Written by: Cameron Sonnentag

Invigorate yourself and your activities while you’re stuck at home. With the closing of schools, sporting events, local business and more, you might find yourself trapped in isolation. Often times you feel bored as if you’re going stir crazy. This is the time to get out your to-do list you’ve been putting off due to a busy schedule. This is the time to take advantage of your alone time. I’ve compiled a list of five suggestions to help make your time at home interesting and fun, and maybe even productive. Take your mind off of the news headlines and transform your time of isolation into invigorating activities.

Get Outside

While you are safer at home to limit contact with other people, you are not limited to the confines of your house. I encourage you to get outside and breathe in some fresh air. Enjoy the feeling of the sun shining on your face. Build a fort. Create an obstacle course in the driveway and compete with your family. Pull out the chalk and draw funny pictures. However you enjoy the outdoors, I want you to go for it. It will benefit your mental state of mind and make you a much more happy person when you do. Gain a new perspective from the smells and sights you experience in nature. You might surprise yourself by the multitude of things you will discover but have never given a thought about before.

Get Crafty

Now is the perfect time to pick up a new or old hobby. Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew, cross-stitch or embroider? Do you know how to tie-dye or paint? Have you yearned to plant a garden? All of these crafting activities and more will provide you an unlimited amount of creative energy. Children, parents, and teachers all have the ability to get creative in some multitude of fashion. Invigorate your mind by getting crafty with it. Pinterest offers thousands of crafts for you to do at home, like these, and requires limited supplies.

Get Cleaning

The first day of spring began on Thursday, March 19. Not many people realized that this year given this crazy time. I’m sure you have also forgotten that this is the time for spring cleaning. That means putting away all of those fluffy winter sweaters and bringing out your vibrant colored clothes. This means cleaning the dust from your untouched shelves since winter break. Here are a few productive cleaning activities that will leave you feeling fresh and accomplished. Bring out the broom and sweep the patio, walkway and any other flooring surface you feel is important. As I stated previously, this is the time to clean out your closet. Furthermore, clean out your kitchen and pantry. Most importantly, consider deep cleaning any appliance touched by you and your family on the daily. Door handles and knobs are the most common surfaces to contain germs that can spread from you to others. While this list seems daunting, you can divide and conquer. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and get cleaning.

Get Active

Staying physically active is an essential part of your health, social-insolated or not. My goal for you is to be as healthy as you possibly can. This doesn’t amount to how much you weigh, but how you feel. Do you feel energized? Lazy? Excited? Moody? Getting active benefits you physically and mentally. I encourage you to try one of the following activities at least once a day. This is a valuable tool that will help you in remaining calm and protecting your health. Take a walk or a short jog. Grab those weights and start lifting. Go for a bike ride. Take a hike and explore nature trails. If you have access to a local pool and feel comfortable with the distance given between you and others, consider going for a swim. I enjoy all of these activities, but the most important activity in my repertoire is actually a still technique that requires no movement at all. First, take a seat or lay down. I want you to let go of all of your to-do lists, errands and anything else on your mind. Now meditate. Let go of everyone and everything that surrounds you. You will begin to feel relaxed and less stiff within the first ten minutes of meditation.

Get Connected

It is important to keep our distance from others during this time, but this doesn’t mean cut off your communication channel completely. To feel less stifled, I want you to consider the art of socializing during a quarantine. During this age of digital technology, I assume you have a phone or laptop. I encourage you to call a friend or family member, near and far. Phone calls and video chatting promotes deeper forms of human connection while you are physically distanced. You have the ability to utilize different forms of media. This is the time to get connected. Consider deepening the connections between the people in your own home. You may feel you are stuck inside the house with your family, but let’s change that perspective to a more optimistic approach. Think about the fact that you have the opportunity to truly enjoy quality time with people that you love, with people that support you. Socializing isn’t always fun, but it is something we need in order to feel heard and wanted, especially in times of crisis.

Do you value creativity in your organization or as an individual? Create in Place is the second Friday of every month and 352Creates promotes the idea that creativity can happen anytime, anywhere! And it’s good for our health as individuals and as a community!