15 Things to do while quarantined from Coronavirus
Welp - here we are. Stuck in our homes. Our spouses are already on our nerves. Your kids are tired of looking at you. And the dog is wondering why he’s being walked AGAIN. But with the corona virus (COVID-19) looming a very real threat to the health of, everyone…it is, in fact, best to #stayhome. Certainly the hope is we won’t be here for long. But in the meantime - here’s a few things I came up with to help you pass the time (and, hopefully, improve your life a bit!).
98 Likes, 5 Comments - Cara Di Falco - Cara's Cucina (@caradifalco) on Instagram: ""Making due" with what's in the house... thankfully what's in the house is some pretty good stuff!..."
Cooking! If you didn’t think that was going to be the very first thing I said, you haven’t been with me long. But I LOVE food. And all this free time has given me a chance to experiment, try new recipes, and otherwise just throw down in the kitchen! If cooking’s NEVER been your thing - now’s the chance to learn! I have just around 300 recipe on this site - and each and every one of them comes with a step by step instructional video! And if that STILL doesn’t convince you to throw on an apron and see what happens - at the very least - you can watch the show cause, in my opinion, we do a damn good job!
Clear the Clutter. I’ll admit, I’ve been anxious in these uncertain days. What a lot of people don’t realize is how much of a roll your environment plays on your mood! Taking free time to clean out the garage, the closet and/or the junk drawer can do WONDERS for your sense of calm! Check out my friend Gayle Gruenberg of Let’s Get Organized (@letsgetorganizedllc) for daily tips and watch the video we did on organizing a healthy pantry!
3. Meditate. There’s a difference between a quieted mind, and an idle one. And no matter how whoo-whoo, hippie you think meditation is - the science is THERE. Meditating for just a few minutes every day does AMAZING things for your brain and body! Your ability to remember, to learn, to remain calm, and make good choices ALL improve with daily meditation. I’ve made this part of my daily routine and I find it enormously helpful! 15-20 minutes is all you need! You’re mind doesn’t even have to be completely quiet, just at peace. Pick a word or feeling you want to focus on - these days I’ve been using “wellness” a lot. Repeat the word to yourself. And when you find your mind wandering, and it will, come back to your word. Just don’t expect the skies to open and voice to speak to you - when we try to MAKE something happen is when we start to find meditating difficult.
4. Exercise! A little goes a long way here. And since we ARE allowed to leave our homes and walk, I certainly recommend it (at a safe social distance!). Plus a lot of gyms are posting online workouts for you to follow. My personal favorite is online yoga! Check out fellow YouTuber Yoga with Adriene for free, online yoga classes (ya know, like free, online cooking classes!) for all levels! Moderate excercise can actually boost your immunity! Just don’t work TOO hard, super intense workouts (think marathon training) can reduce your body’s immunity short term while it recovers.
5. Learn A New Language. One of my new favorite apps is Duolingo. It’s a free language learning app! You can spend a few minutes every day working on a new language skill! You do have to watch an ad at the end of the lesson (because we all need to be paid some how!). I’ve been using it to improve my Italian and pass some time doing something constructive! Plus I think it would be very helpful for those of you with kids at home! It has easy games you could play together on a tablet and count it towards their schooling hours!
6. Learn A New Skill. My parents cleaned out their basement recently and gave me my old guitar back. I DESPERATELY wanted to play guitar as a kid, but could never really get it down pat. Now with more time on my hands, I’m seriously considering turning to YouTube (yes, again) for some free music classes that could possibly get me started! The beauty of the internet, and YouTube in particular, is there are THOUSANDS of professionals out there, sharing what they know, for FREE, every day! Why not take advantage!? What’s something you’ve always wanted to know how to do? I guarantee there’s a YouTube video for it!
7. Start A Garden. The church behind my house just installed what I’m assuming is a community garden in the parking lot. And I thought it was SUCH a great idea that I called my friend John Evangelista (Farmer John!) of Groundwork Elizabeth to ask what people could do in their homes, porches and yards, right now to get started! His first tip was simply to turn over the dirt! Get it nice and loose and airy! Add in any veggie scraps or old leaves and turn it again. Need to see something IN the ground right now? Beans, kale, peas and radishes can all go in now! Everything else, much like ourselves, will have to wait.
8. Craft Something. Pinterest is another favorite site of mine. And while I mostly use it for recipes, it’s an amazing resource for home decor ideas, crafts, etc. Even if you’re not a crafty person, you can probably bust out some paints, string for braiding, crayons and markers, dried beans and pasta for necklaces - you have SOMETHING that can be turned to art. Some of my favorite rainy day memories as a kid were when my Mom would cover the kitchen table, smock us up and let us play with beads, Shrinkey-Dinks, Play-Doh and more! For the grown ups - try making a vision board, a wreath, or set yourself up for your own “paint & sip”! Flexing your creative muscle will definitely help you pass the time.
9. Have an At Home Spa Day. Remember that really nice product you brought for yourself but never really used? Use it! I dug up a clay mask I had purchased but never got around to and finally USED it! It felt great, like a mini spa day! But even if all you do is toss some salt in warm water and soak your feet - it’ll feel like something special. Let the kids get involved too! Braid hair, paint nails, create body scrubs with coconut oil and salt (or sugar), do a deep conditioning, or a special rinse. Simple household items can be used for any of these things! Plus it feels really good to be all freshened up - especially when we’ve all been in the same pajamas for the last 3 days. You know you have!
10. Have A Picnic. If you’re blessed enough to have a porch or a yard - you can take your picnic outside - but some of my favorite picnics have been indoors! Move the living room furniture aside, lay out a big blanket, toss down some pillows and pack a lunch! You can even throw on some nature sounds if you want! For the grown ups - don’t forget to pack a nice wine for your trip from the kitchen to the den. And maybe even light some candles (just keep them away from the blanket!). For the kiddos? Let them build their own sandwiches, set up the blanket how they would like - and maybe even pick a movie to watch as if they were at a “drive-in.” Imagination is your friend here folks! Use it!
11. Break Out The Board Games! Some where in the depths of my basement are some of my favorite childhood board games. While I know other people play them more regularly - odds are good you have 1-2 stashed some where! This is a good way to spend quality time, without a screen! Puzzles count too! Anything to get our minds off of the very weird world outside!
12. Purge Social Media. Since you have the time - scroll through your social media accounts; that friend that always posts something negative? Unfollow them. I think Facebook actually has a “take a break” button these days! That account that makes you feel like you’re a hot mess (even if it’s mine!), unsubscribe! Take time to curate what comes into your vision! Make sure it’s only the things you WANT to see in life!
13. Spring Clean the House. You know you’ve been avoiding it - I have! But I know if I really get bored - I will totally clean this bad boy top to bottom! And I don’t just mean clean it. I mean, take down your curtains and wash them. Wipe windows, dust under the bed - all those little spots you can usually ignore but again, you have the time! Not to mention, since it IS a virus we’re dealing with - disinfecting the house will probably benefit you twofold! Keeps you busy, keeps you healthy!
14. Read. I can’t tell you the STACK of books I have been DYING to read but simply haven’t had the time to sit and focus on them! NOW is that time! I’m completely in love with Lidia Bastianicch’s memoirs - which actually inspired a Cucina episode! And next up is Andrew Cotto’s Cucina Tipica - also an episode! They’re mouthwatering descriptions of Italy, food and wine will have to hold me over until I can get back there myself!
15. Make Plans For The Future! Because there WILL be one! We’ve never seen anything like this. But I imagine someone like my great-grandmother, who lived through the Depression, and TWO World Wars, she must have felt the same way! They had to have been just as scared and confused as we all are today. It was all unprecedented! And this, now, is too. And yet, here we are. So we know the world will go on - and if WE go on with a positive mind, looking forward to something we set into motion NOW - we’ll make the future a great one. Like attracts like in this world. Positivity brings positivity. So think of something you’d love to do. Write it on your calendar. Call a friend and make a promise to get together when you can. Buy a gift card for that restaurant you always wanted to try. Because we will all go back to our very busy lives soon; but maybe, just maybe, with a little more love and hope in our hearts.
Stay well my friends!