As I sit on my couch writing this blog post, we are currently in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The schools in my state along with many others are closing for several weeks, and many businesses that have employees who can work from home are encouraging them to do so.
If you are part of that category of those not in school or not currently working because of the quarantine, you’re probably already sick of watching TV.
There’s only so many hours of Netflix you can watch before your brain turns to mush and your muscles atrophy from being a couch potato all day. So I have made this list of things to do at home while you’re stuck inside all week.
1. Spring clean your apartment.
This may not sound like fun, but this is the perfect time to actually deep clean your apartment! Events are most likely canceled and you won’t really be able to go out and do too much, so set aside a day for deep cleaning your apartment.
Here are some areas of your house you should definitely organize when you’re spring cleaning:
- Purge your closet.
- Sort through your cleaning cabinet/closet.
- Organize your kitchen cabinets, fridge, and pantry.
- Purge your makeup/skincare collection.
- Clean out your storage closet.
- Sort through all your papers and file box/filing cabinet.
2. Bake something tasty.
Brighten up you week with a little tasty homemade treat. Whether it’s decadent brownies from a boxed mix or made-from-scratch muffins, you’ll be sure to enjoy every minute of the baking process.
Follow my Tasty board on Pinterest to find some amazing desserts and other baked goods that I have made myself or I will make in the near future.
RELATED: 15 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget
3. Try a new workout.
Just because it’s not a great idea to go to your local gym at the moment doesn’t mean you should forgo getting your exercise in. Workout at home! If you have stairs in your home or apartment, try an at home stairs workout.
If you don’t have stairs, you can do some workout classes at home without any equipment. Look some up on YouTube or try one of these free apps that I like to use, too:
4. Take an online course.
If you’re not currently in classes, you may want to use this time to get started on taking an online course on a topic you are interested in. Here are some places where you can take courses in anything from career development to crafting to cooking.
5. Plan your next vacation.
This whole quarantine thing going on is making me just want to travel more. You can use this time to finally sit down and plan out that trip you’ve been wanting to take and make your dreams a reality.
6. Try hand lettering, drawing, or painting.
Pull out your old art supplies and get creative. Look up some drawing tutorials on YouTube and start doodling away in that barely used sketchbook that you got for Christmas. Before you know it, you’ll have a pretty good masterpiece to inspire you for the next time you have some free time on your hands.
7. Write letters to your long distance friends.
Of course, you can text or call your friends whenever you want, but spending a little extra time to write and send a handwritten card will just make their day. You can even include some of your recent artwork in the letter.
Check out my friend Jordan’s channel on YouTube. She’s an amazing artist and she has so many cute ideas for pen pal letters.
RELATED: How to Write a Thank You Note
8. Start a YouTube channel.
Speaking of YouTube, if you’ve never wanted to start a YouTube channel, now is as good a time as any. Plan out what you want your channel to be about, make a list of 10 or so video ideas to make, and just hit record!
RELATED: Check out my new channel on YouTube!
9. Read a book.
If you’re anything like me, you have a growing reading list that only gets longer and not shorter. Take time to unplug from technology and read that novel you’ve been wanting to read this year.
Here are just a few books that are currently on my reading list:
10. Have an at home spa day.
These are a real treat when you can actually carve out the time, but now the time is actually being handed to you directly! Do a face mask, light some candles, play some relaxing music, run a bath, paint your nails, sip some refreshing water. The choice is yours!
11. Analyze or create your monthly budget.
I don’t write much about personal finances, but I always encourage my readers to spend their money wisely and to be good stewards of their income.
If you already have a budget, look for ways you can save more money and if you don’t have a budget, set up a simple spreadsheet to track your income and spending so you can get an accurate reading of how you spend your money and what you spend it on. If spreadsheets are too daunting for you, try out a free app like Everydollar to help you out.
12. Have an at home date night.
If your weekly date nights usually consist of going out for dinner and seeing a movie, you might have to alter your plans this week. Instead of forgoing the date, move it an at home one instead so you still have some special time with your sweetie.
Have no idea what to do for a date night at home? Check out The Dating Divas. They have so many date night ideas and free printables you’ll probably never run out of things to do with your SO.
13. Dance!
Now is the perfect time to practice your sweet Tik Tok dance moves. You can look up so tutorials on YouTube or just teach yourself. Blast some of your favorite music and have a solo dance party or invite your roommates to join you, too!
14. Facetime a friend.
If you and your friends can’t be together because, you can absolutely video chat each other. No need for a boring phone call! Invite your friends into your space virtually and spend part of your day together.
15. Reset your routines.
Use this time while you’re out of your usual routine to plan for an even better one. Whether it’s getting accustomed to wake up a little earlier or making a whole new routine so you can fit in a little creative time.
Use my free printable Morning Routine Planner to plan your mornings for when your schedule gets back to normal.
I hope this list gives you some good ideas for things to do at home even when you’re not quarantined.
