Previously published in Soph & Nick's Magazine, Issue #30, May 2020, as "55 Things to Do In Isolation".
With all the extra time, what are you going to do? This is the perfect time to develop a new hobby or do something you always love doing but never had time to do before. (Unless, of course, you’re still working and are busier than ever— which I can’t relate to, but I commend you for your hard work). Here are fifty- four of my greatest ideas on how you can spend all this extra time. Don’t judge until you try them, alright?
1. Start a journal.
Seriously. Try to keep it up for at LEAST a week, every single night. Write about anything. Write about nothing. Write everything that comes to your mind, even if it looks insane on the page. Journaling is a fantastic habit to get into. A journal is essentially like a time machine that you can create. So do it.
2. Brush your teeth.
three times a day so they are extra clean. Why not. You have the time, and you’re at home. Brush them four times, if you want. Actually, that is probably bad for you and you’ll probably scrub off your gums. So maybe don’t go overboard. Just a warning.
3. Buy Animal Crossing New Horizons.
And get addicted to it (trust me, you will).
4. Write a book of poetry.
Because anyone can be a poet. Maybe not a good poet, but a poet, none-the-less. And what better way of expressing your struggles than through some beautiful prose?
5. Create music playlists for every single mood.
Create an “Angry” playlist, a “Sad” playlist, a “Happy” playlist, a “sdhjsfhsfsfjieru” playlist (for a mood you can’t describe). Or create music playlists based on colours, or something creative like that. I dunno. Or, if you already have a system of playlists, update them, and discover new music to add them, plus take out any songs that you always skip over when you shuffle, because who needs those songs?
6. Start a blog.
It’s your time to shine. Blogs are fairly easy to set up and with wix.com you can easily make your own FREE website (this was not a paid promotion, by the way). Write about what interests you the most, whether it’s skin care, books, cars, or My Little Ponies.
7. Try to break one of your bad habits.
Nail biting? Stop! Picking your nose? Stop! Drinking too much? Stop! Smoking? Stop! Being lazy? Stop! Easier said than done, I know, but if you’re gonna try, might as well try now. Or do as Yoda said and know that you either DO or DO NOT—there is no try. Try to replace these bad habits with GOOD habits.
8. Start working out.
Create an intense routine, or try a 30 day challenge. I recently completed a 30 day squat challenge, which, on my last day, had me doing 250 squats. It was painful but rewarding and definitely gives you a sense of accomplishment. Start small and build to something bigger.
9. Go for a run.
Do intervals. Or try sprinting as fast as you possibly can down a hill.
10. Start a dream journal.
And write in there EVERY MORNING when you wake up, even if you only remember a single symbol from your dream. And this might help you to...
11. Learn to lucid dream.
This takes time, effort, and patience, but it’s an amazing skill that all kinds of masterminds swear by. Basically, lucid dreaming means just being aware that you are dreaming. And you can do whatever you want in your dreams! It’s a crazy skill, but there are lots of online resources to help you understand how to do it.
12. Sign up for a Goodreads account.
Then, create a Reading Goal for 2020, based on how many books you hope to read this year. 10? 20? 100? 150? Anything is possible. Goodreads will automatically tell you whether you are behind or ahead in achieving your goal. This always inspires me to read more!
13. Read like CRAZY.
Re-read books that you adored, clear any books that are on your to-read list, read everything and anything.
14. Reorganize your closet Marie Kondo style.
Take out all your clothes, get rid of anything that doesn’t “spark” or whatever she says, and then use her insane folding technique to make it look impeccable. Hopefully the perfection lasts longer than a week.
15. Write handwritten letters to friends and family and mail them.
Add photos, maybe little trinkets. Write about your favourite memories, ask them how they are doing, make the letters look beautiful.
16. Learn to play an instrument.
If you have an instrument sitting around your house—like your dad’s old guitar, or perhaps a piano that only your mom plays—attempt to learn using online videos or downloading an app like Yousician.
17. Bake something!
Cookies, cupcakes, something interesting. I dunno. It’s up to you!
18. Create your own dance routine.
Why not. It might be seen as impressive, and you may just become famous.
19. Try Duolingo again.
See if you can keep up your streak, and learn a new language. It’s a free app, and it could seriously help assist you in learning a new language, so why not?
20. Deep clean the most terrifying parts of your house.
The back of your closet, under the bathroom sink, the sketchy cupboard downstairs. See what kind of things you can find, and find out how great it feels to clean.
21. Groom your eyebrows.
Regardless of your gender, this is something everyone can do, if they want to. Trim your long brow hairs, wax your unibrow, pluck any crazy hairs...
22. Grow out your eyebrows!
Don’t do anything with them for a few months. Welcome the new hair growth. If you are looking to reset your eyebrow shape, or make your eyebrows look more natural, this is for you.
23. Give yourself a manicure.
Push down those cuticles, put on some hand cream, and pick a nice shade. Bonus points if you attempt some nail art.
24. Get a book of crossword puzzles, or Sudoku, and start doing those.
Your IQ will increase through the roof.
25. Do jigsaw puzzles.
My mom, and my grandpa, are both avid puzzlers, and are using the extra time to do more puzzles than ever before. It’s very calming and rewarding.
26. Make a photo album.
If you have a collection of photos from a recent family vacation, or an archive of historical photos that illuminate your family history, create a photo album online and order a few copies, then send some to relatives that would enjoy it.
27. Create a bucket list of things you would like to do after this is all over!
This is the perfect opportunity to meditate on the things you miss the most, and what you would most enjoy doing once you are out of isolation.
28. Call a family member or friend.
29. Download Netflix Party onto Google Chrome.
Watch a movie on Netflix, synchronized with your best friend, with a chat feature beside it so you can both provide commentary as you watch.
30. Play board games.
Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee. Have a tournament night to see who is the ultimate winner.
31. Learn to perfect eyeliner.
Or attempt to learn the art of applying false lashes. Or master eye shadow. Now’s your chance to experiment.
32. Online shop.
It’s just so exciting getting a package in the mail.
33. Film, edit, and produce your own movie.
34. Bring out old video game consoles that you haven’t used for a long time.
Have some nostalgic fun playing some old favorites. Right now my Dad brought out the Nintendo 64, and we have been having fun playing GoldenEye.
35. Beat an old video game that you never completed.
I recently started and completed Link’s Awakening on my Nintendo Switch, a game I got for Christmas but never got into. I am hoping to replay some of my old favourite Legend of Zelda games, too.
36. Learn how to sketch, using video tutorials, and practice.
I have started drawing my hand every single day in an attempt to improve my hand drawings. However, somehow it has gotten worse with every day. Don’t ask how that’s happening.
37. Learn how to meditate.
Get a meditation app and try one of the trials, or listen to a YouTube guided mediation video. See if you can take a few minutes for yourself. Maybe you can turn it into a habit, which would be an incredible habit to have.
38. Go social media or technology free for an ENTIRE DAY.
Although this may seem impossible, it is entirely possible, and you will notice how much freer and happier you feel.
39. De-clutter your laptop or computer.
This includes de-cluttering your email inbox, which, if you’re like me, is a complete disaster, with almost 3000 unread emails. This is why you should unsubscribe from daily newsletters that you never read.
40. Update your contacts.
You likely have a lot of people in your contacts that you haven’t used in years. Delete the old ones, and make sure the information is correct for the current contacts.
41. Watch your favourite movies from your childhood.
(E.g. Disney classics that you haven’t watched for a long time).
42. Buy one of those guided journals from Indigo.
There are loads to choose from. For people who hate journaling, there’s “One Line a Day”, which will help you to create a memory book with very little effort. There’s also “The Story of My Life”, which will help you to basically write your own guided autobiography. And then there’s my favourite—“Q & A A Day”. This 5-year journal asks a question every day, then prompts you to answer it in one of the five blanks below it, and write the year beside it. Over the course of half a decade, you create an insightful memory book. I kept one when I was a kid and it was really funny and entertaining seeing how my answer changed, as I got older and wiser.
43. Rearrange your bedroom.
Or your living room. Or some other room. You’ll be surprised at how rearranging your room sort of refreshes your entire life (If you haven’t realized yet, I have an actual addiction to rearranging my room).
44. Sit on your deck and look at the stars.
Bonus points if you have a telescope.
45. Catch up on sleep.
46. Start a garden.
47. Listen to podcasts—or audiobooks.
Using your library card, you can gain access to a ton of free audiobooks with the app Libby. Look on your local library’s website for details.
48. Attend a live stream concert.
49. Watch some Ted Talks.
Feel inspired and ready for life.
50. Do anything and everything that you wanted to do before but were “too busy” to do them.
Whatever that is—you don’t have any excuses now. DO IT!
51. Learn a party trick.
Like juggling, or doing the splits.
52. Create a shared playlist using Spotify.
Ask people to add songs to it that remind them of memories they’ve had with you.
53. Try to teach your pet a trick.
54. Reorganize your bookshelves.
You can do it by colour, by last name of author, or by genre. Add weird knick-knacks to the shelves to make it look more beautiful.
55. Read this blog.
Revel in its utter brilliance, and the innate beauty of this list. BE INSPIRED. Or else.
I don’t like running