34 Things To Do With Extra Time

Due to the elephant in the room…I’m looking at you COVID-19, a lot of us have extra time on our hands. I don’t want to brush this whole situation under the rug, because it’s horrific and I’m anxiety-ridden most hours of the day..but I’m also a “cry for 3 days and then look at the glass half full” type of gal. I got my freakout out of the way and now I’m ready to combat the stir craziness with productivity and even try to have fun.

If you’re a homebody like me, maybe you already do these activities on a regular basis..but I know we are all looking to A) do something that keeps our minds off things B) stay healthy and active and C) support our communities in this crazy time. I tried to formulate this list to hit all of those!

Here are my suggestions, along with many suggestions from my lovely Instagram community! Thank you!

Home: You’re stuck at home, so maybe it’s time to tackle those annoying but important home projects!

  • Clean out your cabinets. I’m talking kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, mudrooms. Take this opportunity to sort through it all, clean the cabinets inside and out and reorganize. I did this and found a coveted bottle of hand sanitizer in the back of my bathroom cabinet. #blessed.
  • Spring clean! It may not be Spring yet, but why not get a jump start? Clean your house and sanitize while you’re at it. Throw out old stuff, and donate the rest!
  • Knock out that project you’ve put off. If you have the supplies already (don’t go get them if you don’t – #stayhome) then get to work! Finishing painting that bedroom or clean your gutters..or even build those garden beds you’ve wanted to build. Finish your project and enjoy it!
  • Do yard work. Go get a head start on gardening, power washing…the list here is infinite!

Hobbies: Try something new! If you don’t already have these items, you can order them online. Support small businesses – check if local mom and pop shops are delivering or buy from Etsy!

  • Build puzzles! I love a good puzzle. Pour a glass of wine, put on Netflix and jigsaw your heart out.
  • Start knitting or embroidering..or fiber art! I recently started doing needlepoint and it’s so refreshing to do something with my hands that isn’t scrolling on social media. Etsy has so many cute embroidery kits!
  • Creative writing – write poetry, write short stories, START THAT BLOG you’ve wanted to start!
  • Painting/sketching. So many YouTube tutorials out there and how-to’s on Pinterest. Paint something just for fun or for an area of your house
  • Have a board game tournament! If there was ever a time to have that 4 hour Monopoly game, it’s now.
  • Learn to sew and work on your clothes. Maybe you can turn jeans into shorts, sew patches on your jean jackets or just do something cool with old clothes!
  • Learn how to do calligraphy. I’ve always wanted to do this one!
  • Color in adult coloring books
  • Actually do the crossword puzzles in the paper.
  • Watch your favorite movies and set up your living room like a theater

Self Care & health: I’m all about self-care, but often feel guilty taking the time for myself. I plan to have a self-care day during this quarantine period though!

  • Have a full-blown spa day! Get out that face mask, have a long soak with your favorite book..the whole nine yards. Do your nails and zen out. (Phones away!)
  • Beauty tutorials: I love following Youtube tutorials for hair and makeup. Once this virus is over and life goes back to normal (it will happen, we just have to be patient and #stayhome) you will have mastered new looks 😉
  • DIY face masks – if you have none, make em! There are so many fun ones to try out there.
  • Start your day with a run or walk. Put on good tunes and get your heart rate booming!
  • If you’re locked down, set up a place to workout inside or in your yard. Personally I converted my basement into a makeshift gym and it’s been a fun challenge
  • Start a new workout routine! Try Beach Body on-demand or see if your health center is offering virtual classes. It’s always a good time to start a health journey!

Read: I’ve been reading way to many articles about COVID-19. Who knew that every paper in the world would right about the same topic every single day. Anyway it’s nice to have a distraction that pulls you into another world..

  • reread classics or your favorite books!
  • actually read your magazines (I know I have 3 subscriptions that I rarely even flip through)
  • Download e-books
  • Listen to podcasts or audiobooks (not reading but same idea!)
  • read a cookbook and cook some new recipes – like those ones that take all day and you never had the time for before
  • read a how-to book and learn a new skill..or language..or self-help. It’s always a good time to expand your knowledge base

Organize + Declutter Your Life: We always put this one-off, don’t we? Now we have no excuses!

  • Go through old paperwork, discard what you no longer need. It’s time to organize that file cabinet and junk drawer too.
  • Go through your email and unsubscribe to all the things that you no longer need and don’t serve you. Trust me, nothing is more serene than a streamlined and cleaned-up inbox!
  • Refold/reorganize your clothes. I love to refold everything and color code it every once in a while. May as well clean your shoes while you’re at it!
  • Work on your budget. Get your finances in order, budget out for the next few weeks, and see how you can cut down on spending + save more.
  • Wash your car! You may not be driving anywhere, but you can’t forget to start your car and wash it!

Social: So you have to social distance..but don’t cut yourself off from friends + friend all together!

  • Have wine nights with your friends via facetime or video chat. Get wine, set up the camera at your table and chat with them like they are right there!
  • Coffee date. Do the same thing with coffee. Maybe video chat family while you both enjoy coffee. Try enjoying coffee while you go for a walk with those in your household too!
  • Call old friends to connect or check in on older family to see how they are doing. Talk about what you’re doing, share new learnings, new recipes and keep the spirits high!

I hope this list helps you and gets your brain stirring with ideas. I know this is a hard time, but in times like this, I am always amazed at the resilience of the human spirit and with how comforting community truly is. Please feel free to share this list on social too, I’m sure we all need some distractions right now.

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