So, you find yourself house-bound at home and the novelty of not going to work has well and truly worn off. What are you going to do with yourself over the next 90 days, or, heaven forbid, the unforeseeable future? Here is a list of the top ten things to do during the COVID-19 lockdown to prevent couch sores and Netflix poisoning. Many of us have never faced the reclusive pathway, which stretches before us now as a result of social isolation policies. We have become dependent upon the structure and content provided for us by the economic imperative of working for a living. The coronavirus global pandemic has shut down the world economy and we are faced with social distancing and home quarantine. Here are, then, the top ten things to do during the COVID-19 lockdown.
- Tell Your Story via Podcast. This is the perfect opportunity to record your time on this planet. Worst case scenario the coronavirus kills you and this is your chance to get down for posterity the salient aspects of your life. If you have kids, they will be eternally grateful for this personal testimony in your own voice. Technologically all the tools are freely available on the web. Audacity is free sound editing software, which is easy to use. You will need a microphone to record your voice. Your phone can download apps for recording your very own podcast, like Soundcloud- suitable for both Android and IPhones. There are dozens more to check out. You can have your podcast hosted for free at Anchor.fm or pay a moderate monthly fee at Podbean or one of the many other hosting platforms. Do this for yourself it is creative, rather than consuming more of other people’s stuff, and it is incredibly empowering to boot.
- Embrace this enforced retreat from the hurly burly nature of normal living and read those books you have always wanted to. Those books that have seemed too hard, perhaps some Russian writers like Fyodor Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Reading The Idiot, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov may initially be tough but ultimately very rewarding. Similarly, War and Peace and Anna Karenina are novels well worth the effort of reading. Alternatively, you may wish to tackle books by Marcel Proust or Thomas Hardy, or by Herman Melville or Henry James, or novels by Jane Austen or a Bronte sister. Modern books cannot take you to the places and feelings that these masterpieces can. Do yourself a coronavirus lockdown favour and get hold of these books for free via Amazon Kindle.
- My third top ten thing to do during the COVID-19 lockdown is to tackle the dinner menu that you have always wanted to prepare and cook. One of the areas of life, which currently remains constant is the supply of most foodstuffs. Many ingredients are still being produced and available in shops and supermarkets. Perhaps you have dreamt of whipping up a Turducken, which is a whole turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. This Russian doll of a dish relies upon some serious small bone removal and ensuring that each layer of flesh is cooked without being dry and overcooked. You now have the time to devote yourself to this gourmand task. Who is going to eat all this food is another question entirely in this time of limited gatherings? Alternatively, you may like to try your hand at something smaller like a souffle? You can make a sweet or savoury souffle. How about a chocolate souffle or a Parmesan cheese souffle? Flex your whisk wrist and get beating baby!
- Another neat activity to engage in during the coronavirus pandemic quarantining time is to embark upon an exercise plan. We must never forget that we have monkey-bodies and they require regular physical conditioning. Grab a pen and paper, your phone, or your computer keyboard and jot down an exercise regime. Nothing too strenuous but do give yourself some manageable variety. If you can get outside for a brief walk or jog, without getting arrested, then, this can be good for your health. Remember to abide by social distancing requirements, to avoid catching the virus. However, there are many indoor exercises that you can do at home. Make a daily plan and schedule it for the most appropriate time of the day to suit you. Take a deep breath and stretch!
- Making plans during all this free-time is one way to avoid getting lost and dispirited. We all like to achieve things in our lives and understanding that we can still do this on a microscale can be a relief. You need to think like a prisoner doing time. Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect, spent decades locked inside the walls of Spandau Prison in West Berlin, Germany. To keep his sanity, Speer walked around the world, whilst locked up inside Spandau. Nelson Mandela maintained his sanity while imprisoned on Robben island for 27 years. When he was not breaking rocks, he studied Afrikaans in a bid to understand his enemy. Make a plan for yourself going forward in life and make a plan for your time in confinement.
- Learn a new language, this is so easy through the many free apps available on phone and computer. Duolingo is great; and I am currently learning German and Spanish. Learning a language sharpens up your intellect, laying down new neural pathways. Do daily sessions and you can set your workload level. Learning new words can be great fun and it will, also, improve your understanding of your mother-tongue. Discovering and practising the semantic structure of languages reveals lots about all languages. Your words create your world!
- Create some art online. Download some free graphic design software and produce a bit of art on your computer at home. Check out Gravit Designer. Digital art can be fun, and it can be a very useful skill to master. Graphic design is a big part of the modern world. Use the COVID-19 lockdown to explore some parts of yourself, which may have lain dormant for many years or decades. Use this time to improve yourself and to make yourself better. Put your efforts up on social media and share them with the world. Who knows what may come of this? You may have lost your job, temporarily or permanently, and it may be time to find some new skills. Do not let your inexperience prevent you from having a go. Just do it!
- The digital realm i.e. going online is a real saviour during this COVID-19 lockdown. Imagine if the Internet and world wide web did not exist through this coronavirus pandemic. Think about the communication made possible via email and social media platforms. Explore parts of the digital realm that you have never bothered looking into. Creative software is available for all sorts of things to do and create. Get into it!
- Get some soil beneath your fingernails and plant a few things if you can. If you do not have access to a garden, then, put some herbs in planters on windowsills or balconies. Growing things is a great way to remain grounded in the basics of life. Not to mention the culinary input to the dishes you cook at home. Fresh herbs make a huge difference to cooking. Growing vegies is another productive past time. Your health can benefit from eating food that you have grown yourself.
- Make a health plan for your time in the COVID-19 lockdown. Stop overindulging in alcohol because excessive drinking only makes things worse. You may temporarily escape in a haze of intoxication, but you will pay for it in the morning and in the days and weeks to come. Eat well, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Adjust your diet to your new lifestyle. You may be expending less energy and leading a more sedentary life. Therefore, you probably need less food and less carbohydrates. Eat less bread, pasta and sweet stuff. Think about staying healthy and eat healthily in response to your new health plan. Good luck with your confinement and stay healthy my friend.