What a few couple of weeks it’s been, right? Earlier, I saw a Tweet that said something along the lines of “Every day in March has felt like a month” and I totally agree. Things are fast-changing and I know we are all feeling the effects of it one way or another.

When things like this happen, I always wonder: what is my place as a writer, a blogger in this situation? In this case, the only thing I can think to do is help. Personally, I am avoiding a lot of media intake because it stresses me out, I’m staying home and I’m practicing self-care.

I’ve heard so many different reports about what the next few days, weeks and even months will look like — I’m not even sure if I’ll be allowed to travel later this month — so I’m taking everything one day at a time. But I know that if we’re all confined to our homes until May, we’re going to need things to do. Here are my ideas on what to do if you’re quarantined for Coronavirus.

Entertainment

Podcasts. I love a good podcast and have been listing recommendations here for the last few years. Here’s where you can access all of my podcast recs!
TV shows. I am a TV junkie and have recently been enjoying “Katy Keene” on the CW and “The Windsors” on CNN. A friend also told me I should binge “Scandal”, so I just might!
Movies. It’s the perfect time to watch your favorite movies or ones you haven’t seen yet. Some of my favorites are “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “500 Days of Summer”, “Moonrise Kingdom”, “The Breakup” and “Now and Then.”
Books. I think reading is the PERFECT thing to do right now — it’s whatever kind of escape you want it to be. I know I have quite the reading list ready, should everything shut down. You can find ALL of my reading recommendations over the years right here.
Games. If you’re quarantined with a partner or other family, you can always resort to games! My favorite is Catch Phrase and Mancala. If you’re by yourself, you can still play trivia; I like Sex & The City trivia.
Music. After it was announced that Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks contracted Coronavirus, Wilson asked for song recommendations for a quarantine playlist. It’s finally complete and she named it “Quaratunes” — listen to it here. I make all sorts of playlists, but my Patio Playlist has been the one I listen to the most, especially when I’m hanging around the house.

Fitness

Take a walk outside.
Search online for free workouts, yoga videos and personal training.
Practice a plank every day and work up to holding it for 1-3 minutes.
Create your own workouts using basic equipment. I have a set of resistance bands, a weighted jump rope and boxing gloves.

Food

If you haven’t stocked your house yet, take inventory of what you have and make a list of the items you’ll need for the next two weeks – one month. If possible, order those items online to avoid crowded stores.
Now could be a good time to scour that stack of cookbooks for recipes to try or organize old recipe collections.
Try a meal delivery service. I use Green Chef, Blue Apron and Daily Harvest. I have a code for $25 off Green Chef, $25 off Daily Harvest and well, no code for Blue Apron. Ha!
Make a new recipe. I got ingredients to make Creamy Pappardelle Primavera along with Refried Bean and Cheese Melts. Yum!

Self-care

Give yourself a mani/pedi.
Take a long soak in the tub.
Create and manage a bedtime routine, and allow yourself time to sleep an extra hour.
Journal.
Balance your checkbook and put money into a savings account.
Plan for the future. Remember that this situation is only temporary.
Create a personal mantra: here’s how.
Meditate. I like to use the Calm app for guided meditation and sleepy time stories.

Crafts & DIY

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got craft supplies all over the place. This is the perfect time to organize them, toss what you’re not gong to use, or start a new project.
Make a succulent atrium — here’s how I made one!
Work on a cool cross-stitch; The Stranded Stitch has tons of cheeky ones 🙂
Put together a puzzle.
Color. I have the Golden Girls coloring book and it’s so much fun!
Organize photos or make a scrapbook. You can print photos from your phone on the cheap using the FreePrints app.

Home Improvement

Tend to your yard or garden.
Clean out your closet. You can print a free shipping label and box up your unwanted items to ThredUp to make extra cash and help the planet.
Get an early start on spring cleaning.
Rearrange pictures and wall hangings for a fresh look.
Clean out your car and give it a good wash.

Self Improvement

Do your taxes, if you haven’t already.
Start a blog!
Take an online course; Udemy has a course for just about anything you can think of!
Clean out your email inbox.
Start that project you’ve been putting off.
Book a Creative Session with me! I work with clients around the globe on blogging, SEO, web writing, social media, you name it. If you’re looking to start a blog or spruce up an existing one, I’d love to do a virtual session and use this time to get things going for you. Email me or book a session today.

Helping Others

Shop small. With everyone staying home, small businesses are likely to suffer in these times. During the holidays, I made an effort to avoid Amazon and only shop at places that were women-owned, supported a cause I care about, or were a small/local business. I’ve carried those efforts into this year, and these times are no different. Here’s a list of businesses you can support, but also, if you know of any we can take advantage of online, put their links in the comments!
Donate to a charity that’s helping others right now. Your local food bank could be a great place to start. There’s also several programs helping food-insecure children — here’s the list.
Use Venmo. Author Roxanne Gay took to Twitter yesterday offering anyone who needed it $100. She couldn’t help everyone, so she invited others to start pitching in and send strangers $$ via Venmo. I picked two people and sent them a small amount of money and will keep my eye on the thread. Every little bit helps and we are all in this together (but while social distancing – ha!)

And there you have it! My Coronavirus quarantine activities list! Depending on how things go over the next few days, I might make a reading list specifically for the occasion. If you have additional ideas, please leave them in the comments for everyone or share what you’re up to during these times.

Stay safe, healthy and — you know the drill — wash your hands!