Hi guys! In lieu of everything going on in the world right now with the coronavirus, it felt a bit tone-deaf to publish another fashion-related blog post today. Instead, I thought I’d share some of the things that I’ve been doing while in quarantine to pass the time and keep myself active, healthy, and most of all SANE and HAPPY.
I hope that sharing this list will help you guys discover some new, healthy quarantine activities of your own and perhaps make your time in self-isolation a little more manageable. So, without further ado, here is how I’ve been spending my days in quarantine.
1. Dying of laughter watching TikTok videos (& making a few of my own)
So, I’ve officially caved and created a TikTok account. I know I’m probably ten years too old to be using it, but honestly, I don’t care. Some of the videos I’ve come across have made my husband and I laugh harder than we have all of quarantine – highly recommend getting on board the TikTok train. Also, making my own TikTok videos has been pretty fun too. I’ve only uploaded a few, but I’ve got a feeling there will be plenty more to come before this is over. Follow me on the app here!
2. Streaming online fitness classes & at-home Youtube workout videos
Exercise releases feel-good endorphins, which is probably something we all could use a little more of at the moment. Although we can’t go to the actual gym, there are tons of fitness studios and gyms offering COMPLIMENTARY virtual at-home workouts right now. Some of the most popular ones are Barry’s , Orangetheory, and CorePower Yoga.
And if you don’t want to partake in those, there’s always Youtube! I LOVE using Youtube to find fun at-home workout videos. There’s literally a jillion to choose from, but some of my favorite Youtube fitness influencers are: Pamela Reif, Kayla Itsines, Yoga with Adriene, Blogilates, Popsugar Fitness, and (my personal faves) Tone It Up – they’ve built an entire women’s fitness empire and are pretty much the bomb.com.
Below are a few “fitness essentials” that might come in handy if you choose to partake in an at-home living room HIIT workout or two. I’ve included some super cute workout sets in there as well (like this super cute black glittery set and these amazing tie-dye leggings just for good measure).
SHOP MY AT-HOME FITNESS ESSENTIALS:
3. Indulging in self-care/self-pampering activities
In addition to putting our physical health first, it’s also really important to take care of our mental health right now and to continue to make time for ourselves.
I know self-care looks different for everyone, but here are a few of my favorite ways to practice a little self-pampering to get you started: enjoying a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine or a hot cup of tea, applying a favorite face mask or hair treatment, and just simply turning off all the lights, lighting my fave candles, and listening to some calming tunes – compliments of my “Chill” playlist on Spotify.
SHOP MY SELF-CARE ESSENTIALS:
4. Connecting with loved ones via video chats
It’s totally normal to feel alone right now. Being isolated from family and friends, obviously, isn’t easy. However, even though we might not be able to be with our loved ones in-person, we CAN connect with them virtually. Video chats are a great way to spend time together while we’re social distancing. My husband and I have had many “virtual happy hours” and game nights via video chat and I swear it can actually be a lot of fun!
Besides the obvious Facetime app, the two most popular group video chat services are: Zoom and Google Hangouts. My husband’s family recently had a Zoom call with 20 different relatives on at once, so invite as many people as you’d like!
And then there’s my personal fave – an app called House Party. It, too, lets you organize video chats, but with the added bonus of being able to play games. And the games are actually FUN, you guys. There’s the popular iPhone game Heads Up, there’s Trivia (w/tons of category options to choose from), there’s Quick Draw (where you try to guess what each other is drawing), and then there’s a game called Chips & Guac (which is similar to Cards Against Humanity – which is the best party game ever invented. Fact.)
5. Online shopping
This coping mechanism may or may not have gotten me into a wee bit of trouble with the hubby recently, but IT’s MAKING ME FEEL BETTER, okay?! Not to sound like an absolute spoiled brat, but sometimes just knowing that I have a cute outfit which is (at that very moment) on its way to my front door, is all it takes to turn my negative/depressed attitude right around.
If it makes sense financially for you (and your bank account), then why not treat yourself to a little retail therapy? It’ll give you something cute to look forward to wearing when you’re finally able to leave the house again!
SHOP MY LATEST ‘RETAIL THERAPY’ FINDS:
6. Getting outside for fresh air
I know we can’t actually GO anywhere, but I’ve found that getting outside for even just 5-10 minutes of fresh air a day is enough to make me feel like somewhat of a normal human again. My husband and I live in a one-bedroom apartment, so reminding myself that there’s still a whole big world outside that we will get to experience again very soon, gives my mood an instant boost.
So, get outside and take your dog for a walk, go for a bike ride, go hiking, or even just go on a scenic car ride. Anything that gets you out of the house to stretch your legs for a bit will do wonders for the mind, body, and soul.
7. Honing new skills
There’s no better time than now, to finally learn that one skill that you’ve been wanting to learn but haven’t quite found the time for. Something I’ve been enjoying during quarantine is learning how to cook new meals and recipes. I liked cooking before, but with this extra time on my hands, I’ve been able to make some of the recipes that I’ve had saved on my phone and Pinterest board for years now! I’ve also been taking a few online courses to learn how to grow my Instagram and blog.
Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to play an instrument, start a blog, take a photography course, or learn a new language, now is the perfect time to tackle those ambitions. Here are two helpful resources to get you started: Duolingo is a totally free website with online lessons for learning different languages and Skillshare (which offers thousands of legitimate online courses on a variety of topics) is currently offering two FREE months of unlimited classes to new members – highly recommend checking out if you’re interested in developing new skills!
8. Reading lots of good books & watching lots of binge-worthy TV
The amount of reading I’ve done lately is pretty ridiculous. I’ve read five normal-length books and two 400+ page novels. All of them were on Amazon’s bestsellers list and they were all UHmazing. If you happen to be on the hunt for some great book recommendations, I rounded up a few of my all-time faves and linked them below for you.
Another thing that’s been making quarantine life more tolerable for me? Simply allowing myself to get lost in a binge-worthy-approved TV show or two. (My choice as of late has been Ozark – it’s SO good.) I put together a full list of every single show and documentary I could think of that I’ve watched and loved on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO in this blog post here. Go check it out if you need some new ideas!
9. Getting Doordash delivery from our favorite local restaurants
Another thing that’s made quarantine life a bit less depressing has been the ability to order Doordash delivery from our favorite local restaurants a couple of times a week. I know it probably seems silly, but we used to go out to eat constantly, which is why we really look forward to nights when we’re able to order-in from some of the best restaurants in our city. At least we can sort of pretend like we’re going out to eat, right? Usually, we try to make a little date night out of it and order a few cocktails to go along with it as well.
10. Organizing, re-decorating, & spring cleaning every room in our apartment
Depending on the way you look at it, it could be either a good thing or a bad thing that we’ve found ourselves stuck indoors RIGHT as spring cleaning season has begun. Bad, because we can’t leave the house to escape the mess. But, good, because we have extra time on our hands to tackle said mess. If we’re going to be stuck at home anyway, we might as well devote some time into making it a space that we enjoy being in, right?
It’s the perfect time to finally declutter and organize the chaos of our closets, as well as our bathrooms, fridges, pantries, office spaces, etc. I’ve spent a good chunk of my time in quarantine spring cleaning our apartment and have now moved on to the “organizing” phase. I’ve just started tackling our master closet, but up next will be our bathroom essentials, refrigerator storage, as well as all of our paper, mail, and other documents.
One last thing, be sure to donate any unwanted items (if they’re still in good condition) to a local shelter or charity organization. Donations are now more important than ever, so do your part and help out, if you can.
BONUS SUGGESTION:
Maybe, just MAYBE, consider getting a puppy. 😀
Okay, kind of kidding…. but also, kind of serious. The NUMBER ONE thing that I’ve been doing since all of this began, is spending time with our new Maltipoo puppy, Charlie. She’s been the main source of my happiness and attention while in quarantine. Trying to keep up with her energy and train her has kept me insanely busy at a time when I otherwise would have been at a loss for what to do with myself. So, like I said if you want something to do during quarantine… like, REALLY want something to do, then get a puppy.
Alright, that’s all I’ve got for you guys! Let me know in the comments below what types of things you’re all doing to stay active and busy during these crazy times. As always, thanks for reading!
XOXO,
Kenzie
