Brian Jeffrey
When the outside is off limits, you run out of of fun and fresh things to do inside. Like once you’re down readjusting your schedule in between fits of power sobbing, you just get bored by the monotony of your scenery. I remember when I first realized this would be a problem, when my roommate told me, “I feel like we need to download TikTok.” “No, we’re 29, Amber,” I said. “Not even in an apocalypse.”
This was three weeks ago; you’ll understand that it was a different world back then.
1. Tie-dye your old T-shirts
Getting in touch with tie-dye will (literally) add some color to your drab existence.
2. Make friendship bracelets
Keeping on that summer camp train, friendship bracelets can ease you in a state of flow (and make for celebratory “We made it!” gives for when you reunite with your buds).
3. Learn a new card game
Blackjack? Poker? Go Fish?
4. Play a new virtual game with friends online
America is under Animal Crossing’s soothing lure right now, but we’re also very partial to these games you can play remotely with the whole damn gang.
5. Host a cocktail making competition
It could be virtual or it could be in your own home, but let’s see who gets the most creative with the ingredients left on their bar cart!
6. Put together outfits with the clothes you never wear
If there comes a day when you’ve exhausted black sweatpants—and I respect that some of you live there now—test out some of the lesser-used garments from your closet. You might find some hidden gems!
7. Learn how to French braid
Fishtail is fine, too, but this slumber party hairstyle is great for when you need to remember a simpler time.
8. Remove your split ends
Don’t cut your own bangs, we’re not that deep into quarantine for that kind of judgement call, but you can fix split ends safely without going hack-happy.
9. Become a ballerina
Has it always been your secret dream? Break the tights and tutu out, because there are about a gazillion online ballet classes that can make you feel like a regular Swan Queen.
10. Sew face masks
Even if homemade faces masks won’t directly protect from the coronavirus, they’re a kindness with a practical, ultimately prosocial use: they can stop you from touching your face.
11. Take a crash course in positivity
Hell, get an Ivy League joy degree with Yale University or University of Pennsylvania.
12. Get in touch with your birth chart
Learn how to read your natal chart and decrypt the nitty gritty of your star-sanctioned personality.
13. Do some purge-writing about something that’s frustrating you
Chances are you have some grievances right now. Get out a piece of paper and some wacky colored pens and blergh out all of your negative emotions. Look at a few days later and then put it through the shredder!
14. Take a virtual tour of a museum
Even if you’re not going to Paris in the spring like you planned (le sigh) you can still take a stroll through the Louvre or any number of venues to get a culture fix.
15. Redecorate your house with witchcraft
I actually gave my apartment home makeover with witchcraft last year and would highly recommend! I mean, there’s bad juju all around us and you might as well make your space a sanctuary while you’re stuck there.
16. Have a romantic solo date
I was pioneering enjoying being alone way way before it was…mandated by the government, so here’s my night-in take on my solo date idea: pour some wine, make your favorite (cauliflower) pasta, light some candles, and crank up the Frank Sinatra. You can decide if you want to take yourself home (lol) later.
17. Have a kitchen dance party
Do dance parties as much as possible! Do it with your partner! Do it with your long distance friends! Do it with yourself if you need to! Just do it!
18. Upgrade your daily stretch with laughter yoga
Head to YouTube to give yourself some lols, no downward dog required.
19. Watch the adorable penguins at the Bronx Zoo grow up
Wildly specific but there are two baby blue penguin chicks at the Bronx Zoo right now and your girl is following their every MOVE. Incidentally you can also take a virtual tour of the zoo, and heads up, there’s snow leopards!
20. Hula hoop for exercise
As the office’s resident Mrs. Maisel, hula hooping is the best form of exercise in the world, and we all should be doing it.
21. Make a gratitude jar
Write three things you’re grateful for every day and put it in the jar—highly beneficial if you’re quarantining with family and trying to not be at each other’s throats.
22. Interview yourself
Just sent my roommate a bunch of soul-searching questions, really get to know who you are and what you love about yourself.
23. Take your self-pleasure to the next level
We know times are tight, so we have some affordable sex toys, and household items you can use in a pinch.
24. Dye your hair a cotton candy color
If you’ve ever felt self-conscious or like you couldn’t pull it off, you know… f–k it. I’m rocking Manic Panic hot pink as part of my go-to isolation aesthetic.
25. Write letters to pen pals
Make a new senior friend in a nursing home or pen love letters to your long distance (read: housebound a few miles away) sweetie. Just because we can access everyone through technology doesn’t mean people don’t want written words to hold onto (don’t worry, mail is most likely safe).
26. Upcycle your old clothes
If you’re not really into a modern day hippie aesthetic, there are other ways to reinvent and repair your old threads.
27. Make some whipped coffee
I can’t lie, it looks delicious and worthy of all the Instagram love.
28. Declutter your entire home
You’re already disinfecting like crazy, go full Marie Kondo while you’re at it.
29. Dust off your grandparents’ old recipes and give them a whirl
Pull out the index cards and even Zoom them in while you’re cooking them (unless they’re like, gone, which is still a good reason to recreate YiaYia’s avgolemono soup.
30. Ask your parents to tell you a story about their childhood
I don’t know, even after a full year of “Ok Boomer,” we do feel very protective and loving towards our parents during this crisis.
31. Explore some of the most beautiful National Parks in America
Until you can explore them in person, this go for a virtual nature walk.
32. Fill every inch of your house with daffodils
Or whatever flower you find fitting, bring the outdoors indoors!
33. Read the entire Baby-Sitters Club series
During Zoom happy hour we played a trivia game, and you know who crushed the Baby-Sitters Club series? Your girl. There are 131 books total, so either check back in with Kristy and the gang for the nostalgia factor, or literally read this ridiculous YA series as a bizarro adult project.
34. Do absolutely nothing
Lol, I mean, that’s going to be a first for some of you! Enjoy the moment of sitting there and being idle!
35. Do an online workout with pop icon Cher
I mean, you can definitely do a more dignified online workout, but I’m going to start my morning with Cher’s 1980s hot dance.
36. Try out a new kind of meditation
Maybe a grounding root chakra meditation or a compassion meditation.
37. Take a bath with all the trimmings
Bath bombs, bubbles, salts, if you’ve upgraded from your garbage apartment to somewhere nice, indulge yourself.
38. Watch a movie remotely with your crush
The Netflix Party extension can help you there!
39. Redecorate your desk space
I mean, you might as well jazz up your home office while living that WFH life.
40. If you’re partnered, have an hour long make-out sesh
I’m sure your boinking like crazy, but why not kick it old school and simply enjoy kissing?
41. Spend about a trillion hours on Pinterest
Fill your feed with literally everything you love!
42. Practice a new language
There are plenty of language apps available to train you for when we can travel again.
43. Start teletherapy
It might feel weird at first, but transitioning to virtual therapy could be really worth it in this high stress time.
44. Make a playlist of absolutely flawless jams
Or check out this masterpiece editor Jessie Van Amburg blessed us with.
45. Bake banana bread
Sure, why not, everyone else is doing it.
46. Give tarot card readings, regardless of whether you know how to read tarot
I find it’s kind of funner to wing it, but here’s some simple tarot tips if you really want to learn.
47. Finally get into Podcasts
Hell, even make one if you want to, it’s the end of the world, babe.
48. Do some living room miles
Get your steps in with meditative walking.
49. Make a “Me Altar”
This is basically just a collection of items that worships the awesomeness of you, whether that’s a polaroid from a day you looked amaze to some rose quartz crystals
50. Have a Zoom brunch date with your best friend and be extra petty
Just like back in the good old days when you were overpaying for avo toast.
51. And a coffee date with all your work wives
Because the Zoom Happy Hours don’t really give you quality catch up time.
52. Get yourself a new toy
This $20 vibrator will serve you well in isolation.
53. DIY your usual manicure
If you were a former salon queen, we have some tips on how to do it the right way.
54. Organize your old photos in a photo album
To remember the good old days.
55. Watch all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
It’s a show that features nothing but how to survive apocalypses, so now is the time to start if you haven’t already.
56. Order and install a bidet seat
57. Download TikTok
Ew. I mean, if you want.
This all being said, it’s okay if you’re not feeling your most productive right now. And if you’re social distancing alone, this is how to recreate human touch.
Written by: WellGood
