How to spend your quarantine time

We are in a very different and weird time. Most of us are still transitioning into a new normal. Now more than ever, people need to be respectful and mindful of what is happening.

Even if you are not sick, you must do your part by social distancing to protect others and stop the

spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing can be very lonely. Use this time to prioritize self-care, and take a moment to listen to your mind and body. When you have free time on your hands, it is easy to get out of a routine and fall behind. I feel my best when I am productive and active.

During this break, make sure to keep your routine as normal as possible. It helps to wake up

early and get ready as you would on a workday.

1. Move your body

It is vital to keep your body moving while stuck at home. Starting the day off with some exercise

always boosts my productivity. Yoga is one of my favorite things to do. Stretching is a great way

to get your blood flowing and to clear your mind. While stretching, make sure to do some deep

breathing exercises.

After my yoga, I like to do guided meditations using the app Headspace. YouTube is a great resource to watch quick and effective at-home workouts.

2. Call your friends and family

During this stressful time, it helps to call friends and family. FaceTime has become so important

to me as an out-of-state student. If I feel overwhelmed and stressed, I will call my family and

instantly feel better.

3. Be creative

My kind of self-care is creatively using my mind. Journaling and reading are some of my

favorites. In my journal, I like to make lists. It could be a to-do list or even a list of things you are

grateful for. Pinterest has lists of topics that are good to journal about. A few things you can jot

down are 10 positive things in your life, what an ideal day looks like, or an important

lesson that you have learned. Make a vision board and include pictures of things that make you

happy. Cut out photos from magazines or make a digital one on Pinterest. See our previous

blog post “How To: Make a Vision Board.”

4. Watch your favorite shows

Now is your time to sit on the couch and binge your favorite shows with no guilt! I am a huge

Bravo fan and love to binge Vanderpump Rules, Summer House, and The Real Housewives. I

also love binging documentaries on Netflix. My favorites are Jeremy Scott: The People’s

Designer, Maddman: The Steve Madden Story, and Casablancas: The Man Who Loved

Women.

5. Organize your space

Start organizing a small area, such as the kitchen drawers or your closet. Take time to purge the

items you no longer use by making a pile for trash and a pile for donating. Put on some of your

favorite music or podcasts while you are working. I like watching The Home Edit’s YouTube

videos to get inspired.

6. Get ahead professionally

Perfect your resume and LinkedIn account. Utilize your college career center. Usually, you can

make virtual appointments, in which they tell you what to add or edit in your resume. Develop a draft of cold emails you will send to recruiters or favorite companies. The worst they can do is not respond!

Take an online course. The website Class Central has a list of FREE online courses. YouTube has tutorials to learn things such as Photoshop or Indesign. It is something creative to do and it also builds more skills to add to your resume.

Together we will get through this self-isolation period and flatten the curve. Although some of us

may be physically alone, know that you are never really alone. Feel free to tweet us @krnl_lf

with activities you like to do when you have free time on your hands.