Social distancing was enjoyable for about the first week. After all, who wouldn’t want practically obligation free days to be able to indulge in favorite past times and focus on the things that usually don’t find a way into our typically busy lives? However, being isolated from much of the world has quickly made me devolve into a crazy cat lady who spends most of her time doing random things around the house and attempting to be somewhat productive. I’m hoping the rest of the world is not as bored as I am, however, if that’s the case, I’ll be doing my part as a good Samaritan by sharing some activities which will hopefully curb insanity, and not breed it, during coronatine.

• Decorate or rearrange your living space

Whether you’re in an apartment or staying in your old bedroom at your parents house, switching things around in your living space can be refreshing and even increase your productivity. This project will also help in stimulating your creativity, as you must use what you currently possess to give your living area a new “vibe.” In order to do this, you can pull out old decorations you have stored in your closet, research some DIY ideas, or maybe repurpose items other people in your household don’t have a need for.

Personally, I decided to go all out by rearranging my living room and bedroom, as well as decorating for Christmas. It sounds strange, but I may as well feel jolly while being trapped in my house for the time being. My favorite new addition is my cat Christmas tree. Since I obviously can’t acquire a real Christmas tree, I decided to decorate my cat’s tree with the ornaments I have left over from the holidays. 

While you may not decide to do something as “out there” as I did, having your own space (especially if you’re cooped up with other people) in which you enjoy spending time can improve your mood and make this period of ambiguity at least somewhat pleasant.

• Play some old computer games

For this fun suggestion, I’m taking us back to middle school. Although many of us have gaming consoles which allow us to have access to more games than we could ever possibly play, there’s something comforting and revitalizing about playing the games of our childhood. Of course, Cool Math Games has to be included on this list. Since the last time we’ve all played (which has probably been awhile) the creators have added dozens of new games which can keep you entertained while also keeping your puzzle-solving and creativity skills sharp.

Additionally, if you have another person hanging around the house with you also doing nothing, you can find interesting, co-op games for free online. My favorite is Fireboy and Water Girl, an interactive strategy game in which you must work together to advance.

Although we have access to an abundance of advanced games, I enjoy revisiting the games of my childhood and getting some good ole nostalgia while also occupying my mind for a few hours.

Cool Math Games: https://www.coolmathgames.com/

Fireboy and Water Girl: https://fireboyand-watergirl.co/fireboy-and-water-girl-3-in-the-ice-temple

• Switch Up Your Hair

Disclaimer: do this at your own risk. However, of the three people I know who’ve done this, me included, all have been happy with the results. I thought long and hard about who I would trust to cut my hair (although I didn’t have many options). Eventually, I decided my sister was my best bet at not making my hair look like a member of Mötley Crüe. Luckily, she turned out to be a natural, and now my hair is back to being healthy without split ends and I didn’t end up looking like Joe Exotic from Tiger King.

• Clean

This isn’t the most exciting thing to do, however, it needs to be done. Not just because it’s probably been a while since most of us have cleaned our bathroom, but also because sanitizing during this time is important for obvious reasons.

Set a timer for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, and blast some of your favorite music and have a cleaning party.

• Research something new

The internet is a beautiful thing, with lots of interesting information about anything you can think of and more. Spend some time learning about a new topic that may not exactly be useful in an “educational” type of way, but is darn fun to learn about. Personally, my favorite things to research are the zodiac, conspiracy theories, and famous serial killers. Like I said, not the most useful information, but it’s definitely intriguing.

• Plan next year’s vacation

Unfortunately, many of us have had to cancel vacations in the interest of staying safe and healthy. However, instead of wallowing, start planning your next vacation. Obviously you can’t make deposits or concrete plans, but you can research areas you want to visit, put together an itinerary, and accumulate tips for traveling to that particular location. The world will go back to normal, even if it takes a while, and it’s important that we still look to the future and stay excited about what’s to come.

• Look into your family tree

This is a great way to not only learn about your family history, but also to stay in touch with your family. If you haven’t dialed your grandmother’s number in a while, this would be a perfect way to strike up a conversation. However, if your family is anything like mine, this project may take you quite awhile, considering my grandma had eight siblings and almost all had children.

• Build a blanket fort

This isn’t necessarily a new idea, as many on social media have been posting pictures of their awesome pillow and blanket forts. While I haven’t gotten around to doing this yet, I know I could make a legendary fort with my many blankets, pillows, and fairy lights. For bonus points, make it in front of your TV, bring your cat, dog, or sibling with you and some snacks, and have a movie night cuddled up in a relaxing lean-to made from the comfiest things you can find.