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Writer's pictureCarmen Matheny

Quarantine & Self-Care: 10 Things to Pass the Time

So there's a pandemic. The coronavirus has spread worldwide and everything is canceled. Like literally almost everything. We've all been advised to stick around home as much as possible to avoid further spreading the virus. What now?


To some, this is a jail sentence... being stuck at home 24/7 is a total nightmare. But to homebodies like myself, this is what we've been training for our whole lives. If you're someone in the first group, you're probably wondering what the heck you're supposed to do with yourself for days... weeks... who knows how long. As a self-proclaimed expert in social distancing, my solution for you is self-care. Now I know that sounds pretty basic and like it wouldn't fill that much of your time, but self-care takes many forms. Mind, body, and soul. I've outlined my top ten self-care activities to focus on during the quarantine:


1. GIVE YOURSELF A SPA DAY... OR SEVERAL


This one's probably the most obvious. I don't know about you, but I have about a million bottles and tubes of self-care products that have just been collecting dust in the bathroom cabinet forever. I have good intentions when I buy them, and some of them are gifts or items from a subscription box, but I just never seem to actually use them. I'm always too busy, too tired, I forget, I don't feel like it... but now is the time for that expensive face mask to shine!


Finally use that bath bomb your hubby gave you on Valentine's Day last year. Use up that 3/4 empty bottle of moisturizer that you haven't touched since you bought a different scent three years ago. Exfoliate. Give that weird sheet mask from FabFitFun a try. Treat your hair to a good deep conditioning. Give yourself a mediocre pedi, since you're probably not going to be able to make it to the nail salon anytime soon. Make your dentist proud and actually floss. You've got plenty of time on your hands, so take advantage of the opportunity to actually take care of your body. Who knows? Maybe you'll even start building some good habits and remember to actually cleanse and moisturize before bed once things start getting back to normal! ....maybe 😜




2. GET AN EARLY START ON SPRING CLEANING


Spring is just around the corner, and whether you normally partake in spring cleaning or not, extra cleaning can never hurt. Being stuck in the house is the perfect situation to actually force you to clean. A clean house means a clean mind. There's just something that makes you feel better about being in a clean space. Especially during times like these when everything just feels a little extra... dirty. So put those ridiculous amounts of Clorox and wipes to use and give your house a deep cleaning. Scrub those places you normally skip over. Organize your closet. Clean out the pantry or garage. Get caught up on laundry. You'll feel a lot better when you've got a clean house -- especially if you do it early into the quarantine since you'll be able to enjoy the space more while you're stuck in it 24/7.


And don't forget about "cleaning" your tech too! Is your email box almost full? Phone storage full of photos you don't need? Computer files a hot mess? Use this time to get your tech organized too! It'll make your life easier and you can knock these kinds of tasks out while you chill on the couch!




3. GET AHEAD ON WORK


Some people are fortunate enough to have jobs they can do remotely while offices are closed over the next few days to weeks, others not so much. If you ARE someone who can work from home in some capacity, get ahead! You're in the comfort of your home -- no commute, no annoying coworkers distracting you with dumb questions, those unnecessary meetings are FINALLY becoming emails. Take advantage and work on getting ahead! If you've had some low priority little tasks on your to-do list, keep your laptop open a little longer each day and work on them while you rewatch Friends for the 8th time. Got an idea of something that will make your normal work easier, but you haven't had the time to do the ground work for it during a normal workday? Maybe you've been meaning to organize your work email inbox. Knock it out! If you can get a few nagging tasks off your list and get them off your brain, it'll make work so much less stressful when you return to the office.



4. TACKLE THOSE PROJECT YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING OFF


Been meaning to paint the guest room? Bought some antiques you want to refinish? Got a giant box of old clothes you planned on listing on Poshmark a year ago? DO THEM!! They're just going to keep weighing on your mind as more extra on your to-do list until you do them. You're stuck at home. Do the math. Plus, they might even be a little fun and you could end up with something cute in the end! Or maybe some extra cash if you're selling things.



5. GET OFF THE COUCH


Just because your gym is closed or fitness classes are canceled doesn't mean you should skip your workouts. There are SO many online opportunities to guide you through a home workout. If your gym has an app or online portal, give it a try! If not, there are plenty of free options out there. Check out YouTube for basically any workout you could imagine! Yoga, HIIT, dance, you name it! Obviously you'll need to consider if you have the appropriate space or equipment, but there genuinely is something for EVERYONE -- no excuses! This might even be a good opportunity to try something new. If you usually do Zumba, but you've always wanted to try Yoga, doing it in the privacy of your own home can be a great way to try it without any pressure or fear of looking dumb.


And hey... if the online instruction isn't for you, or maybe you're just getting a little stir crazy and need some fresh air, just take a walk. Just because we're practicing social distancing and avoiding public places and touching each other doesn't mean you can't go outside. Grab the dog and take a stroll around the neighborhood. Turn on some music and dance. As long as you move your body and don't literally lay around all day, that's all that matters!



6. ENJOY THE EXTRA TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY


We literally all just want to be stay-at-home dog moms, right? It's finally happening! Enjoy the extra time with your furbabies! Enjoy the extra time with your kids! Enjoy the extra time with your boo! Our time is limited with each other as it is, and I'm ALWAYS down for an excuse to spend more time with my family. And maybe I'm a weird case because I could be home with my husband and dogs all day, every day, and never get tired of them, but I really do think people should take this opportunity to value the quality family time!


And hey... #quarantineandchill wasn't trending on Twitter for nothing! 😉 Assuming neither of you is feeling symptomatic, turn your bedroom into a romantic staycation hotel room for you and bae!



7. FINALLY START THAT NEW HOBBY



A new hobby is always good for the soul! If you've been wanting to take up knitting or gardening, here's your chance! And don't worry. If you don't have the materials you need and can't venture to go get them, most things you should be able to have on your doorstep within a couple of days when you order them on Amazon! They don't think you can catch the coronavirus through mail, so relax.


8. WORK YOUR BRAIN FOR FUN


This is a great time to learn something new! With online tutorials for just about anything on YouTube and websites like Skillshare to take online classes for TONS of subjects, you can finally learn how to use PhotoShop, play the guitar, manage your finances, do a smokey eye... basically whatever your heart desires! And hey... if you're not feeling all that extra work right now, you can always just curl up with a good book!


9. GET IN THE KITCHEN


We all panic-bought quarantine snacks, and that's okay, but don't sit around eating nothing but Oreo's and Cheese-its for days.


Most of us are too busy to cook on a typical day, which means we tend to grab takeout or heat up something frozen. You've got all the time in the world, so why not use some of it to actually cook?! You can make something healthy, make something delicious that you love, meal prep for when you get back to work, bake... whatever you're feeling!



10. JUST RELAX


Sure, being productive is great... but sometimes you just need to relax! This is your excuse to just RELAX! Yes, you should make sure you accomplish some tasks while you're stuck at home, but don't forget to just chill on the couch and watch some movies, while you snack on popcorn. Or catch up on some much-needed sleep! Our society of so schedule-based and we have a tendency to drive ourselves into the ground in our day-to-day. Times like these don't happen often. You've got a really long "weekend" so take advantage of the time to unwind and rest.



This is a weird time for everyone. There's a lot of panic. There's a lot of fear. There's a lot of annoyances. There's a lot of isolation. There's a lot of unknown. It's a serious situation, whether you fall on the terrified end of the spectrum or you think everything has been blown out of proportion. Either way, everyone is stressed and we know that this will impact our world in many ways. The most important thing we can do right now is take care of ourselves... and of course, wash your hands.



TALK TO ME: Do you have any other self-care ideas or tips for the self-quarantine? How are YOU spending your extra time at home?

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