Social Distancing
10 Things to Do While Social Distancing | UniKeep
10 Things to Do While Social Distancing
Author: Celeste O’Connor
The current coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone in the U.S. and abroad. Schools, bars, and restaurants have closed. Large events like conferences, concerts, festivals, and conventions have been canceled. You may be reading this article because you’ve been instructed by your employer to work from home, or maybe you’re in the service/retail industry and you aren’t able to go into work at all.
Though the virus is not fatal for the majority of Americans, for some people with compromised immune systems the virus poses a serious, dangerous threat. To avoid knowingly spreading the virus and putting others in danger, the government has instructed citizens to practice social distancing.
So if you’re stuck at home, here are a few ideas for ways you can pass the time while waiting to return to your normal life.
1. Start/Tend to a Garden
If you live somewhere where gardening is an option, why not start a garden? Gardening provides you with a chance to nurture and care for something, not to mention it has many different , as horticulture releases hormones connected to relaxation and happiness.
Gardening also reminds us of the natural cycle of life and death. If you are feeling panicked, upset or depressed due to the current situation, gardening might relieve you of those feelings, providing a gentle reminder that death is a part of life.
The UniKeep Garden Planner can help you out with tending to a garden, so don’t forget to check it out if you’re thinking of gardening to pass the time.
2. Dust Off Your Instruments and Write Songs
Depending on how long the CDC’s recommendation to stay inside will last, try out writing a song or two. Practicing an instrument or writing a song is a great way to keep your mind sharp and busy.
Use a songwriting journal as an accessory. This one has enough pages to write up to 21 songs which will hopefully last you a while!
3. Play Some Video Games
Playing video games is a fun choice for both kids and adults. If you have a Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Wii, Playstation, or similar, get out your games and pass the time improving your gaming skills. Our video game cases can help you organize all your games in one place, too, so that they are ready to go whenever boredom strikes.
4. Create a Cookbook
Staying inside means you’ll likely be enjoying home-cooked meals often. Print out some recipes from the web and create your own cookbook. You can get a recipe organizer or you can fashion your own DIY cookbook using binder clips, paper clips, a three-ring binder, or whatever else you can find.
Creating a cookbook can also be a fun DIY craft to do with your kids. Get some stickers, colored pencils and other art supplies to spruce up the book.
5. Emergency Prep
If you haven’t done any emergency preparation, now is the time to do so. There’s no telling where this pandemic might lead you and your family.
Assemble an emergency preparedness binder and make sure you have logged all of your emergency contact info, checking and savings accounts into, valuables inventory, pet evacuation plans, and account passwords. Create a family emergency plan and make sure everyone understands it, and assemble all important documents you might need inside the binder.
Also consider building a bug-out bag, stocked with essential items you might need in case of an emergency. You’ll want to make sure you can grab what you need and go at a moment’s notice.
6. Do Your Taxes
You might as well do your taxes if you are stuck indoors. Roll up your sleeves and bust out all of your tax documents and get to work. Here’s a to ensure you never lose a doc.
Remember, if you are an independent contractor or W2 employee, taxes are due April 15th, 2020. If you are a small business, taxes are due April 30th.
7. Spring Clean Your Home
Conveniently, the suggestion to remain indoors is right when spring cleaning is due. In addition, deep-cleaning and sanitizing are essential to prevent the virus from spreading.
Check out our Spring Cleaning Checklist we’ve compiled for you, and don’t forget to print out the checklists for you to follow at home.
8. Scrapbook
For kids and adults, a great way to pass the time is to scrapbook. Transform your kitchen table into a craft station with stickers, markers, photos, ribbon, glue, construction paper and more, and get scrapping.
You can use a three-ring binder or a photo album for your scrapbook, or three-hole-punch your pages and secure them together with ribbon.
9. Organize Medical Records
Another thing you should be doing is organizing you and your family’s medical records. if someone were to get sick, you don’t want to walk into the doctor’s office without any surgical history, immunization records, or unpaid medical bills. Use a medical record organizer to fill out all health info like eye exams, dental visits, immunizations, surgeries, medications, etc., and also collect any exam documents, test results, and bills.
10. Plan for Retirement
If you are approaching retirement age, take this time to check up on your finances – especially if you have retirement investments in the stock market.
You can use a retirement and estate planning kit to make sure you have a plan for income while retired, a will, and a budget. You can also sort through any paperwork you need to organize for retiring.
Take Advantage of Time
No matter what, use this time to be productive. Whatever needs to get done, this is your chance to clean, organize, tidy and accomplish those tasks that you usually put off due to lack of time.
Hopefully, these 10 ideas for when you’re stuck at home helped inspire some fun ways to pass the time.
From your friends at UniKeep – stay safe and follow all preventative measures to keep others safe, too.