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Social distancing, self-isolation and even quarantining are things we’ve had to rapidly become accustomed to. While these measures help flatten the curve, curb infection rates and spare others from illness, it can be difficult to stay close to home for an indefinite amount of time. Here are some ideas to help cope with being cooped up.
Get crafty. If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new skill (amigurumi, anyone?), now is a great time. Hop online and check out how-to videos, or download different sewing, knitting or crochet patterns. Need help deciding where to start? Try Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing.
Get organized. Not necessarily the most fun, but with endless days at hand now is a great time to start your spring cleaning. Try starting with one room or closet at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. You just might find the matching sock you’ve been missing.
Get messy. Unplug from social media and video games and get messy. Break out old watercolor palettes or paint and have a painting party. Discover your inner Emeril or Julia and experiment in the kitchen. Just don’t get too crazy with the glitter.
Teach adulting 101 classes. If you’ve got teenagers heading out on their own soon, it’s the perfect time to arm them with adulting knowledge and life hacks. Balancing a checkbook, doing laundry, changing a tire and/or oil in a car, ironing a shirt and even knowing how to open a paint can (yes, there are teens who don’t know how to do this) will help them out.
Read. Discover new authors or rediscover your favorites reads. USAFE Libraries offers great online resources and e-books. Amazon Kindle Unlimited offers e-books, audiobooks and magazine subscriptions for $9.99 per month.
Movie marathons. If you’ve been wanting to catch up on your favorite flicks, you’ve got plenty of time. If there’s more than one, make it a marathon. Enjoy the full magic of the “Harry Potter” series or the main nine action-packed “Star Wars” films. Feeling adventurous? Watch all 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films in the chronological order of the MCU timeline.
Binge TV shows. We’ve been terrible at keeping up with TV shows, so we’ve decided to start catching up with the rest of the world. Two of my favorites right now are “The Office” and “Schitt’s Creek.”
Catch up with family and friends. Call or video chat with loved ones you haven’t seen or talked to in a while. Odds are, they’re in the same boat as you and would love a little human interaction.
Plan your next vacation. You’re still in Europe and eventually, you’ll be able to move about more freely and start traveling again. Hop on to StripesEurope.com or visit our Facebook travel page for some fantastic ideas to get your new bucket list going.
