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21 creative ideas to pass time while you STAY AT HOME

21 creative ideas to pass time while you STAY AT HOME

We do live special circumstances right now and you staying home totally makes a difference! In the present situation you were also given one of the most precious resource in life: TIME. Here are 21 ideas that might inspire you to use this resource wisely.

1. Clean your closet

Season changed and spring arrived. Weather is getting warmer and it’s time to say good bye to all winter outfits. Plus you need more comfy clothing for staying home. What a perfect reason to organise your closet! Take out all those clothes that just keep room there and you never wear. Make room for the ones you regularly use, feel comfortable in and truly love.

What to do with the things you no longer need? There are also plenty of apps where you can sell anything that is worn. You can also donate them to charity or simply recycle things that can be worn anymore. I am rather sure your closet will still be abundant even after the clean up.

2. Journal

What better time to journal than uncertain situations. Get an actual physical notebook and a pen. Write down your thoughts, ideas, dreams, how you feel, what you want to achieve, make a plan, a wish list, draw, get creative. And be fearless about it! This is the beauty of journaling. Here are some guidelines on How to Start a Journal if you do not know where to begin.

3. Take a challenge

Whether it is 7, 10 or 30 days sports, healthy diet, meditation, glowing skin, reading just choose a challenge and stay accountable to it. Pick something that inspires you and will make you feel that you achieved something at the end. It is important that you have fun and feel great while doing it. Ask a friend to show up with you and motivate each other on the way. Doing and finishing challenges can be quite empowering and I speak from my own experience having finished 7 challenges at the moment.

4. Do sports at home

Now that you get to stay home so much and your fridge is full of goodies, it is very important you take time and care of your body. Your well-being is a priority, so honour and respect your body. Make a plan and show up to exercise. Internet has a quite vast variety of resources to exercise abs, legs, yoga, Pilates, Freeletics etc. There are even stretching exercises that you can do in bed in the morning! There is really no excuse. Choose something you enjoy doing and feels good for your body. Start easy and advance from there. I use an App for abs and it takes around 8 minutes each morning.

5. Spring clean the house

Now that spring is here what a perfect reason to fresh up the house and get rid of things that summed up throughout the winter. Not only you will have a pleasant living space after, but doing house chores burns calories too.

6. Read a book

I specifically wrote “a book” because I am sure you do a lot of readings on your phone everyday. When was the last time you took some moments to stay cosy with a cup of tea near and a book in your hand? Go to your shelve and take the volume you wanted to read for so long and read it. If you really do not find or have anything interesting home, there are plenty of online resources to find books for free.

7. Get involved in a creative act

Get old box with acrylic colours from the attic -checked, white paper -checked, brushes -checked. I am more than sure you have at least one set of materials in your house to create art. Take them out and let your imagination run. Whether you paint, doodle, knit, create origami, model clay, as long as this is fun for you and involves your creativity it is the right activity.

A creative act such as crafting can help focus the mind, and has even been compared to meditation due to its calming effects on the brain and body. Even just gardening or sewing releases dopamine, a natural anti-depressant. Creativity reduces anxiety, depression, and stress. (Forbes, 2018)

8. Learn to meditate

This is a beautiful habit that you can integrate in your morning routine for a bright start in the day. Also in the evening routine to close the day on a calm and fulfilling note. Start simple with 5 to 10 minutes guided meditations. You can use an app or search on YouTube. You will be given clear directions and you do not need any prior knowledge. Choose something that fits you and your mood. Be willing to change the meditation when you it simply does not resonate with you. This is a positive and empowering practice for you well being. Keep it like that.

9. Organise your vacation photos

Yes, those 2000 photos from last summer holiday in Greece that you promised to select and upload in an album. Now is the time to do it. Going back to those warm, sunny memories will be fun and motivating too. And seriously now, who needs 20 selfies in front of the same gorgeous blossomed bush or 6 pictures of the same dinner? Yes, I do talk about myself here.

10. Get creative in the kitchen

Now that your storeroom and fridge contain plenty of deliciousness, what are you going to cook in the next days? For us things changed a lot in the past week and as much as we enjoy eating out we kept cooking home almost twice a day: garlic olive oil pasta, oven potatoes, vegetarian lentils “meatballs”, soups, salads. What has been in your menu and how are you getting creative in the kitchen with the resources you have?

11. Take time for yourself

If you could chose now ONE little thing that would make you smile and feel content, which one will it be? Make sure in this special times you do take care and pamper yourself. If you are and feel great everyone around can too. So go paint your nails, take that bubble bath, drink your coffee in the sun and enjoy this moment. It is all about you now!

12. Take an online course

This is probably one of my favourite things to do, because I love to learn and believe in continuous self growth. This week I just finished a 6 week only academy for building more professional skills. Beside this I took online course on drawing, photography, history of rock, nutrition, social media, manifestation, social businesses and different technical courses. The number of online platforms and resources is increasing by day. You have great materials on platforms like CourseraedEUdemy, Linked In and even YouTube. The variety of areas is incredible on all of them. Many courses are for free and for some of them you can even get accreditation at a fair price. Have your pick and Just do it!

13. Do your taxes

This really does not sound like fun for me, but we have to do it anyway. Now we have the time and our friends are not doing anything more interesting either. Find the motivation, schedule the activity and think how relieved you will feel when you have this behind. Just imagine all the things you could do with the money you will get back. Are you motivated now?

14. Get in touch with an old friend

This a great moment to check in with old friends to see how they are doing. None of you has the lack of time excuse now. Take the first step and contact an old friend. You could be pleased to hear a familiar voice and to reconnect. True friends stay forever no matter how often you get in touch with one another.

15. Take time off your phone

Create a habit in the morning and in the evening to stay offline. Give time to yourself outside social media life. Actively decide to use your phone only between certain hours. Make a commitment to yourself and keep it. I avoid going online in the morning before 10:00 AM and after 20:00 PM in the evening. Of course not everyday is possible, but stick to it to most days. Create out of this an empowering habit where you are a master of your day and time. Make sure you keep this a positive experience and not another reason to stress yourself. So if it’s not working for now, embrace that and be OK with it.

16. Grow a plant from a seed

What else can you do after you finished all seasons of your favourite series, you read , watched TV again, cooked again? Let’s check your gardening skills. And what better way to do it, than to grow your own plant. You do not need to buy any special seeds for this activity. Collect any seeds from fruits or veggies you have at home, dry them and add them to soil. Choose seeds from pepper, lemon, cucumber, strawberries, beans or whatever you like. Here is a whole WikiHow in images that will guide you step by step.

The 3 Musketeers

17. Dance

Who said home isolation can not be fun? Get out that funky Spotify playlist of yours and start boogying on those rhythms. Be considerate and do not play it that loud though. I am very sure your neighbours are at home.

18. Be with your partner

This is an easy one if the two of you actually live together. On the long term cohabitation can sometimes put a bit the romance off: daily work, groceries, no make-up & pyjamas, house chores etc. Decide what it is fun for both of you and do it: cook together, make a romantic dinner, watch a movie you both like, make sweet love. When was the last time you really spend quality time with your love one? And if you two do not live together, you can still do all of the above video calling. Maybe except last one. As long as both of you are enjoying it, it counts as a date!

19. Help a neighbour

Yes, that old lady across the corridor that kept receiving your Amazon packages while you were at work or in vacation. Now it is your chance to do something nice for her. And if she did not received any of your parcels and she is a pain in the 🍑 most of the time, you can still stop by and ask her if she is all right.

To avoid contact leave a message in the postal box with your name and ask if there is anything you can do for them, so they can stay at home.

20. Create a vision board

According to Wikipedia a dream board or vision board is a collage of images, pictures, and affirmations of one’s dreams and desires, designed to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation. They can be for a year or long term goals. You can include vacation goals, career, dream house, dream family, places to live. Be creative, your imagination is the limit!

If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas on how to create inspirational vision boards from Design Wizard.

Vision Board ideas

21. Relax

It’s all going to be good, so relax. We are in this together and we can thrive as a community. The best thing you can do is stay at home and see how to make out of this a positive experience.

Thank you for coming so far with the read. I’ll be posting regularly on my Instagram Stories ideas and we are up to. Let us know what you are doing, in the comments below.

ioana❤🌍

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