will go back refreshed and renewed.

Leisure

• Play board games online. There is a great site called Board Game Arena where you can either play with strangers or add your friends and play with them.
• Watch films. You could have a movie marathon and watch an entire series.
• Read books. Again, you could read a whole series, or set yourself a challenge to read a certain number of books.
• Watch TV.

Food

• Try new recipes.
• Get creative with the food you have in your cupboards, rather than going out to buy more.
• Avoid food waste. You can do this by using perishable items first, batch cooking and freezing food, only making what you will eat, and saving any leftovers.

Exercise

It’s important to get regular exercise, even if you are in self-isolation. Exercise is great for your mental health as well as physical. Here are some forms of exercise that you can easily do at home:

• We recommend searching YouTube.
• Again, you can find YouTube instructional videos.
• Weight-lifting (if you have the equipment).
• Dance to music.
• If you have access to a garden, you can go for a walk or run around it, and do other cardio exercises such as star-jumps.

Social

• Chat to friends online.
• Call someone and chat on the phone.
• Play board games online with friends.

Health and Wellbeing

• Take the opportunity to catch up on sleep and get plenty of it.
• Now is a great time to try out a new self-care routine or activity you have been thinking about.
• Take the time to prepare healthy meals, rather than grabbing junk food.
• Practice meditation.
• Take a step back from the news, slow down and embrace the calm that comes with an empty schedule.

Learning

Self-isolation provides a great opportunity for studying and learning.

• Study subjects that interest you.
• Take an online course.
• Watch educational documentaries.
• Practice a skill, for example, playing a musical instrument, learning a language, or computer programming.

Creative

• Write stories, poems or articles.
• Start a blog or a YouTube channel.
• Compose music.
• Create art.
• Do crafts, such as sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, or any other craft that takes your fancy.

Household

If you have to stay in your house/bedroom for an extended period of time, you might as well make sure it is a nice environment to be in!

• Organize your belongings.
• Have a clear-out (although you may have to wait before you can take your cleared-out items to a charity shop).
• Clean your house/room.
• Mend broken items/clothes.
• Re-decorate, if you have the materials and equipment available.

We hope this article has given you some ideas of things to do during Lockdown.

Lastly, we hope you all stay well and adhere to what the law says. Take good care of yourselves and each other!