What the world is going through right now with the COVID-19 pandemic is quite crazy and if you’re self-isolating at home, it can quickly turn into an overwhelming experience. But it doesn’t have to if you make good use of your time and get creative, not only to watch the minutes go by faster but to also stay sane during this wild episode we’re living in.

As a remote worker, spending hours on end at home is nothing new to me but with all afternoon hobbies and events cancelled, there seems to be an infinite amount of hours in the day now. With the first week of staying at home gone and trying to fill up my time as creatively as possible, I’ve come up with several suggestions of things to do while at home so you don’t go crazy, bored or turn into a hypochondriac and make up symptoms when they’re not there.

Go through your laptop files

You know, the ones from 2017 that they’re the reason your disk is almost full. Or your travel photos which you still need to send to your friends 2 years later (me, that’s me, I need to do that). Take this time to clear out all of the digital space you own. Empty the camera folder in your phone, delete old unnecessary downloaded files. When you’re happy with the result, shut your laptop and get off your phone. Don’t spend 24 hours a day online during the lockdown, although tempting.

Declutter

Clean out your closets, the kitchen cabinets, your old university box files, anything that’s taking up unnecessary space. Now’s the perfect time to go through your household items and prioritize. Get your Marie Kondo on and keep only what sparks joy and is useful. My general rule of thumb with de-cluttering is if I haven’t used it or searched for it in the last five years (and it holds little sentimental value) then I could do without it.

Deep clean the house

While in an organizing mood, take out the mops and dusters and deep clean your house. Perhaps do one room at a time or if that’s too much take on one corner of the house. It will also help keep the germs away and while you’re at it, crack a window open to recycle the air.

Take up a new skill

I’ve had an online course sitting in my inbox since the summer, maybe this is the perfect excuse to finally get on with it. Think of anything you wanted to try but didn’t have the time to. Macrame plant holders, embroidery art, drawing, coding, baking a new recipe, gardening, jewellery-making, language-learning. The sky’s the limit. House Beautiful has an article with 27 DIY home decor projects you can take on - check it out here.

Skillshare.com and YouTube have infinite tutorials to choose from.

What you come up with, doesn’t have to be good at the end of the day so don’t worry too much about it. Just get creative, keep your hands and mind busy and that’s half of the art.

Play with your pets

Turning to my furry friend is my favourite way to calm myself down and she doesn’t even know that her purring and chasing is a relaxant for me. So grab your doggos, cats or whatever pet you own and spend time with it. If you don’t have one consider adopting one, but only if you’ll really give it the proper care it needs.

Read books

The news are publishing new information about the virus every hour and although it’s important to stay informed and updated, the sheer volume of information is overwhelming and mostly negative, for me at least. So, this is a great time to get some reading you’re more interested in. Remember that book list you never got around to ticking off? Find it.

If you don’t have a list, head over to Goodreads.com and pick out books to read. You can even order them from Bookdepository.com which has free delivery worldwide or get a kindle and instantly download books.

Move

Staying home doesn’t mean sitting on your bum all day long – and this acts as a reminder for me too. Get some movement in your day whether it’s a deep morning stretch, a 10-minute yoga session or a half an hour workout.

Head to the park for a walk and a breath of fresh air, sit in the sun and just stare into space, any visit to nature, be it fields or the sea will likely boost your system – and we need it these days.

Journal

You don’t have to have a pull for writing to start journaling. We are living through insane times right now and when they’re over and we’re telling future generations what happened, it’ll be pretty fascinating to look through your memoirs and notes of what’s going on now. And who knows? Maybe one day it’ll turn into a book or a film!

You could also write about literally anything else. Imaginary, things you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for, your top 5 meals, lists of funny moments with friends, a bucket list, a why-did-I-do-that list, literally anything goes.

Watch films/series/TV

There are countless of film lists and Netflix series to browse. That said, don’t turn into a couch potato and become one with the remote control. Choose wisely. Ask your friends to share their favourites, do a marathon of the classics, pick a category and watch Bollywood for example or Almodovar’s strange but unforgettable films.

Sort out the paperwork

Less exciting, I know but why not tackle that pile of random papers sitting on your desk? Go through them, throw what you don’t want away, file what’s necessary. This is no time to have useless crap laying around the house and though you can’t fully control your health, control what’s in your house and that might give you some peace of mind, I know I’m not the only the one who calms down when the house is tidy.

Meditate or pray

If you’re like me, you might need a little something extra to help you get through the virus crisis. During this first week of staying home, I’ve been trying to meditate for 10 minutes a day and it’s helped relax both my body as I follow the deep breaths and my mind.

Sit in a comfortable place, lit a candle, put on some incense if you like and meditate or pray, if that’s more your style, to anyone you want. God, spirit guides, Superman, your dog that passed away, Johnny Depp, whatever you believe in.

Catch up with old friends

While everyone is distancing themselves socially, it doesn’t mean that we have to go through this alone. Call your parents, your best friend, your old university buddy across the world and just chat, check up on them, let them know you’re thinking of them.

It’s easy to spend all this free time in front of a screen, alone, but try to pull yourself away from that loophole because there’s something wonderful in connecting with people, even virtually or through the phone.

Play virtual games with your friends

And I don’t mean just video games. Set up Skype or Oovoo or whatever has good group call quality and play games with your friends; card games, drinking games, question games. If you can’t think of any, here are some ideas.

And on the topic of virtual, 12 famous museums are allowing you to take a virtual tour right from your house. This article has all the info.

Do Nothing

That’s right. Do nothing. It’s quite stressful and overwhelming what’s happening right now and it’s fiiiine to have unproductive days where you binge-watch series, bake cookies and just lounge around all day. Not every day will be great but the next day probably will. There will be ups and there will be downs, just work your way through them, go with what you feel. Let go of the pressure that you need to be doing something productive all the time. Screw it! Do what you feel.

Remember, although times are tough and scary, it’s as important to take care of our mental health as we do our physical health and because staying home long-term isn’t something we’re used to nowadays, don’t let it get you down. If social media is a scary place right now because everyone is vomiting their newly-found expertise, then limit your time on there or follow people that make you feel good.

There’s a way to stay connected and support each other, although physically apart and I hope this is my way, my virtual way, of helping anyone who might be stuck at home and out of ideas.

Heck, I’m going to look back at this too when I hit a drywall and if you’ve got more ideas, share them! Cypriot artist Leboob is also sharing a practical and hilarious coronavirus survival guide. Follow her updates on her Instagram account.

Reach out, wash your hands, don’t touch your face (though it’s bloody hard), stay home and get creative.