Right now with the COVID-19 pandemic everyone is stuck indoors; it might not be the funnest experience but there are several different things that can be done at home or in an apartment to help fill up time and remain productive. Now it seems everyone has all the time in the world, time that can be used to do many things such as: study, spend time with pets, clean, start a small garden, learn a new recipe, learn a language, learn to play an instrument, read a new book, find a way to make some extra money or find things that you can donate or sell.
Whether students are with family, friends, significant others or no one, it is important that basic tasks are still performed despite the lack of motivation many are feeling right now. It is very important to find ways to stay active at home so cleaning around the house and learning how to cook healthy meals should be a priority right now. This is the best time for students to learn how to take care of themselves, especially if they are quarantining solo.
It’s very easy to heat up ramen every night, but this is the time to cook food and get skilled at it. Food and sleep are the two greatest sources of fuel for the body and it is imperative that each student gets plenty of both to support their immune systems. Aside from this, another way for students to stay healthy is to do home workouts since gyms across the state have been told to shut down. There are videos on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok which demonstrate how to do several different workouts. All of them can be done within the home and will help prevent cabin fever.
Another method to maintaining sanity is to reach out to family and friends. Even people who you haven’t been spoken to in a while can be great sources of social interaction. Try catching up with an old friend or a distant cousin and see how much has changed with time in their lives. If talking to people isn’t something you’re interested in, keeping a journal is another way to relieve stress and vent about this experience without having to worry about exposing yourself to anyone.
When it comes to filling the time, the first priority should be schoolwork. Students now have the gratuitous side effect of tons of time, offering plenty of opportunities to study. Read the textbook, and read ahead in the material to prevent cramming later on this quarter. Email professors and TAs to ask for suggestions on what to study specifically. This may be the only time students have where there is nothing else to do but sit down and study.
If you have access to an instrument then you can try learning to play new songs or simply improve your skills. If you have a pet, now is the perfect opportunity to spend time with them and even try to teach them a trick or a new game. If there is space in your backyard planting a garden is a great way to relieve stress and get low impact exercise, not to mention soak up some sun which many will be needing during this time. If there is absolutely nothing else to do, try looking online for ways to make extra money. There are several companies that are looking to hire audiobook readers and voice actors for all languages. There are lots of opportunities for transcribers and programmers to find work online.
It will be very hard to cope with this situation, but there are so many things students can do to make it better. The main priority is everyone’s health right now, physical and mental.
