Quarantine: How to pass the time

By now, I’m sure watching Netflix has gotten old. Though there’s a never-ending stream of content that can be consumed online nowadays, for days when you might be feeling some screen fatigue see my list of quarantine-friendly activities that you can do at home:

• Start a garden:

  • If you happen to have seeds or know someone who does, go ahead and start that dream garden! If you don’t there are tons of ways to grow vegetables from scraps. See an article here to get yourself started. I started my own mini garden and I’ll be sharing some of my progress here once the seeds start sprouting.

• Dip dye with avocado:

  • I had no idea this was a thing until I saw that Free People had included an avocado dye DIY in one of their newsletters. I’m currently trying to hoard my avocado skins and pits to see how the dye process works. For examples on step-by-step instructions, see here.

• Learn a new language:

  • I was a terrible language learner in school. But the older I get, the more I wished I at least knew one other language other than my native English. I’ve been using the app Duolingo to practice French. It’s very user-friendly and a quick way to learn a few phrases at a time.

• Organization and cleaning:

  • Not the most fun thing to do, but if you can spare the time then why not? So far, I’ve organized my jewelry and cleaned out my dresser and bookshelf. It’s a constant work in progress but definitely something worth spending a few hours on.

• Baking:

  • I must admit, I’m not the best baker. During the holidays, I love to bake pies, but even then I tend to use pre-made pie dough. I did make some banana bread which turned out horrendously dry, but ‘A’ for effort right?

• Exercise and meditation:

  • There are so many apps, vloggers, and online tutorials on how to find the best type of exercise that works for you. Lately, I’ve been doing Yoga With Adriene on YouTube and doing a few various resistance band workouts.

  • Meditation is such a good form of self care. I’m still exploring different avenues to meditate but it’s another activity that I intend on putting more time into. There are loads of apps and videos that you can use for your mental journey.

• Draft a dream travel itinerary for next year:

  • If you’re like me, you have a running list of places where you’d like to travel. Researching and planning out a full trip takes so much time. Even if travel is limited, you can still research cities, landmarks, and excursions to visit once things start opening up again. Start budgeting and saving now, so when the time comes, you’ll be ready to get those tickets!

• Refine your skincare routine:

  • I’ve never been the most consistent when it comes to skincare. Other than moisturizing, I usually only do the bare minimum. Maybe a face masks every so often and occasionally some facial serum. Now, I want to refine my skincare routine. By going through the steps of cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying SPF daily, I hope to ensure that I’m doing the most to protect my skin. Now is the time for some skin TLC! There are so many DIY home remedies to nourish your skin too.

• Start a journal:

  • Journaling can be very therapeutic. It might seem odd at first to write so much down that maybe no one else is going to see, but the journal can be your time capsule to capture the moments and the mood that shape who you are today. I love reading my old journals. It puts life into perceptive and it gives me a larger appreciation for my personal growth.

• Podcasts:

  • TED Radio Hour (for interesting topics about the world), Second Life (inspiring stories about female entrepreneurs).

• Facetime photoshoots:

  • Yes, it’s a thing and the sky is the limit!

• Start your dream hobby:

  • Have you maybe thought about starting your own blog? Or maybe thought about trying to paint even though you’ve never even touched a paint brush? Now is the time to experiment and explore! There are so many tutorials and resources online to learn your craft. I know it’s super scary starting anything new for the first time, but you have nothing to loose by trying.

• Other DIY crafts:

  • Knitting

  • Sewing

  • Painting

  • Collage art/Mood Board

  • Journaling

  • Still Life Drawing

If you have other ideas on creative ways to stay busy in quarantine, please write your suggestion in the comments section down below!

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment, share, or like! I’d love to know what you think and I aspire to continue to create content that brings people together.

xx

Ella Kol