The world seems like a scary place right now. Everybody, including the commoners, scientists, doctors, and researchers, are worried – for their own safety as well as the safety of those around them. And, all of this is coming from the outbreak of CoVid 19, also known as the Novel Coronavirus. Although social distancing and lockdowns have been implemented to contain the situation and “flatten the curve”, there are various things to do when in Coronavirus quarantine to keep yourself sane and active – mentally as well as physically.
While it is easy to feel disheartened, the fact that the social distancing during this coronavirus pandemic can help us reconnect to our loved ones as well as take time out for yourselves cannot be ignored. The significance of staying indoors at this time cannot be highlighted enough.
You are asked repeatedly to stay at home not just to prevent yourself from contracting the disease but from the possibility of spreading it to your neighbors, those you come in contact with, and your loved ones, especially the young, the old, and any family member with a pre-existing condition.
And while you are stuck at home, it is easy to get bored. That is why we have curated this list. Let us look at our top 50 suggestions on what you can do during this Coronavirus quarantine.
1. Pick up that instrument
Hoping that it won’t annoy your neighbors, wipe off the dust from that old instrument and start playing music again. Also, there are tons of tutorials on the web that can teach you to play piano, drums, flutes and whatnot. Live out your dream of being Rockstar again and give yourself a chance to learn that instrument again.
2. Love Coffee? Go Dalgona!
From Twitter to Facebook to Instagram, everyone is participating in the 5-minute Dalgona coffee challenge. Get some ice, cold milk, instant coffee and sugar, and you are all set for the latest social media challenge. You can find a tutorial for the recipe of the coffee almost anywhere on the internet. Serve this delicious beverage to your loved ones and get high praise.
3. Craft a masterpiece
Get some colors and brushes and paint a bottle or four. You could also try painting the flowerpots, empty egg trays, or maybe a wall. Let out the artist inside you and unleash your creativity. You do not have to be a master painter to paint!
4. Teach the new-gen some cool 90s games
Before all these computer and phone games, there was a Monopoly, UNO, and Sheriff of Nottingham! Teach your kids the charm of these board games. Gather your family and play some good-old-fashioned board games.
5. Take up a cooking challenge
Challenge your partner to pick any 5 items from the refrigerator (or kitchen cupboard) and have a cook-off to see who the actual MasterChef in the family is. Not only will you get some delicious out of it, hopefully, but you will also master a new dish. Win-win!
6. Act in a play
Put on one of those long, classic plays on TV, mute it, and enact the characters with your family members. Sometimes, being silly with your family is the best medicine for stress and anxiety. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
7. Organize your wardrobe
Hang the dresses, put the whites together, manage the sock drawer, and color-code your blouses with skirts and pants. You know you have always wanted to do it, and now you have the time for it!
8. Do a Runway Project
Get your girl gang on a conference call and get them to YAY or NAY as you try all your outfits with matching shoes and accessories. Who knows, maybe you will learn some new combinations you never thought about.
9. Spend time with your children
Remember cribbing about not getting to spend time with your kids? Now is the time. Pick the best children’s books and enjoy storytimes with your young ones. This is also a good time to teach kids various new skills – painting, solving puzzles, gardening.
10. Go camping
Wait, wait, before you head out, hear me out. Camp out in your living room if you are tired of sleeping in the bedroom. Clear out some space in the center of the room and camp with some popcorn, horror movies, and blankets.
11. Watch all the Oscar-winning movies
And, when you are done with them, watch all those who were nominated for the Oscars or those that the critics say should have won.
12. Arrange your playlist
Arrange your music according to specific moods – work, sleep, party!
13. Meditate
Lay down or sit up with your eyes closed and listen to 15 minutes (or more) of guided meditation. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
14. Look at puppies and kittens on the internet
They have a strange way of brightening up your day. And there are so many videos online that there is no chance you will run out of material!
15. Travel – from the comfort of your home
It is tough for every industry, but the number of setbacks that the travel industry faces is unfathomable. But, to keep their spirits high and of those explorers around the world, several world-class museums and national parks have set up live cams and offer free live streaming of what’s happening. Make the most of it.
16. Be Grateful
Make a daily note of what you are grateful for – food, shelter, medicine, loved ones.
17. Learn a language
It takes 21 days to develop a new habit, they say. Now, you have plenty of days. Download a language learning app like Duolingo and finally learn how to order a pizza in Italian. If you have been thinking of moving to a new country where you do not speak the language, what better time to prepare for the move than now?
And even if you are not moving anywhere in the near future, it can never hurt to learn a new language. It will also open up to a whole new world of art, entertainment, and culture.
18. Order in
Order in from your local deli to help them during this crisis. Not only will it save you from a day of cooking, but it might help the local business too.
19. Buy Gift Cards
Keep your local businesses taken care of while everyone suffers due to the pandemic. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
20. Instill values among your kids
Now that we are all having to do our dishes, cook our food, and do our laundry, it is a great time to show the young children, especially teenagers, what it means to work together as a family and share the household chores. If you have young children at home or even teenagers, try to divide the tasks within the family so that everyone is responsible for everything.
Teach your children how to cook and clean, how to take care of themselves and their surroundings, and how to be more responsible in terms of finances. After all, they will be venturing out into the world on their own one day, and these values will help them make it big in the big bad world.
21. Start a blog
Or, revive the old one with some old photos and interesting stories. It can be about anything – something you find interesting, your life story, or poems and stories you pen down.
22. Be productive
One of the positive things that have come out of this sudden outbreak is the emphasis on being digitally independent. More and more companies are bending towards working from home. If your job allows you to work from home, you should dedicate your time to that.
However, if you work in a company where this is not possible and you have to stay home, you can find other ways to increase your productivity. You can start learning that new course you have always wanted to, or read that book. The bottom line is to keep your brain occupied for a couple of hours every day, otherwise, it can get very boring being quarantined at home.
23. Shave your head
Mainly for men, but if you are a sassy woman ready to take on the challenge – why not!
Alternatively, let your beard grow – moisturize, comb, and fall in love with it. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
25. Journal
Being trapped inside your own home with zero to very less contact with the outdoor world can force you to analyze a lot of things – emotions, feelings, thoughts. Journal your thoughts or maybe create a Facebook page to write about them. If you have a lot of positive tips to share, it could be a good idea to reach out to those in crisis at these times and show them that you care.
Journaling, whether it is done in a diary at your home or a blog on the internet, can help you understand yourself a whole lot better. And if you share your thoughts with the world, who knows, you may even find somebody who identifies with you.
26. Master the makeup videos
Try the smoky eyes and the no-makeup look and all that you wish to flaunt once this isolation is over. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
27. Train the other hand
Literally! Like try writing or brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand.
28. Get in shape
Since most of the celebrity trainers and actors are off work, a lot of them are posting free home workout and dance workout videos. So, whether you wanted to challenge yourself to a 30-Day HIIT workout or learn some groovy Zumba moves, start it now.
You can find some empty space in your home and get started. Working out will also help you keep moving in this situation. Since we are all confined to our homes, staying indoors with no workout can have a negative effect on our psyche. So lace up those shoes and get into a workout routine today.
29. Improve your typing speed
Take a typing test and enhance your speed and accuracy.
30. Overcome a tough yoga pose
Bring that yoga mat, straighten your back, and start perfecting that PadmaSana pose. There are tons of video tutorials online that can help you with starting out in yoga. Check them out now and emerge as a fitter, better you once the quarantine is over.
31. Learn Origami
A good idea to uplift your kids and the elderly is to leave an origami rose or a crane by their door. It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine
32. Learn Pig Latin
Develop a secret language skill with your siblings so you guys can team up against the elders.
33. Donate
Countries around the world are depending on your generous donations to build their underprivileged communities. Help if you can.
34. Catch up on friends and family
And, by that, we mean virtually. It can become very monotonous and lonely to be quarantined all by yourself in these times. When such isolation extends for a long time, you can develop anxiety and depression too. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to stay in touch with your friends, coworkers and family members. This can be in the form of text or calls.
Every few times a week, set up a video call with your family and friends from elsewhere in the world and catch up on what’s happening. Check-in if they are doing okay. Talk to each other and get to know each other on a whole new level. After all, there’s no room for that ‘lack of time’ excuse anymore.
35. Up your English vocabulary
Use ‘precious’ instead of ‘very valuable’, ‘awful’ for something really bad, and ‘famished’ for when you are starving.
36. Perfect your scarf knots
Did you know that Pinterest shows about 50 different ways to carry a scarf? It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
37. Wine, Facemask, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Oh my!
Get that bottle of Rosé, put on a rejuvenating face mask, and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The best way to spend time in this era of quarantine is to indulge in some self-care. Trust me, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated in a whole new way.
38. Be stylish
French Braid, fishtail, Dutch braid, a rope twisted braid – we can go on and on. But, you got to try something new. Let YouTube help.
39. Plan your next vacation
Nobody can travel right now, but who can stop us from a little daydreaming and planning, right?
40. Binge-watch your favorite TV shows
Have you got a chance to watch the highly talked about Tiger King? And, what about all those shows that are waiting on your watchlist since forever? With so much time in your hand, you may as well binge-watch all your favorite tv shows.
There are tons of great TV shows and documentaries out there that can teach you so much about the world and entertain you at the same time. Ask your friends for recommendations, scour the internet for shows and movies in your favorite genre and plan a day of binge-watching.
41. Get a new hobby
Or, revive an old one that stayed behind with those childhood years.
42. Dance it out
Dig into your guilty pleasures and blast out the songs you will never be caught listening in public – dance it out! It is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine
43. Be kind and patient
Anytime you or someone around you starts to lose it, say this out loud – this too shall pass!
44. Read
It doesn’t have to be a novel – though it would be great if you did. But, all those issues of Top Gear that you have been hoarding – now is the right time to update your nerdy self.
Whether it be magazines, comics, fiction books, or nonfiction autobiographies, books expand our minds and teach us about things we never dreamed about. So now is the best time to get back to your reading list and broaden your horizons.
45. Get some sleep
Actually, get lots of sleep. Now is the best time to realize one of those unimaginable dreams of “sleeping the whole day without having to do a thing except eat, bathe, and breathe”.
Remember all those travel photos you took on your last holiday? Download some cool editing apps and edit those to post on your Instagram and Facebook.
47. Write a story
Or, a poem for that matter. Bring out the storyteller in you and try writing something simple – maybe a story for your kids or for the future generation about these challenging times and how you kept yourself grounded.
48. Have a chat with your parents
When was the last time you sat down with your mum and dad for a cup of tea? To make it more interesting, get them to play some childhood games with you – Ludo or carrom could be good options.
You can reminisce about your childhood, talk about your job, or just about anything in the world. Trust me, they will be delighted just to hear from you.
49. Become an awesome mixologist
Haven’t most of us at least once thought of being a Rockstar bartender as a teenager? Why not give it a try with some of the classy cocktail menus available on the internet? Alternatively, you can also try your hands on some super mocktails, if that’s your thing.
50. Redecorate your house
Move around the furniture and give your home a whole new look. You can also try and use the creative pieces you make to decorate certain corners of your home or play with some Christmas lighting to lift up the spirits.
There are tons of videos and tutorials on the internet that can help you. All you have to do is put in some work! Indeed, it is one of the best things to do in coronavirus quarantine.
Final Thoughts
It is a good idea to keep yourself updated with local as well as global news during this time. This will not only educate you about the recent developments in the pandemic situation across the world, but it also helps you stay up to date with all public health measures.
This situation cannot be taken lightly, but we can make the most out of it by remaining calm and positive, and by spreading the same among those around us. Remember, a lot of times people suffer because of panic and not because of the actual situation. Do not believe in or participate in rumors. And, don’t forget to remain kind and compassionate towards the underprivileged ones.
