We can all agree no one knows completely what to do during these totally abnormal times. There are very limited options when it comes to how you spend your days in quarantine, while staying safe of course. I’ve come up with a good list of ways to make yourself feel normal and keep yourself from going crazy during this global pandemic. 

1. Find a hobby

Before quarantine, I began to become a big painter. I can’t draw or sketch to save my life, but painting was something that had come naturally to me and I fell in love with it. When we went into lockdown, painting was a good way to pass the time. The link below was a site where I bought outlines and pictures to paint, and they come with a tutorial!  https://www.letsmakeart.com/

2. Catch up on some shows

Binging shows is my specialty. Whether it be brand new to me, or something I’ve seen countless times, watching television shows or movies is a great way to spend your free time and maybe even discover something you may fall in love with. Below are some of my favorites:

Friends

Gilmore Girls

The Sopranos

Jane the Virgin

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Grey’s Anatomy

One Day at a Time

You

Black Mirror

3. Pick up an instrument

Now, the ukulele was not something I picked up over quarantine, but playing instruments and learning your favorite songs may be your new favorite thing to do. 

4. Cook some meals

Not being able to go out to restaurants and eat for a while was something that was hard to get used to. It was one of my favorite things to do, get dressed up and eat a yummy meal. Being home in isolation could broaden your horizons and spark a new passion: cooking. I made tons of meals over quarantine and it was so nice and rewarding to make the food you’re going to eat. The cleaning up part was not so fun though. 

5. Bake! Bake! Bake!

Although this could be lumped in with cooking, I personally think baking is different. Every person has their own preference. And not everyone enjoys doing both. I do enjoy both very much, but even I can admit I like to bake more. Lots of yummy desserts were made over quarantine like:

Banana Bread

Almond Cupcakes

M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownies

Pumpkin and Regular Cinnamon Rolls

6. Start a journal

I found journaling such an amazing way to get everything off your chest. Whether it’s a journal to help cope with anxiety and get out your frustrating thoughts, or bullet journal where you can exercise creativity. 

7. Get Duolingo

Duolingo is this great app designed to help learn a language a little easier. I’ve been using it for years to help strengthen my French and Spanish, and it may be something to look into!

8. Read a book, or a couple

Reading is always a great way to stimulate the mind, and it is a sure-fire way to pass time. Reading makes me escape into a whole new world, where there may not be a pandemic. My all-time favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. 

9. Clean and Redecorate

I don’t know about you, but after a few months I get extremely bored with my room set-up. I need change. What I did this quarantine was take down my posters for some clear walls. I went on Pinterest and got pictures with a green aesthetic and made a collage on my wall. I decided on a white, grey, green theme, and I got fake vines to hang up everywhere, as well as some real plants to go around my room. Cleaning has become one of my favorite activities when I’m bored as I get older because there’s nothing more satisfying than a clean space and an organized environment. 

10. Facetime or Zoom friends

Just because you can’t hang out with your friends over quarantine, doesn’t mean you still can’t have just as much fun. Facetiming friends is a great way to feel normal and stay connected. Zoom has a screen share feature, so you can play games. Netflix Party, now called Tele Party, became a lockdown-favorite. You log into Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, or Disney Plus, select a movie, share the code, and boom, you’re group-watching a movie or show with friends from the comfort of your own home.