Nearly everyone, all over the country, will be spending the majority of their time over the next few weeks indoors. So what can you do to pass the time?
Learn a language
Learning a language has so many benefits, including improving your memory. Sadly, it can also be pretty time consuming – meaning isolation is the perfect opportunity to knuckle down and learn your Français from yourEspañol.
There’s plenty of free tools out there to choose from, Duolingo being one of the most popular and easy to use, with tonnes of languages to choose from. You’ll be fluent in no time!
Read some books
It could finally be time to dust off them books that have been sat on the shelves, and get stuck in. If you have a Kindle, Amazon have free downloads for some books, and there’s plenty of other websites out there with licensed, free eBooks, too.
If audiobooks are more your style, Audible has a free book trial for new users, plus Open Culture and Digital Book have plenty of free resources to offer.
Play some games
It might sound a little childish, but puzzles and games are great ways to pass the time and keep your mind active, too. You might have some old jigsaws and board games lying around the house, but there’s loads of things you can do online as well. Sporcle is a great site for trivia games and quizzes, and try looking on news websites for good daily crosswords. If you’re feeling adventurous, some people are bringing their pub quiz into the virtual world, video calling friends and family to keep the weekly quiz alive!
Get moving
Exercise is so important for our mental health, and being cooped up indoors all day makes it even more crucial. The current guidance surrounding COVID-19 allows us to go out for one form of exercise a day, so try and get out if you can; if not, YouTube is a treasure trove of all the exercise videos you could dream of. Yoga with Adriene is a firm favourite among many, and Joe Wicks has just started a ‘PE with Joe’ session every weekday morning for little ones and parents alike.
Get creative
That thing that you said you always wanted to do but never had the time? Now could be the chance to pick up the pencils or whip out the paint, and get stuck into a creative project, whatever it may be. Creating is also a great release for tension and has loads of therapeutic properties, perfect for these particularly trying times.
Deep clean
It may sound pretty boring, but there’s much to be said for an ordered and clean house. You could use this free time to sort through your wardrobe, give your bathroom a good scrubbing or organise the garden. A redecorating job could also well be on the agenda!
Watch TV
There’s so many streaming platforms out there, it’s hard to know where to begin. Luckily for us, it also means there’s plenty of choice. Get stuck in to a binge-worthy series, or watch some classic films that you’ve never had a chance to see.
Call people!
Staying connected is crucial for our mental health while we’re in isolation. Most of us are used to going out every day and socialising with our friends, family, and co-workers, so the removal of this can be quite the shock. Be sure to check in on people: give them a call, or use the wealth of video technology to keep up that face to face interaction.
Do some digital housekeeping
Most people’s phones and computers will look the same: hundreds upon thousands of photos, emails, and documents that we no longer need or use. Taking a bit of time to go through your phone and unsubscribe from emails, or delete photos and unnecessary apps is a great use of time and you’ll thank yourself later.
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