Covid-19 is ravaging the world right now. Causing entire countries to lockdown and quarantine to stop the spread of the virus, read more on the WHO website. However, trying to keep yourself entertained in self-isolation can be a challenge, especially when you are less of a homebody.
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I’m quite fortunate that working from home has gotten me used to my own company. The same cannot be said for everyone and spending time in close quarters with those you live with can be a nightmare in itself.
Therefore, I want to inspire you with some ideas about what to do during self-isolation.
These are stressful and tense times but it is also not the time to let the stress and anxiety get to you and negatively impact your holistic health and wellness.
15 Self-isolation Activities at Home for your Health and Wellness
1. Self-care
The hustle and bustle of life can mean that your self-care gets neglected. It can be especially true if the stress of current times is consuming your mentality.
Therefore, take time daily to really nurture yourself. This can include skincare, time to yourself whether outside or in a bath, and doing whatever makes you content and fulfilled. Some of these activities may be included in this list too.
Now you may have more time for yourself, you can introduce a positive self-care morning routine. This can help you start the day in the best way and in a more positive mindset in times like these.
2. Reading
I personally love reading!
Fiction and non-fiction both have their own benefits for your mind. You can let your imagination run wild or educate yourself on something completely new. There is power to be gained in the knowledge of books.
Self-help books, I find, are the most enriching for me. Right now I am reading Awaken the Giant Within, by Tony Robbins. There are many books just like this on Kindle Unlimited such as 7 habits of highly effective people.
Will you give a new book a try? Maybe you’ve even had some lying around which you wanted to read but never picked up or finished? I urge you to pick them up and get those brain juices flowing.
3. Take an Online Course
There are courses online for absolutely everything! If there is something you have always wanted to learn but never had the time, maybe the time is now? Do you want to expand your knowledge for your career or personal life?
Find a course that suits your needs and the prices can vary from £10-£1000. This will definitely keep you busy for at least a few weeks and then self-isolation will not feel like wasted time after all.
4. Learn a New Skill
Along the same lines as taking an online course, are there any skills or hobbies you’ve wanted to take up?
Of course, it can be difficult to get your hands on all the materials for some hobbies. However, online stores like Amazon are still taking orders and delivering, although it may take a little longer.
You can reignite a love of crafting or drawing, learn a new language or instrument, running or calligraphy. Learning something new in self-isolation grows your skills, helps stimulate and strengthen neurons and changes your brain chemistry to improve performance.
5. At-home Workouts
Now that gyms are closed, exercise can seem less of priority and more difficult. However, exercise is so important for both your physical and mental wellbeing. It can also help build and strengthen your immune system to help fight the virus.
Therefore, do not ignore your bodies health because you are stuck indoors. Your garden can be an excellent place to practice yoga and stretching or space for a HIIT workout.
I have found many retailers sold out of fitness equipment but a pack of resistance bands can do just as good of a job. There are lots of online workout videos to follow and ensure your whole body is exercised fully.
Self-isolation does not need to be boring and you can make it fun with some imaginative home-workouts to nurture your body.
6. Creative Cooking
With the current situation, there is a greater appreciation for food and the privileged we have with such easy access to it. Although, this does not mean that food shortage won’t happen whilst in self-isolation.
Therefore, you can get experimental with what you have around you and any leftovers/waste. This is not the time to be wasteful and there is a lot you can do with all sorts in your cupboards.
Search for recipes using leftovers or the odd tins you have around. For example, a tin of chickpeas could be used for a curry and the juice used to make meringue kisses with the kids.
7. Call your Friends and Family
Being in self-isolation can feel very… isolating. So, keeping in contact with your friends and family is very important to tackle this feeling of distance. The isolation may feel even more daunting if you are not used to working at home and lacking the interaction with your work friends.
This does not mean browsing social media in a half-hearted attempt to feel connected to others. It is connecting and sharing with one another, asking after one another and being kind.
Thankfully, with technology, there is Facetime, Skype and video chats where you can see each other’s faces too. Have some group video chats as if you’re hanging out with your friends like normal and reconnect with real people.
8. Deep Spring Clean
As you spend more time at home, you might realise there are loads of things around that you don’t use or need refreshing. Now can be a great time to DIY, get to some jobs you have been putting off and clear out the house.
When you have a more positive and clean environment, it can clear and create a positive space for your mentality too. Stop putting it off and start clearing out with intention.
Take some tips from Marie Kondo and tidy with joy. This can create a more positive, grateful, and thoughtful time with material things and what you need and use.
9. Self-Reflection
Improving your mentality and mindset are going to be key right now. Not allowing anxiety and stress to negatively impact your mental health and immune function too.
Self-reflection can be done by starting a journal or using similar workbooks like the 6-minute Journal from Amazon. Reflect on how far you have come in the past year and where you can go in the next. The things you want to change about yourself and the things you appreciate most.
Reflecting on your current situation and looking to the future can inspire you to take action on yourself and your goals. What better time to take aligned action than in self-isolation?
10. Meditation and Mindfulness
The time in isolation can be quality time with yourself. It can be a time you start practicing meditation and mindfulness to enrich your everyday life, even after coronavirus has passed.
Did you know that your brain processes 4000 billion bits of information per second and on 2,000 bits are conscious? It is no wonder that it can be extremely overwhelming when reading the news and how it can affect you unconsciously. When your mental health is not positive, it can impact your physical wellness through the mind-body connection.
Therefore, meditation can help clear your mind from all the craziness that goes on in there. Taking some guided meditation to get started with breathing techniques and mantras that help build positive energy.
As well as meditation, you can practice mindfulness throughout the day. This is becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings, where they are come from, and why you think and feel this way. Take a few moments every so often to stop and reflect. If you feel negative, you can change this in an instant and be much more positive.
11. TV and Movies
You cannot be expected to ignore the tv and Netflix the whole time! Binge-watching series you love, catching up on new tv and movies and winding down in the evenings is what TV is for, especially in self-isolation.
12. Quality Sleep
And yes, this includes a day nap every so often if you need it. Sleep is very important for your wellbeing and also improves your immune system. Therefore, if your work-life leaves you feeling sleep deprived, its time to nurture your sleep pattern and the quality of your sleep.
This can include turning off devices a few hours before bed, taking supplements that help with REM sleep, using short sleep meditation and aromatherapy. Experiment with different techniques that help you improve the quality of your sleep to feel more rested and energised in the mornings.
13. Listen to Podcasts
Another form of education and inspiration are podcasts. There are thousands of podcasts out there from interviews to stories or live coaching calls. Podcasts have so much value to give if you are willing to listen and they cover hundreds of topics.
This can be a nice break from tv or radio whilst in self-isolation and also spark your interest in different, intellectual ways. Some of my favourite Podcasts include: the BossBabe Podcast, London Real and Design your Dream Life. What are yours?
14. Limit your News Consumption
The news can be a source of huge anxiety for many people. And now that it seems overwhelmingly negative with daily updates of coronavirus it makes it worse. Therefore, I encourage you to limit your news consumption so that you are not constantly focused on bad news.
Maybe check in for an update once a day or ask your family for the most important information you need to know. But if you notice a significant impact on your mental and physical wellbeing when listening to news, stop listening. Your health and wellness is more important than being up-to-date on the bad news.
15. Write a Bucket List
With lots of extra time on your hands and the fragility of life being revealed each day, you may gain a better appreciation for life. Being reminded of how short life really is is sobering. So, now can be a great time for the reflection on your life and what you’ve always wanted to do.
Time to write the bucket list!
They can be crazy, off the wall ideas or complete small but meaningful to you. What can you not wait to do when you get out of the house? What will make you feel fulfilled and happy? Whatever you want to fill your bucket list up with is personal and exciting.
What are You Doing in Self-Isolation at Home Now?
You are now armed with 15 ideas of what to do while in self-isolation at home. What you do with this spare time is down to you. Only you are accountable for your actions and what you choose to do with your potential.
Let me know if you have more ideas and show me how you’ve been doing at home in comments!
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