At this point, we've all heard it: the best way to fight the spread of the coronavirus and flatten the curve is by practicing social distancing. This means staying home if you can and if you have to go out (i.e. grocery shopping), it is recommended that you stay at least two metres (or six feet) away from people. The problem is, if you're like me and are avoiding all non-essential trips outside of your home, boredom will eventually set in. If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, I've put together a list of cool ways to keep you entertained at home.
Netflix Party - Netflix now allows you to remotely host a movie night (or a Love is Blind night) with your friends with its new chat feature
Tik Tok - It's not just for the under 30 anymore. I've just started playing around with it and it turns out that you don't need great video editing skills to make a video on the popular platform, although it helps.
Crafting - Whether it's knitting, painting, needle pointing or making a wall tapestry using a loom (which is what I have my eye on), this time at home is a great opportunity to start an artsy project.
Watch a virtual "Together at Home" concert - Musicians have taken this opportunity perform mini-concerts on various social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. So far I've watched performances by Chris Martin from Coldplay and John Legend (with wife Chrissy Teigen) and I'm sure there will be more concerts in the coming weeks.
Batch cooking - Taking the time to make large batches of soups, stews and casseroles and freezing them is a great way to ensure that you always have food on hand, and also minimizes your trips to the grocery store.
Catch up with family and friends by video chatting - If you're feeling a little socially isolated right now, there are multiple video chat platforms (like Zoom or Houseparty) that allow you to talk to multiple friends and family at the same time.
Organize your home - It's not the most entertaining thing to do, but going all Marie Kondo in your home is a great way to kill time and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment afterward.
Listen to a podcast - There are many great podcasts you can listen to that vary in length and topic. I recently binged on journalist Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill podcast (based on his book of the same title) and Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert has been one of my go-tos for over a year.
Exercise - Just because you're at home does not mean you can't stay active. Spend a bit of time every day using some lightweights or resistance bands to help you stretch out. Also, there are some great exercise routines that you can find on YouTube.
Bake - I'm certainly not a baker, but there's something about making a batch of cookies or banana bread that makes me happy.
