After a long week of evading airport closures and traveling across several countries, I am under self-quarantine and here is how I’ve stayed sane during isolation. With the recent ‘stay at home‘ advisory, I thought you might enjoy some of these tips!
Work From Home
It goes without saying that most people who are undergoing isolation have been instructed to by their employers. Many people find it difficult to get work done in a setting outside of an office so now’s the time to make the best of your situation. Take the time to set up the perfect workspace in your home, away from distractions and with ample surface area for the several mugs of coffee you’re sure to clutter it with.
Speaking of clutter, if you already have a dedicated workspace in your apartment, now is the perfect time to organize it and make it more efficient. I highly recommend tuning into Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix to help you tackle your clutter. I mean, what else do you have to do if not binge watch?
Socialize! Even If Just Digitally
Human beings are highly social and it’s important for our mental health to feel connected to others. Make sure to take a break from your work or watching the news to check in with your friends and family. Schedule a FaceTime date, give your parents a call, or even chat with others from across the world with the app Dialup which lets you talk to people with similar interests as you.
Learn How to Cook or Try New Recipes
Now is the perfect time to hone your cooking skills. Whether you’re a novice home cook or a dedicated foodie, now is the perfect time to try your hand at a few different recipes and techniques. Pick up a new cookbook from one of your local bookstores, find a YouTube cooking channel that peaks your interest, or look to some of the North End restaurants’ Instagram pages for some inspiration for your next meal—or just order takeout, I won’t tell.
You can check out a few notable cooking channels here to help you get started. If you’re feeling generous, you can even make some extra to drop off to your neighbor.
Occupy Your Mind with Reading
We are all guilty of it; piles of books that we haven’t read but always promise to get to. What better time than now to crease the spines on those freshly minted paperbacks? You can also access tons of online resources from the Boston Public Library, which means tons of entertainment for all age groups. There are plenty of apps out there that offer free and low-cost books delivered directly to your device such as Amazon Kindle Cloud and Project Gutenberg.
Virtually Visit Museums Across the World
This is a great opportunity to apply some visual learning for those with children who are stuck at home by providing virtual tours of famous museums across the world. There are many museums offering enhanced experiences online through a partnership with Google Arts and Culture. You can discover the British Museum in London or Musée d’Orsay in Paris without even leaving your home!
The USS Constitution has even announced it’s own virtual tours after closing to the public on March 14th, 2020.
Learn Something New
There’s a variety of resources at your fingertips that can fully occupy your mind while also making you feel productive. Download the app Duolingo and start learning a new language. Google offers a variety of online courses that deal with all types of subjects from digital marketing to basic coding and more. Scholastic has introduced their “Learn at Home” site to keep children reading and learning while schools are closed. You can also visit edX and Skillshare to take classes based on things that interest you.
Dive Into Spring Cleaning
With the first day of spring around the corner, you now have enough time to dive into your spring cleaning. De-clutter your apartment, tackle small renovation projects, or start organizing your closet to make being quarantined a little more enjoyable. Personally, I found it incredibly satisfying to finally put away my bulky winter clothes to get ready for the transition into spring.
For some inspiration, you can watch Netflix’s Interior Design Masters or Stay Here for some ideas on how to reinvent your space.
How are you staying sane during this time of social distancing? Let us know in the comments below.
