Hello friends! Hope you are keeping healthy and sane during this coronavirus lockdown. Three weeks into self-isolation and I’ve swung the emotional pendulum between feeling anxious and down about this ‘new normal’ of quarantine life, as well a sense of relief from the daily grind of modern life.
“Relief?” you ask. Yes, if I have to be honest, I am relieved to have a break from the traffic and morning commute, stress of the office and a calendar that was overbooked with social events (some of which were too tiring to face).
Suddenly, I have found myself contemplating something I’ve not had in a while- the luxury of time. The time to do all those tasks I’ve been putting off. The time to enjoy being in my home. The time to pay attention to those little but important things that often get forgotten.
Keep reading to find out 10 things to do while self-isolating, to make the most of your time too!
#1 Make a more wholesome breakfast
Remember those days when you used to leave your home early to get to work? Breakfasts were rushed, minimal and most days you would skip them altogether! Well now, my friends, we have the luxury of time to create a wholesome, delicious breakfast.
Since self-isolating, I’ve enjoyed making a delectable range of breakfast dishes, including overnight oats (recipe here), French crepes, scrambled eggs with mushrooms, pikelets with fruit salad, scones with jam and cream and even muesli!
Now I have that extra time in the morning, I love to dedicate it towards making a scrumptious breakfast, that will bring me some pleasure to start my day.
#2 Care for your plants
As we know, our plants need consistent love and attention to survive. But because we were so time poor, it would be days on end that our succulents were neglected, and then overwatered when finally remembered. Now we have the luxury of time, we can use it to give our plants a little extra care every day.
#3 Start reading again
Reading is something I’ve always enjoyed, but never seemed to have much time for. If I had to choose a wind-down activity after a long day at the office, followed by my gym/dinner/dishes routine, I’d usually end up switching off and watch Netflix (guilty!).
But now with this extra time at home, plus a bit more energy, I’ve started to enjoy reading again. So far, I’ve read Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life, Hollywood Godfather and am about to begin The Talking Cure.
#4 Try something new
With this gift of extra time is also the opportunity to try something new. Mostly, my experimenting has been in the cooking department, by trialling new and more complex recipes than I’ve attempted in the past.
But for you, it might be learning a new language online, starting a blog or filming a Tik Tok dance. Some other new things I want to try this week are making whipped coffee and cutting my husband’s hair!
#5 Walking
Since self-isolating, I’ve found the strong desire to get out of my tiny apartment once a day and walk. Although walking regulations vary between countries and states, in Sydney we are currently allowed to leave our homes for exercise purposes, in groups no bigger than two people.
My daily walk often takes me to a nearby bush track that goes to a secluded beach, and is one of the highlights of my day.
#6 Watch the sunset
A simple pleasure in self-isolation has been appreciating the beauty of nature. Pausing to watch the sunset and the beauty of the colours filling the sky has really uplifted me each evening, and I would encourage you to do the same!
#7 Workout challenge
Really, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to online exercise material. Personally, I use the Nike Training App and Rebecca Louise Youtube videos for my at-home workouts. But, there are so many challenges you can start- how about a 30-days abs challenge or (my current torture) a 30-day squat challenge?! Who knows, we might actually emerge from this quarantine toned!
#8 Develop a hobby
It’s wonderful to get in touch with your creative side and resume or start a hobby. I know that a few of my friends have taken up painting and sketching again, and another friend is self-teaching the piano. Personally, I’ve enjoyed using my extra time to work on this blog and learn how to use my new Canon camera.
#9 Pamper yourself
I have always believed in taking care of my skin and body. But often, these self-care activities were rushed, without any real enjoyment. Recently, I’ve been enjoying appreciating the extra time to put on a face mask, do a body scrub in the shower, spritz on some rose spray and deeply moisturise my body.
For my ladies out there, a bit of pampering is definitely in order to keep us feeling good (especially while the beauty salons are closed!).
#10 Download some entertaining apps
With this extra time is also an opportunity to branch out from your standard social media apps and take advantage of all the entertaining apps on the market. This week I’ve enjoyed playing heads up on HouseParty, group Pictionary on Zoom and brushed up on my geography using World Map Quiz.
I hope these 10 ideas for ways to use your extra time while self-isolating gave you some inspiration! Comment below for ways you are passing your extra time while staying at home.
