How to Survive Social Distancing 101
Social distancing can help keep you healthy, but it might drive you crazy. This is an excerpt from an article that provides interesting ideas for how you can stay sane (and maybe even learn something) during social isolation. A key theme is to be productive!
Here are some ways to combat loneliness and take advantage of this time.
What have you been meaning to do? What do you never have time for? Now is your chance!
1. Organize Your Photos…and Send Some to Loved Ones - There is nothing like going through old photos. It’s nostalgic, it’s sweet and it can be inspiring.
• Organize your old photos into albums
• Print some for your home
• Select a few to turn into postcards
• Print and send them to old friends and family members
• We all need a positive note right now!
2. Spring Clean - What have you been meaning to clean out? It is spring after all! It cannot hurt to do some big cleanouts and create some space in your life.
Now’s the BEST time to become more productive while practicing social distancing at home!
How do you clean your home? Start simple! Try tackling one room at a time:
• Your closet (try Marie Kondo’s technique the Magic Art of Tidying Up)
• Your garage
• Your pantry (organize all those dry goods and cook some of them before they expire!)
• Your bedside drawers (if you need a smaller project)
• The attic or basement
• Under the bed (helps with allergies too)
And that doesn’t mean you have to stop at cleaning your home— why not tidy up your computer or phone’s hardware space as well? You can try:
• Organizing your desktop
• Getting rid of old programs and apps you don’t use
• Backing up and deleting old photos you don’t need
• Resetting your computer (just make sure to make a backup!)
3. Grab a Pen and Paper: Journal - If you’re socially isolated and not talking to people face-to-face so much… why not engage in dialogue with yourself through journaling?
I love to keep a journal near my bedside every night! Before I go to bed, I jot down the most important parts of my day:
• What I’m grateful for
• What I accomplished that day
• Any major (and minor) events that stood out to me
• What I want to accomplish the next day
4. Video Call 3 Old Friends - Who do you need to spend more time talking to?
• Your old roommate?
• Your best friend from camp?
• Your favorite cousin?
Video call them! You can even group call your friends and hang out like you used to… just virtually! Or, you can even call them on the phone if you don’t feel like getting dressed!
5. Finish that Book…or Start a New One - You know that book you have been meaning to finish? Now is the time to have “reading hour” in your house. There are TONS of ways you can get books for free digitally! Try OverDrive or your local interlibrary loan system. Oh and update or set up an account with Goodreads.
6. Take a Free Course - This is the BEST time to be learning online. There are so many free resources out there. Pick a topic you want to become more versed in and go!
Here are some suggestions:
• EdX: Has free courses from Harvard—talk about a good way to use at-home rime!
• Udemy: I love Udemy and have a free course on there as well. Search their library of free courses.
7. Take a Virtual Tour - Did you know that many museums offer virtual museum tours? Check out a comprehensive list of virtual tours here.
• You can take a virtual walk around the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
• Into aquariums? Boston’s New England Aquarium has Facebook Live tours!
• Love performances? Check out Philharmonie Berlin’s library of performances!
• Can’t go to Disney World with the kids? You can go on virtual roller coasters!
Most importantly…
• See this time as an opportunity to reflect…
• Slow down…
• And appreciate your health, your family and your time.
• Use it wisely!
Source: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/social-distancing/