43 Ways to Entertain Yourself During the Pandemic
Social distancing and self-isolating are absolutely necessary right now. But they’re hard. It’s difficult to sit at home lonely, scared, and feeling useless. I’ve had quite a few friends and family members say they’re unsure how to spend their time now that they’re not working all day. So, as an introverted person who entertains herself regularly, I compiled an easy list of forty-three activities to try over the next few weeks or months.
1. Learn a new language on Duolingo.
2. Try a new YouTube workout channel.
3. Go down a few Reddit holes (AITA, unsolved mysteries, etc.).
4. Order books via your library app. Many are doing free lends without a card right now.
5. Get a MasterClass subscription and start learning from the best. Trust me, it’s worth every penny. I started with David Lynch, Joyce Carol Oates, and Danny Elfman.
6. Try freewriting. Write down every single thing that comes to your mind. No correcting. No editing. No formatting. Just let it all flow out of you!
7. Try a new art medium. Painting, sketching, charcoal, knitting… There’s so many to try.
8. Do full body stretches for relaxation and stress ease. I personally enjoy the stretching routines from Fitness Blender, but there’s a LOT to try. Check out YouTube or Pinterest to get started.
9. Watch Chef’s Table and Parts Unknown for fantastic food journalism.
10. Read Agatha Christie or other mystery novels to make your mind work while having fun.
11. Try out make up tutorials or clothes styling videos. It’s a great time to refresh or recreate your personal look.
12. Reorganize your rooms. That could mean cleaning out and organizing drawers. Or it could mean rearranging your furniture to give your house new life.
13. Practice yoga! It’s so good for mind and body. And can be as intense or challenging as you’d like.
14. Try making music online or with free apps. Try out songwriting. It’s a great time to push your creativity.
15. Binge Chopped, Iron Chef, or Beat Bobby Flay. Cooking competitions are a great family friendly way to spend the afternoon yelling at the TV.
16. Try cooking new foods with ingredients you don’t usually use. Try cheap cuts of meat, weird vegetables, ethnic foods you’ve never tried, unusual herbs… Not only will you be strengthening your kitchen skills, you’re also saving essential food items for those who need it most!
17. Dance!!! Choose your favorite music and just let yourself go for however long you need.
18. Find ways to volunteer your time online. From Citizen Sleuths to data entry, there are a lot of ways you can help out.
19. Write letters to people you love.
20. Make cards for people you love. Or hate.
21. Watch comedy shows. Try to write your own comedy act.
22. Find an animal/country/topic you know nothing about and research the hell out of it. Maybe write a paper about it! Or create a PowerPoint to share!
23. Watch some super nostalgic shows like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Cheers, etc.
24. Make a playlist of nostalgic music. Pretend to be thirteen again. Stare out the window crying.
25. Design and paint coffee mugs as a gift.
26. Make up a board game.
27. FaceTime a kid stuck at home and play with them over the phone for half an hour.
28. Watch all Oscar-nominated films and write out your opinions on them. Be brutally honest.
29. Take this time to perfect a skill you have but never have time for.
30. Edit your closet. Make a list of things you need/want.
31. Tackle a play by Shakespeare.
32. Choose an actor and watch all of their movies.
33. Try out a weird style of photography. Take a million pictures in that style.
34. Start a blog on something you love. Like Blue Jays. Or socks. Or grilled cheese.
35. Research trips you want to take in the future like you’re a travel agent. Get DETAILED.
36. Coloring books!
37. Buy a gorgeous journal and start writing. Or just start typing away on your computer. Get REAL with yourself.
38. Research the people/lives you aspire to and figure out how they got where they did. Start planning.
39. Learn a new instrument. Start a band.
40. Meditate. Learning to control your thoughts will be extremely helpful in days to come!
41. Binge a genre you don’t usually watch. Try horror or sci-fi or mockumentaries.
42. Get that sewing machine out and start making masks! While they may not always be useful to healthcare professionals, there are plenty of other communities that could use these masks. Think nursing homes, homeless shelters, grocery workers, etc.
43. Find ways to thank workers in essential industries, like food delivery, grocery stores, hospitals, city maintenance, nursing homes, shelters, etc. It could be as small as gifts or as large as monetary donations.
I hope some of these activities help you pass the time in a creative way. We can spend this time bored and worrying. Or we can use this time for personal growth and self-development. Comment below if you have other activities you’d like to add.
Stay safe!
