Alone at home? Seven activities to do during times of social distancing

With the world currently on lockdown mode due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and since most people have been quarantined or are socially distancing themselves at home, life can be lonely and borderline depressing.

YSWeekender brings you seven activities you can do at home to help you feel less isolated and make the most of your time at home…

Create a home gym

We might not be able to break a sweat at the gym during this time since most gyms are closed, but all is not lost. If you want to burn off those excess calories, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home that will still keep you in shape, make you feel good and release those amazing endorphins.

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You can begin by doing some basic Pilates stretches with an exercise band at home, or try out basic Yoga asanas or free weight exercises for 30 minutes or more daily.

If you need help with the moves, there are a lot of Zumba videos and Dance Fitness videos that you can watch online or on YouTube which can help you do the exercises the right way.  

Some of the popular fitness experts you can follow on Instagram include fitness experts like Jillian Michaels, Kayla Itsines, and Caleb Marshall amongst others.

There are also apps you can download that come with tips and videos on upper body and lower body exercises that can be done anywhere, such as ‘Home Workout-No Equipment,’ ‘Nike Training Club’, ‘Cult.Fit App,’ ‘Seven-7 minute Workout’ and ‘30 day Fitness’.

Take a virtual museum tour

Since we cannot visit museums or enjoy a live concert this weekend, due to government restrictions, some Opera Houses and museums around the world are offering virtual museum tours.

This means is that you can enjoy excellent art and listen to some fine music from the comfort of your own living room.

Opera companies and orchestras such as the New York Met Opera and the Berlin Philharmonic are currently live streaming concerts to audiences around the world.

What’s more, Google’s Arts & Culture platform has partnered with over 1,200 leading museums and archives to show their exhibits online and offer virtual tours.

Some museums on the platform include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Tate Modern, Musee D’ Orsay in Paris, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam amongst others.

The Louvre in Paris and the Uffizi gallery in Florence are also providing their own virtual tours.

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Discover your inner chef

If you have always wanted to try out a new recipe or explore an old favourite dish and never had the time to do so due to demanding work timings and schedules, this is the perfect time to head to the kitchen and bring out your inner chef. 

There are plenty of tutorials you can watch online or on TV and try at home. Believe it or not there are even recipes and articles on the web called “Easy recipes to cook during lockdown/quarantine”

From salads to soups to pasta or bakes, there are many interesting dishes that you can try out this weekend. Click on a video, bring out your apron and let the cooking begin.

Learn a new language

If you’ve been yearning to learn a new language, this is a good time to begin. There are a number of programmes and lessons online that you can sign up for or apps you can download. Start slow and put in a few hours every day and soon you will be able to master a new language.

Apps such as Duolingo, Busuu Language Learning and Babbel are great for learning a new language, giving you fun exercises and relatable daily life scenarios to make learning easier.

Some of the languages you can learn on these apps are Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Russian, Danish, and Swedish amongst others.

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Read a book, watch a new film or listen to a podcast

You can never go wrong when you pick up a classic book or watch a popular film. Why not try something out of your comfort zone? If you usually stick to fiction, mystery thrillers, and fantasy novels, why not try reading non-fiction for a change.

If you don’t enjoy reading, why not listen to an audiobook instead? Some digital audiobook sellers like Audible are offering special book offers during this time.

Some books you should consider reading which are a part of the ‘100 Books you must read before you die shelf’ are ‘To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,’ ‘The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger,’ ‘Animal Farm by George Orwell’ and ‘The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Movies also featured in this list are ‘Good Will Hunting,’ 'Pulp Fiction’ ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and the ‘Godfather.’

If books are not your cup of tea, why not listen to a podcast, as many speakers cover a range of topics like news, comedy, history, business, sports, culture and entertainment.

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Get some spiritual guidance

Turning to a higher power or asking for spiritual guidance is something you can do to find comfort and solace in during this difficult time.

You can watch guided videos on meditation for ‘inner peace’ or for ‘better sleep’ or ‘for building healthy relationships’ or whatever else you may enjoy.

Journaling or adult colouring

Writing is the best therapy as it helps you release pent up emotions and frustrations and it is the healthiest way to get your thoughts out. 

Try journaling about how you feel about all that is happening around you. Another positive thing to do is write a letter to your future self, telling him or her what you see happening in your life.

Colouring too can have a calming effect on the mind and body. Why not take out that adult colouring book someone once gifted you and beautify those intricate patterns on the page. After all, it was designed to help you during those during stressful periods of your life.

(Edited by Asha Chowdary)