Being stuck at home due to shelter in place orders, social distancing, and/or telecommuting for work, it’s understandable to feel a bit (or a lot) stir crazy.

Many of us find ourselves not knowing what to do with all this new time at home, or just want to keep from climbing the walls. Here are some tips to keep yourself sane and productive during the quarantine.

Stay Active

We may not be able to go out to eat/drinks or to the gym, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit staring out the window all day. Many celebrities, gyms, friends, and family are posting their favorite at home workouts online. See which best fits you and get to work. Who knows, by the time this is all over you could have your beach body ready!

Socialize

Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t socialize at all. If you live with family or roommates, put together a game or movie night. Live alone? No worries, you can always call or video chat friends . You can even watch movies and shows with your friends online using Netflix Party. Many doctors are recommending maintaining healthy level of socializing for mental health.

Take Care of Your To-do List

With all this time on your hands, why not be productive? You know those things you’ve been putting off on your to-do list that you “didn’t have time for”, well now you do. I know this is probably the least fun thing to do during quarantine, but it will help pass the time, take your mind off all the craziness, and give you a feeling of accomplishment. Some examples of things you may have been putting off are; changing your air filters, trimming the overgrown tree in your backyard, replacing your fridge filter, testing your smoke detectors, taking down your christmas lights (hopefully you already have), and more.

Read a Book

Everyone loves a good story, and let’s be honest, your literally reading right now. So why not pick up and read a book? Besides it’s not like there’s going to be a book report due after the quarantine is over. Reading is one of the best things you can do for your brain. The mental stimulation has been known to increase memory retention, analytic thinking and even reduce stress. The latter being much needed these days. So pick up a book and fall entranced into a good story. You may even come out of quarantine with a better vocabulary. ;)

Try something new

We don’t mean like the typical “get out and try something new” because you can’t really go skydiving or on safari in your living room. You can however pick up a new hobby, skill, talent, etc. Is there something you’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t had the time? Whether that’s knitting, a new recipe, wood working, learning a new language or even (if you’re 21+) trying your hand at being a mixologist, now’s the time to try. I mean there aren’t any good excuses not too. If you need to, look up some reliable sources online and follow their advice on how to get started with your something new. Just make sure to be safe and use common sense (ie. don’t try to learn fire juggling in your living room - never ends well).

Most importantly stay informed with trusted sources, stay safe, and don't focus on the negativity out there. This is a beautiful world, with a lot of good people. We will get through this before you know it.

Do you have any tips you’ve been doing that we didn’t list above? Let us know in the comments, we would love to hear them.