Stuff to Do (that isn’t reading) If You're Stuck at Home

Hey Everyone! So I know it’s been a long few weeks as most people are social distancing since jobs, classes and in my case, internships, are being shut down due to COVID19. If you’re like me and stuck at home for the forseeable future, you’re going to want to have things to do to keep you from going stir crazy. In my case, it’s the huge stack of library books and approved e-ARC’s from Netgalley. However, as much as I want to think I’ll get a ton of reading done, I know that realistically I’m going to want other things to do. So, I’ve compiled a list of things I’ve been doing in hopes that maybe it gives you some ideas of things to do.

Keep A Schedule and Stick To It

This is one I’ve seen around a lot but it’s actually really helpful. You don’t even need to do anything revolutionary like changing your sleeping habits (unless you want to), you just need to plan out some activities for yourself each day. This particular method helps because it gives you things to look forward to each day, instead of making them all run together. For example, last week I picked a movie or a TV show to binge each day as I did some cleaning, so for two days I did a rewatch of North and South and then the next day I watched Pride and Prejudice.
There’s been Twitter threads going around where people are super rigorous about wake up times and getting things done, which is great if you’re a really disciplined person! For me I find it hard to stick to a schedule if everything is scheduled out, so I just plan some activities to try out on certain days. Now what kind of activities can you plan? I’ve included a lot of suggestions in the following sections.

Try A New Hobby

This might be something like finally writing the story you’ve been thinking about or reading that huge fantasy series that you’re worried you didn’t have enough time for. I’ve been wanting to get better at doing eye shadow looks, so I’ve been watching some beauty YouTubers and putting that morphe palette I got for Christamas to use.

Other things to consider trying might be painting, knitting, crocheting, baking, sketching or learning that new dance you’ve seen people doing. There’s lots of different hobbies, so if one doesn’t sound appealing, you can try a different one. Plus there are TONS of people on Youtube who are putting out free content to teach people about specific hobbies. Also, Skillshare is offering two months free on their site and there’s lots of classes you can watch to learn about art, writing and even business. It’s a great offer and if you have the free time to spare, their videos are incredibly informative.

Get Moving

Just because you’re practicing social distancing, doesn’t mean you can’t go on walks outside. One of my friends is incredibly energetic and the only way for her to not go stir crazy at home is to go on long walks. The fresh air will make you feel great and getting your body moving helps keep your muscles from getting sore. Yes, believe it or not your muscles will get sore if you sit around and do nothing… I learned this the hard way on day 1.

If you want to take it one step farther, you can start an exercise routine if you’re interested in staying fit. One thing I’ve been doing is watching dance and Zumba videos online and following along with the dancers. Most videos have modified versions, so if you’re like me and can’t dance they make it easier to follow along. I personally enjoy this method because I get to dance and listen to fun music. Alternatively, you could start running as a way to get work out AND leave the house. Personally, I use the app C25K which is free, and it slowly trains you to run a 5k by alternating time jogging and walking. It takes into account your experience with running and customizes a plan for you, which is if you’re still new to running.

Catch Up With Booktube

I’m definitely guilty of not staying up to date with all my booktube content, however I have so much free time lately I’ve been able to catch up AND find some new booktubers to watch. If you’re in need of some good people to follow, I’m dropping names and links below.

Mina @ Mina Reads
Fadwa @ Word Wonders
Bee @ BeeWitched Shelves
Starlah @ starlahreads
Heathur @ aphroditereads
Karli @ karlisbooks

Play Video Games

Maybe you have consoles and PCs or maybe you just like to play games on your smartphone. Either way there are tons of cool games to try out, some of my personal favorites are: The Bioshock games, The Outer Worlds, Borderlands 2, Dragon Age and Kingdom Hearts.

Also as you may know the new Animal Crossing just came out and I’ve been having a blast playing it on my switch! Luckily, if you don’t want to shell out money to Nintendo for a Switch AND the game, Animal Crossings Pocket Camp is a smartphone game and is just as fun. Another smartphone game I’ve been enjoying is called Animal Restaurant and it’s basically just running a cute restaurant for animals and buying fun decorations.

Virtual Hangout Sessions

Also if you’re interested in having a game night with friends but are maintaining that social distancing (as you should), there are a few options as well! There is a Cards Against Humanity clone called Pretend You’re Xyzzy. This game allows you to join other games online or create your own game for friends to join. Also it has tons of expansion decks that you can add to your games to make it even more fun. This is a great way to play games with your friends and because it’s over the internet, you can play with your international friends as well. Also if you’re looking to make more friends, you can jump into random sessions and play with other people.

Another option you have is playing Jackbox Games, for this you’ll need either a PC or console and some type of streaming service to broadcast your screen. Check out this link for more detail about how to set it up. Anyways, Jackbox has a bunch of different virtual games and as long as the players have some way of seeing the screen and getting your game code, it’s a super easy way to connect with friends. You will have to pay a fee to get the different party packs but afterwards you get to keep them and play them whenever you want. Right now, their game “Drawful 2” is free to play for the next 3 weeks, so if you can’t shell out money for a whole party pack this one provides plenty of entertainment. (Fun tip: check twitch or other streaming services for open games to play. Sometimes people who have purchased games will let random guests jump in and you can get a feel for what games you like best.)

Finally, if you don’t have a discord I would suggest making an account! This app lets you create and join tons of different servers and it’s an easy way to make new friends and get extra social interaction. There’s discord servers for book lovers, anime, video games, tabletop RPG’s, artists, and so much more. Plus a lot of servers will have events and voice chats for members to hang out in, so it’s incredibly fun.

Play with your Pet!

If you don’t have a pet, then you’ll have to disregard this section. If you do own a pet now is prime time for snuggles, belly rubs (maybe), and play time. As I write this post, my own pet is crawling all over my lap and trying to step on the laptop… My point is, don’t ignore them!!! They need love too and are very good at helping you de-stress during anxious times like this.

if All Else Fails… Watch Tiktok

I definitely did not download TikTok and lose precious hours of my day watching it. Definitely didn’t do that at all.

While TikTok does have a reputation for being generally cursed and having obnoxious content, there are some talented creators on the app. The best part is that the app itself tailors content to you based on what you like and dislike, so after a few sessions of watching content a lot of it will be catered to your interests. The downside is that sometimes there’ll be a little too much catering. For example, I love the JoJo pose challenge but because the algorithm knows this, 1 in every 7 videos I watch is someone’s new version of the challenge. It’s fun to watch but I do like my content differentiated. Despite my complaints, TikTok has been a nice distraction for me during this social isolation because I forget about all the rough things going on around me and I can just laugh at dumb content. It provides a nice break from all the bad news you can see on social media, so I appreciate it.

Rest & Take Care of Yourself

The world is stressful lately! You ARE valid if you feel anxious or mad or tired. There’s so much happening that it’s important that you take care of yourself during this time. Drink lots of water and juice, the fluids keep your body feeling good and juice helps boost your immune system. If you need to rest during the day because you’re a night owl, get those power naps in because it will make you feel better. If you have some bath bombs or face masks just sitting around, break those out and treat yourself like the royalty you are! Lastly… please… wash ya hands.

I’ve rambled a lot about the different stuff I’ve been doing, but I want to know how you all are doing? Have you been finding new hobbies or working on that novel? Let me know in the comments!