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Short Guide to Surviving Social Distancing in 2020
It’s 2020 and we are in a strange time: there’s a pandemic and we are being told to stay home. What do you while you are bored and stuck at home?
Here are a few things you can do to avoid boredom and make the best out of social distancing while stuck at home.
1) Wake up early to start reading God’s Word.
During this social distancing, take time to strengthen your faith.
Now is the time to be reading God’s Word.
As a result, if we are building our faith now, we will be able to endure the trails that come our way!
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2
2) Spend time in prayer. Wait to hear from God.
Spend time in prayer to hear what God may want you to do or start while you are homebound.
This time stuck at home isn’t meant to be wasted.
God doesn’t waste time and doesn’t like us to waste time either.
Read the following verses on wasting time and being idle:
The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work. Proverbs 21:25
Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
3) Journal the following:
- What is God saying to you during this time
- See if He is repetitive about something.
- Read 1 Samuel 3 – God called Samuel until Samuel paid attention.
- Write your prayers.
- How do you feel about the events happening around us
- What happened to your 2020 plans:
- Were they canceled? How do you feel about that?
- What have you been doing lately?
- What do you want to do?
- How is your time at home going?
- Have you been happy?
- Does it feel lonely sometimes?
- What are you thankful for during this time?
You’d be surprised what you’ll learn about yourself and it will be awesome to keep track of your answered prayers.
Not only that, but 1 year from now, you’ll be able to look back at this historical time to see what you did and went through.
4) Get some fresh air.
Go outside for a bit. Usually, I go right before sundown and I put on sunblock to be safe. I am glad to be getting some vitamin D, which is needed to be healthy.
Walk through the neighborhood. Go to the park (away from crowds).
Most importantly, if you decide to get some fresh air, avoid peak sun hours. You don’t want to deal with sun spots and wrinkles when you are older.
5) Exercise even if…
you don’t want to; even if you feel more comfortable lying in bed; even if you hate exercising.
It will uplift your mood and you’ll be getting in shape at the same time! Your body will thank you later (especially once you hit 50+).
We have people uploading YT videos and doing IG Live sessions with exercise routines. I’m sure you can find 1 that best fits your fitness style.
For instance, I keep it simple: I go to my backyard to cycle on a thrift store bought machine.
6) Join your friends on Zoom.com
It’s free for about the first 30 to 35 minutes. You can log out and then log back in to get an additional free 30 to 35 minutes! And repeat! 🙂
Catch up with family and friends. Play board games through there.
Also, you can start an online Bible study. You don’t have to be a Bible guru to start one, but if you follow a bible study guide, you’ll be surprised how well it will flow with a group!
7) School: Stay on top of it & avoid…
anxiety!
I don’t know about you, but whenever I get behind with school things, I start to get this sinking feeling in my stomach. Things look dark and I start to feel anxious. Does this happen to you, too?
I avoid this by making sure I use my time wisely and plan ahead. I avoid getting behind. It makes things way better.
8) Practice self-care:
- Take care of your nails,
- Continue shaving,
- Wash your hair regularly,
- Change from your PJs,
- Keep putting face cream and body lotion,
- Use sunblock if you go outside,
- Keep doing your laundry + put clothes away 😉
- Clean your room and your closet (it’s therapeutic)
9) Read 1 book a week. Why?
Because you will be developing your brain in new ways: you’ll feel connected to the story and feel like you are living a new experience!
You’ll be keeping your brain active and possibly end up smarter by the time social distancing is over!
Pick a new novel. So many free new and old books on Hoopla and cloudLibrary apps, but you’ll need your library card number.
10) Learn a new language
Why not use this time while you are bored and stuck at home to learn a new language by yourself or with a friend?
For example, I am interested in learning Chinese (fyi: Mandarin is a dialect of Chinese…)
I am not sure why I’ve developed this desire, but I started practicing with Duolingo App. I may switch to Italian because Chinese is tough and Italian reminds me of Spanish, which I know well 😀
11) Cook/bake something from Pinterest.
Is there something you’ve been craving? Maybe a Starbucks drink? Why not try to make it at home?
I tried making guava and cheese pastries. They didn’t come out looking Pinterest-perfect, but they were very good!
12) Recreate a favorite restaurant recipe.
Since your favorite fast food place or restaurant may be temporarily closed, why not try to recreate some of your favorite dishes while you are homebound?
I love Chick-fil-a’s sauce so I did a Pinterest search and found it! I have to try it to see if it’s close to it. Otherwise, I will have to recreate it from scratch.
13) Have a game night with…
whoever is in your home.
On the other hand, if you don’t have board games, order one online or download an app. Recently, I saw there’s a Monopoly app!
Also, go on Pinterest to find cool games with resources you have at home – no need to spend any money!
You can even use Zoom to play games with others outside of your home!
14) Start something new. Here are a few ideas:
Blog? Podcast? YouTube videos? Those seem to be the most popular.
What about a new hobby? Lately, cross-stitching has been trending on Instagram.
Learn new ways to do your makeup. So many more ideas…just google!
15) Arts & Crafts
Remember those coloring pages you bought a while ago? Did you know there are ways to create your own coloring pages? Apps like Canva are great for that!
What about your art supplies? Any paint brushes and paint at home? Get creative during these days. See what cool stuff you’ll come up with.
16) Learn a new skill on these platforms:
YouTube, SkillShare, Udemy, or Coursera.
There are many universities offering free courses on a range of topics right now. Do a quick google search and you may find something interesting.
For example, I found a free seminary course and I have always wanted to learn more about the Bible…I am considering it once summer starts!
17) Plan a trip for 2021 with a saving$ plan + itinerary
At this time, no one really knows how the rest of 2020 will look like or if we will be able to travel.
One of the things you can do while you are bored and stuck at home is to plan ahead for 2021.
Maybe this can be the year when you have your first trip to a new state or a new country.
Maybe you can plan someone’s birthday and make it out of this world (on a budget, of course). 😉
Look at flights or bday ideas. Create a Pinterest board for this. Make it a group trip: invite some friends. I am sure they will be available in 2021!
This will surely keep you busy, cheerful, and hopeful!
18) Social Media Time
Avoid spending too much on it.
Just think: what good will come by staying on social media for hours?
How productive will your day be?
Set times throughout the day to get on it, post some stuff, but don’t let it be the only thing that consumes your day.
Instead, think about spending that time with God and seeing what new ideas/opportunities He tells you.
Ultimately, you’ll find a lot more joy from these days of social isolation by staying focused and being productive!
What are your thoughts on these things to do while bored and stuck at home?
Are you planning to start any of them?
Let me know below!
Want more to read? Check these out!
Do you have a word of the year for 2020? If not, click here!
Have you been struggling to stay positive while you are bored and stuck at home? If yes, click here!
Looking for a few books to read? Click here!
10 Comments
Oops- just looked down at my nails. I confess, self- care has taken THe back burner. Going to get offline and do something about these claws. Maybe I’ll even paint them! Thanks. Attitude is everything.
🙂 So happy to know this post was useful in a small way for someone! Thank you for reading!! Hope you stay safe during this time! God bless
Love the self care tips. I always think when you look good you feel good. Getting showered and dressed as if you going on a date with a mate is so uplifting and can boost your wellbeing. And starting the day with God!
Agreed! Those are all a favorite of mine! Thank you for reading, Ava!
The guava pastries you made look AMAZING! Great suggestions!
They were delicious! Thank you! 🙂
This is a fantastic list… although, I think I’ll skip #5 even though you said I Can’t. 😉 But truly, if we could focus on these practices, we would come out of this crisis a lot healthier, spiritually and emotionally.
Haha! And yes, I agree with you. I hope we come out of this time sooner than later! Thank you for reading!
Love this and all your tips. Many of these I’m doing…except learning a new language. Besides spending time with the Lord in the bible and prayer, I love number 3. Journaling is therapy for me.
It is for me too!! Thank you for reading 🙂