“Be careful what you wish for” has never been truer. All we desired was a break, but what we got is a bit too much. It puts the whole “taking things for granted” into perspective. We despised the working part of our lives and wanted some time off to chill inside our homes, but now since that’s all we are supposed to do, our rational senses are craving for a taste of the outside world.
Well, since the best thing we can do to curb this situation is doing nothing at all. We might as well make the most of it for as the saying goes – When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Now that we have exhausted binge-watching movies and web-series on all the online streaming platforms, it’s time to do something productive. Let’s try to shift our focus to something more centred to improving our knowledge, skill-set, health or just better individuals. So, when the lockdown is lifted, we come out as superior versions of ourselves and also have a better answer to the question – “How was your lockdown?”
Here’s a list of top 15 things to do at home during Coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.
1) ORGANIZING
As the second law of thermodynamics insinuates – systems have a natural tendency to degenerate into a more disordered state, which is in concord with the state of the things lying on our tables or shelves. Somehow, we always escaped from this so-called herculean task of organizing our belongings; be it our room, files on PC or laptop, or whatever that’s disordered. A true testimony to our excuse-making skills. But this skill, which we have been honing our entire lives, has greater negative effects than positive ones.
It’s time to get organized. Organizing bears many fruits; you get more efficient, get more done in lesser time, have a sense of control, greater awareness of your surrounding and many more. It’s the best start for sorting your life. Plus, now that you have all the time in the world, you can’t procrastinate on doing this. It’s one of the first things to do in lockdown.
2) SELF EVALUATION
The key to becoming better than what we are is to first address the question “where do we lack?” Often, we tend to excuse our contemplations with our work or studies. But we don’t ever get to thinking – “what’s the point of all this?” When we lack a certain reason, we’ll have nothing fueling us to move ahead and eventually lose sight of everything.
It’s high time to analyze and reflect upon your problems and yourselves. Find out what you want instead of just going through the motions. Discover new hobbies and align them with your ambitions. Step out of your comfort zones (not your homes) and for once taking charge of your life. Don’t forget your past, learn from it. Have a different perspective and use this time of adversity as an opportunity. You might not ever get a time like this. This is one of the best things to do during the Coronavirus lockdown.
3) FOCUSING ON YOUR HOBBIES
Maybe you were always good at painting, sketching, singing, dancing, chess, sports or any other thing that you reckon as a hobby; but the major flaw with this is that you’re only “good”. Why not thrive to be Great? Anyone can learn to be good at something, but only a few have it in them to be great at something.
Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practised 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practised one kick 10,000 times.” People didn’t admire Bruce Lee because he was good at martial arts, they treated him like the God of combat because he was great at it. He dedicated years of his life mastering the art of self-defence.
If you are a painter, why not thrive to surpass Picasso? If you are a dancer, why not be the next Michael Jackson? Love chess? Why not be a Grand Master? You are a part of a crowd if you are just good; you influence the crowd when you become Great.
This is no doubt among the best things to do in lockdown.
4) FINDING NEW HOBBIES
You don’t exactly have the passion to dedicate your time to a single thing? Do not fret for you still have a plethora of things to try your hand at. It’s time to do some experiments.
You never actually know that you like something unless you try it first. The added benefits to widening your skill-set or hobbies are in-numerous. Mental or physical abilities are fortified, association with a larger social group, you are entitled to being an all-rounder. Even the most seemingly insignificant skill becomes worthy somewhere down the lane.
Humanity’s naval purpose is to test the limits of our own capabilities and find out new horizons. So just follow through your sole purpose and learn something new.
Must Read: Best ways of staying productive during COVID-19 lockdown
5) COOKING
If you are proficiently able to boil water or make cup noodles, that in no way imply you know cooking. So, stop claiming it. Cooking is not an additional skill, it’s an essential skill. Like you can’t enlist “walking” on your skill-set, similarly cooking is not an optional skill and at some point in your life, it becomes impending.
It’s a gender-neutral skill. Some men still live under a rock presuming it’s a job for women. On the other hand, there are some over-progressive females who take feminism to the next step and exclaim “why girls should learn cooking when they are born to be executives?” To those pseudo-feminists – self-sufficiency is also a huge component of becoming an executive.
Just envisage a situation where you are far from the comforts of home. You live off of mess food or hotels. Just out of the blue a pandemic strikes and everything is under lockdown. You’re trapped in your rooms. Canned food and groceries are your only option. What do you do now? This is undeniably one of the best things to do at home in lockdown.
6) READING
We, humans, are limited by our bodies; but we are unlimited by our knowledge. The cerebral approach to our boundations is what transcends us to something more than being just mortal beings. Reading is not a means to escape life but to have a panoramic view of it. It’s a hobby for many, but this is something every individual should thrive to infuse in their routine.
Most of our reading only revolves around feeds from social networking sites. But that is neither beneficial nor called actual reading. The mind stimulating experience or turning pages of an actual book or a substantial magazine is something else.
Reading widens our horizon of knowledge. You’re transported to a new realm through the portal in your hand. It’s a stress-relieving experience and a pleasurable thing to do in the lockdown. Out of books to read? Just tap into the limitless resource of the internet.
If you are a travel enthusiast, then please read the Best places to visit in India and check things to do in India which you might have missed to explore.
Must Read: Best ways of staying productive during COVID-19 lockdown
7) WRITING
Have you always lived in your own fantasy world, where you’re the protagonist who saves lives or on a crusade for a treasure hunting? Or maybe you were always in possession of higher-order intellectual thoughts and philosophies but never got a medium or proper time to express them. Well, now is your chance.
Jot down all your stories, epics, conceptions, abstractions or anything which you think holds the capability to sway the masses. It might be in the form of a novel, diary, poems or even a diary if you want to write only for yourself. Or if you want to ride the train of the trend, go for blogging.
A perfect time to reflect your thoughts and ideas onto a paper. Unveil the writer or the author in you and inspire or amaze. A great way of making use of this lockdown time.
8) LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Ever fancied learning the language of a foreign country? It might have been Italian, French, German or maybe even Japanese so that you don’t always have to read the subtitles to while watching animes. Well, a window of opportunities has opened up for you to commence this venture of yours.
Want to know why you should learn a new language? How do you feel when stumbling upon a foreigner with whom you exchange some words and your native language comes out of his/her mouth? You are surprised. You have a smile on our face. You feel like you could connect.
A common language lays the grounds for mutual understanding and a subtle kinship. That the magic of language. You go to France and you speak French, you are no more a stranger but a guest to them. What more incentives do you need to start with your lessons?
There are a plethora of resources on the App Store and even courses are available for learning a new language. You just have to take the first step. Very good use of your free time and among the best things to do during Coronavirus lockdown.
9) HEALTHY AND ROUTINE
Under the massive load of work and studies, we often neglect our health and diet. But that just means we are surviving instead of living. Our parents kept on ranting about having a healthy diet and a schedule, but those words just went in at one ear, and out at the other. For a moment just sit and ponder about what’s wrong with the food you consume. After all, we are what we eat.
When you’re 60 and lying in some hospital because you had a stroke or your cholesterol levels shot up, will that be your cue to regret how you treated your body all these years? The boons of a healthy diet are neither a secret nor some differential calculus which we just can’t put it through our heads.
Less heart and cancer risks, better immunity, healthy mind, efficient body for efficient work and a myriad of things. Since now you can’t use your work as an excuse to not having a healthy diet and routine, you might as well try eating healthy.
10) GYMMING AND WORKOUT
The first thought that must have crossed your mind would probably have been- “what nonsense? Has the writer lost it being caged in his house? How is gymming possible for a middle-class person who does not own a private gym?”
Just hold your horses before questioning my sanity. Yes, gymming and working out is possible. You just have to look for a newer angle. Look for resources around you. How about a bucket full of water for bicep curls? Or your heavy blanket as Duvet battle ropes? And an empty cylinder for weight lifting (not for rookies). Or you can also be completely reliant on your body weight and try callisthenics.
There are tons of tutorials on YouTube and on the web, you just have to be passionate about it. You might come out of this lockdown a completely changed person, physically and mentally. A must thing to do at home in lockdown.
11) MEDITATION
Meditation is not about silencing your mind and thinking nothing; it’s about training your mind to imagine things without having an opinion. It’s not a single day’s work neither you can overexert yourself to learn it. Meditation requires constant drilling of mind over a long period of time, even if it just means you take it during your short respites.
At the core of meditations lies the peace of mind and soul. It teaches you how to stay calm in the most chaotic situations. It shows you how not drown yourself in the baggage of your past, the burden of your present and anticipation of the future. It makes you an open vessel through which things flow rather than clutter.
This lockdown has given you enough time to train your mind and meditate till a point you don’t need silence to be your medium.
12) STAY CONNECTED
This lockdown might have been a blessing for the introverts, as they have been training for this their entire lives. Enjoying their own company in complete isolation. But are having a hard time adjusting to the new introverted lives. Although their situation is not that helpless.
There are many ways to turn the tide on this situation. Many Apps have emerged over these years that can provide aid to the people who fear losing touch with their friends. Skype, google hangouts and even WhatsApp has launched a group calling feature in their beta version.
So, chill and hang out with your friends virtually. Brush up on old anecdotes and bond over long distances. It’s a great way to kill time you’re bored out of your mind or just want some company to revel in after your day’s busy schedule of doing the rest of the listed things.
Must Read: Best ways of staying productive during COVID-19 lockdown
13) RECONNECT WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
One of the greatest regrets of old people while reminiscing is not giving adequate time to their loved ones. People go away more quickly than you anticipate. It’s true that people remember you for the work you do, but people love you only for the person you are. You can bury yourself in your work and you might get an appreciation for that, but you’ll never get their love.
And the only people who’ve always prioritized you and your well-being above their work or anything else are your parents. Staying away from them; working in different cities. Well, you meet new people and form new bonds, but the only bond your parents knew was of their children. So why not make up for all those days you ignored or could not give time to your folks.
And for the teens who have yet to leave their nests and venture out to the world – relish each and every moment you get with your parents and make bundles of memories. These memories will only help you survive on days when you find yourself all alone out there.
14) LEARN ANY INSTRUMENT
Music is one of the greatest art forms. It’s very peculiar. It is not restricted by the walls between the nations. One doesn’t need to understand the language it’s in. You just need to feel the words and blend in with the melody and beats. We attach memories to music. It acts like a portal that transcends us to that memory when we listen to it.
Having a skill pertaining to this artform is among the best skills anyone can have. So why not pick up your brother’s old guitar and try your hand at it. Or you can just borrow it from a friend who already has it. He/she might even give you some pointers on how to learn it.
Must Read: Best ways to travel during Coronavirus Lockdown, Without leaving your home.
15) UPCYCLE OLD CLOTHES, ACCESSORIES OR FURNITURES
It’s time to tap into the creative side of your mind. Make use of all the knowledge of your school-days when you were made to work on creative assignments.
Upcycling is the creative reuse of waste, useless, unwanted or broken products by transforming them into something usable. Paint over your dull old school shoes or make something creative on your plain T-shirts. Have old clothes that don’t fit you? Attach an extra piece of garments with complimenting patterns and use them as a brand-new dress. Your old glitters or craft items are just lying around? Use your creativity to turn them into something ornate and usable.
The internet is filled with tutorials on how to make use of old items. It is time you actually try those things being showed on those DIY videos that come in your Pinterest or YouTube feeds.
It’s a great way to make use of your time and unwanted resources.
Remember: #STAYHOME and #STAYSAFE
Must Read: Best ways of staying productive during COVID-19 lockdown
