The coronavirus is no joke. It has practically shut down the entire country (with the exception of all you amazing essential workers – keep being amazing!) and has forced many colleges to turn to remote learning for the rest of the spring semester. So, while shacking up with your ‘rents might not have been at the top of your list this year, here are some ways to make the most out of your “coronacation” and still stay on top of all your responsibilities.
The most important thing is to make a routine and stick to it. Especially now that some of your online classes are probably just you watching lectures on your own time, having repetition in your schedule can be a good thing. Make sure to schedule in time for those classes that aren’t through Blackboard Ultra. My suggestion? Set aside the time you normally had class to watch your professor’s lectures. This way it still feels like you have the class at your regularly scheduled time.
Even though the mandatory stay at home order seems scary, you are still allowed to leave your house to walk the dog or go for a run! Don’t stay cooped up inside all day, every day or you might get a case of cabin fever (sooner than you would expect, too!). Set a goal of going outside for at least 15 minutes a day. Whether you take a walk around your block or just sit outside, breathing in the fresh air will not only help you stay healthy, but it will give you a much needed change of scenery.
Set aside time to unplug from electronics. The endless TikTok scrolling can wait. Try to limit your screen time to half of what it normally is. Want to go one step further? Set a restriction on your phone via the Screen Time tab in Settings so that your phone will lock after a certain amount of time you are on it! I promise you all of those slightly cringy TikTok dances will still be there for you to learn later.
Go geocaching! If you have never been, basically it’s a free scavenger hunt that lets you connect with your community through “buried treasure” caches. It is so cool to find one in your neighborhood and then see what other people have left with it! This is for anyone with a sense of adventure who doesn’t want to be cooped up inside all day. Just be careful and wear protective gear like gloves so you don’t risk spreading germs.
And last, but certainly not least, perfect the art of…the nap! Even if you think you’re getting enough sleep at night, the fact is your sleep cycle was probably upended by the coronavirus. Even if you think going to bed at 3 a.m. every night and waking up a 10 a.m. is fine, it is still perfectly reasonable to take a couple of quick cat-naps throughout the day. Sleep expert Christopher Lindholst says 20 minutes is the ideal amount of time for the perfect nap.
All that being said, enjoy your Coronacation and good luck with online classes!