Making The Most Of COVID-19 Social Distancing (ft. FREE Resources!)
/So it’s official: coronavirus has gone global (some may even say it’s gone...viral—there, I’ve met my pun quota for the year😭). And even if you are relatively healthy, we have come to know that the responsible thing for everyone to do is to practice social distancing.
I always try to clarify that this carries a different weight than quarantine or isolation--which, from my understanding, are terms usually associated with an immediate risk of illness through exposure (like if you have recently traveled or had to care for others who are sick), or if are demonstrating symptoms/have tested positive for the virus.
Social distancing, on the other hand, is prescribed as a preventative measure for the rest of us. It’s all about minimizing your contacts with other humans: so that looks like avoiding crowded places, avoiding shaking hands/kissing/hugging, and maintaining general distance from others, especially if they appear to be ill.
Living here in South Korea, I’ve been practicing social distancing since early/mid-February. Throw in the fact that I live alone, and it should be no surprise that I’ve kind of started to go a tiny bit crazy with all this new free time at home--and I take it that I’m not alone on this one!
So if you’re feeling restless in these social distancing times, this list is for you! Whether you’ve been at it for two days or two weeks, know that I, along with many, many others, are right there with you! And since we’re all in this together, I wanted to share with you this list of activities and resources that we can turn to for help passing the time. Hopefully you can find at least one or two things from the following that will keep you positive and productive during your time at home!
Develop good routines/habits
Throughout this list are plenty of things that you can elect to pick up and do at any point, but what’s better than doing various one-time things during this social distancing time, is dedicating yourself to creating a few consistent positive habits. For example, one habit that I’ve been focusing on keeping up with during this period is crafting & sticking to a skincare routine. You may find one or more of the things on this list to be something you want to create a habit out of—and if so, hopefully some of the resources I’ve linked will help you do that! But even if nothing here triggers your interest, I highly encourage everyone to consider your own routines and lifestyles, and see what you can work on adding or changing to put you on a path to develop positive habits that will benefit you in the long run!
Exercise
Getting in a good sweat session is always a great way to pass time and keep your mind & body healthy and happy. Luckily, no gym is no problem; there are plenty of digital resources at your disposal to help get you moving! Some apps and online platforms (Peloton, Orange Therapy, Gold’s Gym, Life Time, Down Dog, etc.) are offering free access to their content during this period, while other fitness organizations (Blink Fitness, Planet Fitness, 305 Fitness, Barry’s Bootcamp, CorePower Yoga, etc.) are utilizing Facebook and Instagram to bring the workout to you. And then of course there are way more videos accessible to you via YouTube for all of your fitness needs!
Declutter/Spring cleaning/Redecorating
When you’re stuck inside long enough, you’ll start to notice the clutter that has been piling up or the spiderwebs that have taken up unauthorized residence in the neglected nooks of your home. With spring just officially getting started, our house-confinement is timed perfectly to engage in some good old-fashioned Spring Cleaning~! Because of coronavirus, be sure to take extra care to disinfect your home, especially frequently-touched surfaces like doorknobs, handles, etc. And, if you’re feeling up to the task, you can go full-Marie Kondo and really transform your living space!
You can get inspiration for decor changes from various places—like this cafe!
Tech Cleanup
Right along with the previous point, it may be worthwhile to spend some time going through and organizing your digital spaces as well! This can mean organizing your files and computer desktop, clearing out old/unwanted emails, unsubscribing from unwanted/old email subscriptions, deleting and sorting old photos, etc. I use Evernote to help me keep my browser tabs from going on for miles, as well the Notes app on my phone and laptop to save ideas for later in a neat, consolidated manner. Just make sure you put a time limit on this tech cleanup time (say 1 hour a day), because it’s really easy to spend too much time on with this one.
Read books & ebooks/Listen to audiobooks
Reading even a little bit every day is a really good way to entertain your brain without using the screens that we will so often turn to in these long days at home. But if you can’t get your hands on any physical books or have exhausted your stash at home, your handheld devices make a pretty good alternative!! As someone who travels, I turned to reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks while on the go, and haven’t been disappointed since. I’ve come to especially adore audiobooks because I can play them while doing other tasks. I use an app called Libby, which allows me to check out ebooks and audiobooks through my hometown’s public library, giving me access to tens of thousands of titles FOR FREE! Check out your local library’s website to see if they support Libby or any other apps for sharing their digital book archives, and get library cards for you and the family to start taking advantage of it! Some other nice opportunities you can take advantage of at the moment are through Scrib, which is offering 30 days of free access to their online archives, and Audible, which is currently offering free access to a collection of some audiobook titles.
Extra Tip: You can also use Goodreads to read book reviews, keep track of your reading progress and set reading goals to keep you motivated!
Journaling
The benefits of journaling are pretty well-known, but like many things good for us, it may not be something we always remember (or try, even) to fit into our day. I know I’m definitely guilty of telling myself I’ll journal consistently, but letting it fall by the wayside in the hecticness of life. Luckily, with the new downtime, it should be easier to find at least 5 minutes of time to sit down and write something out. You don’t even have to commit to anything long-term or write anything specific; simply get a sheet of paper and pen, and write. You can jot down anything--what you’re seeing, smelling, feeling at that moment, or dreams and aspirations you want to manifest, or even your newfound love for the neighbor’s cat that sits in the window all day long. Try doing it at least a few times to see the effect it has on you, and if you like it you can look forward to doing it more and creating a habit out of it!
Cooking and baking
I know that the discounts from food delivery services make ordering in more tempting than ever, but don’t completely forego making your own food at home just yet! With the extra time, this could be a great time to try your hand at new recipes. I kind of see this period as being low-stakes, so you can try and fail (see some of my initial fails below lol) at different food concoctions until you get the hang of making something actually edible; then you can archive that recipe for later and confidently whip it out for a brunch get-together or potluck or houseparty at a later time😉! Baking could be an especially fun activity to do with the family--a messy evening of flour handprints and wonky icing designs could be a well-needed deviation from the restless days spent trying to keep the kids occupied.
Spend some time outdoors
Just because you should be avoiding people and staying home as much as possible doesn’t mean you can never see the light of day ever again! I’d really encourage getting out of your home at least once a day for a stroll or bike ride, especially now that spring is getting under way in a lot of places. In compliance with social distancing guidelines, you can opt to visit areas that are more or less secluded, or heavily nature-populated. This would be a great time to check out any parks or nature trails that might be nearby!
Learn a language
If you’ve always wanted to start the journey to acquiring a new language, there’s really no better time than now! Duolingo gets a lot of spotlight as a leading free language-learning app, but another app I personally prefer is called Mango! It’s another app that can get you free access to through participating public libraries--just another reason for you to go get yourself a public library card!
Practice meditation
In the midst of these uncertain and rapidly-changing times, it can be a bit overwhelming for a lot of us. Practicing meditation won’t solve all the problems, but you may find it helpful to take some moments to still your mind and try to ground yourself in the middle of all the chaos. The meditation app Balance is currently offering free one-year subscriptions for such purposes. Calm, another meditation app, has also compiled some free content specifically in response to the events surrounding the coronavirus pandemic that are meant to support mental and emotional well-being.
Take a class
Learning a new skill is always a good idea, and social distancing means extra time to do so! You can turn to websites like Coursera for access to hundreds of free courses spanning a plethora of topics. Skillshare also has free courses available to you, but is also currently offering 2 months of free access Skillshare Premium, which will give you unlimited access to their content. You could also browse this list for free courses offered by Ivy League schools, on topics ranging from mathematics to personal development!
Reach out to friends/acquaintances
I can’t stress this one enough. Everyone is taking on the burden and consequences of this health pandemic in different ways, and people are struggling with things that may not even be on your radar. But in the age of technology, social distancing doesn’t mean social disconnection. Reach out to all of your friends to enjoy a good laugh. Reach out to acquaintances to see how they’re faring. Maybe even reach out to people you haven’t communicated with in a while to check in on them--because you never know if no one else has bothered to do so. And I encourage you to branch out from just sending a text message; try giving that person a call, or maybe even scheduling a Skype date over some dinner and wine! Just don’t reach out to toxic people from your past whose absence from your life is obviously for the best!
