10 Things to do in Self-isolation

Self-isolation has been proven to be difficult but extremely vital for all of us in these strange times. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the UK and many other countries to go into lockdown, with shops closing and police breaking up gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. This means that many of us can’t see our friends and family or socialise like we are used to. Us students are doing our coursework at home and are tuning into online lectures. Children are doing schoolwork at home and being taught online. Many people are working from home, juggling their personal-life with work-life. This is a difficult time for everyone.

As well as that, most of us are being consumed by boredom and struggling to find things to do while stuck in our homes. So I came up with a few ideas on how to fill time in quarantine, whether you are self-isolating alone or with other household members.

1- Exercise

Being inside all day, every day can be bad for your health and your mood. Here in the UK, everyone is allowed once a day for exercise or essential shopping so it is important to take advantage of the time we are allowed outside. Going for a walk while making sure you are 2 metres away from people you pass is a good idea if you feel isolated and down in the dumps. You could also have morning walks every day to help keep a routine to your days and keep you motivated to be productive. Going outside gives you some fresh air and vitamin D which will almost definitely make you feel refreshed and boost your mood.

If you can’t go outside to exercise you can always do circuits, simple exercises or yoga in your living room. Body coach, Joe Wicks, has been doing daily live exercise videos on YouTube from the comfort of his own home. These live-streams were initially aimed at kids that are missing out on regular PE classes but had a lot of adults and parents joining in too. Tuning in to his live-stream or doing 30 minutes of exercise in the morning is a good habit to get into and helps give you a routine for the day, which a lot of people are struggling with.

2- Bake

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I’ve been seeing hundreds of people posting photos of home-made goodies online during the lockdown, even celebrities. People who have never baked before are trying it for the first time. This can be a great way to pass the time and try a new hobby in a time that you may not be able to engage in your normal activities. It can also be a great stress-relieving hobby as you can play some relaxing music and take your time making some delicious cookies and cakes. This is also a useful skill for students to have as a lot of societies host fundraising bake sales and baking homemade goods is generally cheaper than buying them from shops. Plus who doesn’t love some cake? (I certainly do)

3- Listen to new music or podcasts

With the amount of music streaming platforms there are nowadays, we can’t complain about not having enough to listen to. Now is as good a time as any to plug in some headphones or a speaker and discover new artists. That album your friend recommended months ago that you haven’t gotten round to listening to yet? Play it while washing dishes. That band you have been meaning to check out? Why not listen to an album of theirs while doing the laundry. Recently one of my favourite bands, Aboriginals, released a new single so if you’re wondering where to start you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2cs4h5J2wbdXlYWzavg1PR?si=VlstxtL7TSCMhFQCwmzSYQ

If music doesn’t interest you, there are thousands of podcasts you can tune in to online. You can find podcasts about everything under the sun. You can listen to people talk about video games, sustainability, true crime, sports and hundreds of other topics. Podcasts are also ideal for anyone who is self-isolating on their own as they are generally very conversational, most podcasts I have listened to are essentially listening to a few friends having a long conversation. You can play a podcast in the background while you go about your day just to have some comforting voices talk to you if you feel you need it. One I have been listening to recently is XP Point’s weekly gaming podcast which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxu1plig3Q_9mva1HjFuh8I8VgGFzfGTI

4- Learn a new language

Native English speakers are often criticised for not learning other languages, so this is a good time for us to learn a new language or refresh our memory on languages we started to learn in school. Learning a language can be challenging, especially when trying to juggle work, errands and home life around it. However, with the lockdown many people are finding that they now have the time to do and learn stuff they always wanted to. I’d love to learn a new language but my coursework is taking up enough of my time that I can’t justify learning at the moment. Once all my deadlines have passed I might spend some time re-learning Teeline Shorthand* to keep myself busy. It might not be an entirely new language but it will most likely come in handy in my line of work in the future.

*Shorthand is a method of rapid writing that abbreviates words using a language of symbols. This is usually used to take fast-paced notes in interviews and courtrooms (as recording in most courtrooms is generally illegal)

5- Get creative

If you find art therapeutic, as I do, painting or drawing is a great way to pass the time while also being productive. Even if you haven’t painted in years, why not dig out your old art supplies and give it ago? If that isn’t up your alley, there are plenty of advanced colouring books on the market that are intricate and provide a calming but fun experience. More practical ways to get a similar experience could be sewing and knitting. A lot of people use colouring books, knitting and sewing to reduce anxiety and stress, which many people have been feeling recently. This could be a great time to try something new and there are tutorials on almost everything on YouTube, so if you have the time, why not throw yourself in the deep end of a new hobby and just practice until you get it right?

6- De-clutter and tidy

I don’t know about you but my flat is always a complete mess. I live in a studio flat so, between my boyfriend and I’s belongings and all my clothes and shoes, there isn’t very much space. We try to clean as regularly as we can but that can be difficult to keep up with. Now that the lockdown has cleared our calendars, we have all the time in the world to decide what we can donate to charity and find homes for objects that are always out of place. Due to coursework and other work we have to do we tend to procrastinate a lot, we get around this by assigning one day of the week to just cleaning and tidying the flat. A messy home leads to a messy mind so it’s good to de-clutter and clean, it might seem like a boring task but you’ll be surprised how quickly the time flies and how good having a tidy home makes you feel.

7- Get “dolled up” for no reason in particular

Some nights I find myself feeling down and losing all motivation and self-esteem. I miss going out for meals, shopping, dates, nights out and even lectures. Admittedly, I miss getting dressed up to go out as well. So it’s good to get dressed up in your best clothes and put on some makeup although you aren’t going anywhere. That dress you don’t have an occasion for yet? The time is now! Those new jeans that you’ve been putting off wearing? Try them on- style them! I’ve found that this passes some time while also raising your mood and self-esteem. This also tends to boost your motivation to get things done as doing work in PJs or jogging bottoms has always made me feel less productive. Being up early and dressed smartly makes me feel ready to take on whatever the day throws at me.

8- Read a book or two

With all this free time, a lot of people are spending hours watching TV and movies or playing video games to amuse themselves in their self-isolation period, it’s important to remember to take a break now and then. Don’t get me wrong, I love video games and movies but a little digital detox is crucial. I don’t know many people that have read every book they own. I know I have several unread books collecting dust on my bookshelf, this is a great opportunity to sit down and make my way through them. I recently started reading All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher which had been sitting unopened on my shelf for months and I haven’t regretted it at all. Usually, my excuse for my lack of reading is that I am far too busy- but now I find myself complaining that I’m not busy enough. So now is the time for us to get reading!

9- Have a spa night

Setting aside a night now and then to just relax might help with any stress you’ve been feeling during the quarantine. I can’t tell you how many bath products I have received as gifts that I haven’t gotten around to using up. On nights when you are feeling down, simply crank up the cheesy love songs, make yourself a cup of tea (or a glass of wine if you’re feeling particularly fancy) and have a relaxing bubbly bath. You could even crossover this with my last point by taking a book in the bath with you. Unfortunately, my tiny flat doesn’t have a bath so instead, I just have a refreshing shower. To make it a bit more special I use a body scrub, body butter and lotion afterwards. Putting on a facemask with clean PJs on and watching one of your favourite movies with a bowl of your favourite snacks is a great way to end a spa night. Everyone deserves a treat here and there so why not dedicate a night to treating yourself? I like to keep these pamper nights few and far between to ensure then when I do have them, they feel truly special but you can have them as often as you want.

10- Lockdown date night

Whether you live with your partner or not, this is a sweet way to break the lockdown routine and spend some quality time with your significant other. A lockdown date is essentially getting dressed up like you would for a regular date and cooking a slightly fancier meal than normal in your home (slow cooker meals are especially good for this as you can prepare everything in the morning and get ready for the “date” and plate it up when it’s ready”). If you are social distancing in separate homes, you can do the same but over a video call. This might not be the same as what we are all used to but it’s a good way to spend some time together and possibly the closest thing couples will get to a normal date in this strange time.

That’s just some of my ideas for things to do inside during the quarantine. If you’d like to see a post like this again or you have any ideas you’d like to add, please tell me in the comments. I’d love to hear what everyone has been doing to stay sane during all this chaos.

I think we all have to remember why self-isolating is important right now to keep us motivated to continue preventing the spread of Coronavirus. Symptoms of COVID-19 don’t show immediately so meeting up with loved ones may risk their lives as well as your own. The more people self-isolate, the quicker the lockdown will be over. So please stay indoors and please don’t meet with anyone outwith your household. I hope I’ve given you an idea or two of what you can do while social-distancing and I hope you all stay safe.

Kirstin x

Photography by: Ryan Duff