My Stuck at Home Bucketlist
Spring Clean
Go through your papers and maybe even find some cute notes from your friends from way back in high school. Now is the perfect time for a closet deep dive! Collect your old clothes to donate, or maybe even research a local consignment store to give them to after all the craziness dies down. Or maybe rearrange your clothes by season or color. There’s never been a better span of free time to clean out the monster under your bed or your kitchen cabinets.
Movie Marathon
Re-watch some light-hearted childhood favorites, or some movies you can have a laugh at. I took some time to watch The Princess Diaries movies again, and it was so nice to have a laugh and forget about being stuck inside. This is also a great time to catch up on some movies from your bucketlist you’ve yet to see- I saw the old Dracula from 1931! I recommend downloading the Watchlist app to keep track of movies you’ve seen and which ones you haven’t. The app also shows you where your bucketlist flicks are available to watch!
Exercise & Meditate
It’s really important to keep yourself healthy and maintain your normal activities as much as possible while indoors. Exercising is great for your physical and mental health, and it’s also a great idea to try some meditation. Personally, I love Yoga With Adrienne’s channel on YouTube. She even has a new playlist called “Yoga for Uncertain Times” with practices of all durations and yogi levels. There are tons of yoga and meditation apps available for free, and if you’re like me, you probably have a hoard of yoga DVDs in the house from way back when. If you’re not one for yoga, stick to a usual workout routine as best you can, or explore the Internet for a guided practice. Also, nothing beats a good old walk in the park or bike ride through the neighborhood!
Find Some New Music
I love Spotify’s recommended playlist and personal radios. Let them run while you’re doing work around the house and find a new favorite artist! There are a ton of small artists you can find on YouTube as well. Give some love to some lesser-known artists like: Mother Feather, New Beat Fund, CRUISR, Jenny Broke the Window, and Jule Vera. Also, who doesn’t love a good old 2000’s pop punk music video marathon?
Spice Things Up
Don’t let yourself become stagnant just because you can’t go out. Curve a lack of motivation by moving around to different rooms of your house during the day and changing your phone and laptop wallpapers. Also, freshen up the scenery by re-arranging some furniture and change out the pictures in your frames. Make a new playlist for your work from home or distanced learning and make sure you give yourself breaks from sitting and staring at the screen. Sit somewhere with natural light and avoid slouching into the couch in a dark room. Invite a little bit of the outside inside by diffusing some essential oils, planting something (I love the Aerogarden for my apartment), or by simply opening a window.
Try Out Some New Recipes
Whether you love to bake, cook, bartend, or anything in-between, go ahead and make that new recipe you’ve had on your phone for months! Perfect a recipe that you can look forward to sharing with your friends later on. Maybe even try something totally weird and new. I made grapefruit curd thanks to a Pinterest recipe, and I never thought I’d have a knack for preserves! Go ahead and perfect your meringue skills, or meal-plan some tasty new lunches. Most importantly, though, make sure you’re getting regular meals to keep your body happy. Drink lots of water!
Start a New Craft Project
By the end of this thing, have something cool to show for it! I’m making a quilt out of some old band t-shirts I got at different concerts over the years. It’s a project I’ve been wanting to do for a while, but never got around to it. Well, it seems as good a time as any right about now! I love to search through Pinterest and Etsy for crafting ideas, but you can find endless DIY tutorials on YouTube and in online magazines.
Take Some Time Off of Social Media
While the Internet is more important than ever in keeping us connected at this time, feeds can become overly negative. We’re all at least a little scared and uncertain right now, but don’t make it worse by forcing yourself to scroll through posts that you know will make it worse. Instead, use your tech as a force for good! Call and Facetime your friends and family, instead. Have meaningful conversations, instead of contributing to the general panic on Facebook. Download Netflix Party on Google Chrome to watch movies with friends, or even use the Houseparty app to video chat and play games with friends on your phone.
Bust Out the Old Video Games
I’m not a big gamer myself, but isn’t this the best time to revisit Ocarina of Time or The Sims? Maybe you’re even lucky enough to get your paws on the new Animal Crossing game. Many of us are so used to having little time in our schedules to enjoy our games, now is the chance to give yourself some guilt-free free time!
Start a Writing Project
Compile some poetry, or write it! Start that novel, comic book, or screenplay. Send it to your friends to read over! If you’ve always wanted to write, but have a hard time staying motivated, find a writing buddy to check in with and edit each other’s work. Maybe even start a story together and trade chapters or paragraphs. This can be a great way to maintain your hobby and who knows, you might even keep checking in with each other after this has all blown over.
Start a Bullet Journal
This is a great way to be creative, but also set goals for yourself during this loosely-structured time. Make some bucketlists and check them off. Set intentions for the day in the mornings, and return to them before bed. Create a mood-tracker to check in with yourself daily. Try out some doodles and calligraphy while keeping track of all the cool things you’ve been doing over this unscheduled break! Surf the web for some page inspiration.
Maintain Your Schedule
Set your alarm clock for your usual time. Get dressed, make your coffee, and have a good breakfast to sustain yourself for the day ahead. Keep your body and mind healthy and regulated during this time. Don’t let yourself sleep in all day, but turn on the lights to help yourself wake up. Open the windows and get some fresh air, take the dog on a long walk, and find a good space to set-up shop for your online work/learning. Don’t give up on yourself during this time, but set yourself up for success as best you can. No one planned for this time, but here we are! Give yourself time to adjust, but look for acceptance in yourself regarding the changes life has taken. Pull yourself back up and make it happen!
Organize Your Computer
This is something I know I constantly put off. Back up your computer and your phone. Organize your photos library, your hard drive, your online drives, and your EMAILS! (My inbox is insane!) Take some time to get your digital life together while everything is on hold, so that you can be your most productive self when things get back on track!
Pick Up a Hobby
Come back to that old hobby you love, but never have time for anymore. I’ve heard tons of college students that complain they can never read a book for fun anymore- well, now’s your chance! Pick up a good book, practice an instrument, buy a cross-stitch kit, learn to knit, start a blog/vlog, make some candles, get one of those adult coloring books, or try out some new and crazy makeup looks you might not normally wear outside! After all, who’s going to see?
Learn Something New
Keep your brain healthy and active! Download Duolingo, watch a documentary on Netflix, or find a mini-masterclass on YouTube (or even get a MasterClass subscription for a month). Maybe even check out an online resource that your university may provide such as Kanopy or LinkedIn Learning to take advantage of the subscriptions you’re already paying for.
Stay safe, happy, and healthy out there!