Everyone doing their part to practice social distancing these last few weeks has ironically brought our families and communities even closer together. Here are some suggestions for ways to stay productive — and positive — as we continue to stay “safer at home.”
Move Your Body
We know how easy it can be to go stir crazy when you’re working from home—and it doesn’t help that fitness studios are also closed. Not to worry; there are still plenty of ways to work out your body (and, by extension, your mind) from the comfort of your living room.
YouTube Videos: There are plenty of free workout videos online and on YouTube. For example, the Fitness Blender and MadFit channels have a lot of great HIIT cardio workouts that you can do right at home.
Virtual Fitness Studios: Most of your favorite workout classes have gone online. Orangetheory Fitness is hosting classes online and on Instagram Live, while CorePower Yoga is offering yoga classes on demand. Check out your favorite local gym or workout studio’s website to see if they have any online offerings.
Instagram Influencers: Many influencers are giving free tutorials on their Instagram pages on creative home workout ideas. Open your Instagram app and work out along with them!
Get Creative: Use gallon jugs of water as weights or canned foods to do a series of weightlifting exercises. You can also do workouts that rely on your own body weight for resistance: push-ups, squats, and jumping jacks require no extra equipment and allow you to exercise anytime, anywhere.
Spend Time in the Kitchen
Cooking is a skill you can easily master—even with limited ingredients. Try your hand at the following meals that use kitchen staples you most likely already have at home.
Breakfast: Omelet in a Mug
Need an easy breakfast recipe? Try a microwave omelet! Cooking eggs in the microwave is both easy and delicious.
Spray the inside of a large, microwave-safe mug lightly with cooking oil spray. Crack 2 eggs into the mug, add 1 tablespoon of milk, and beat with a fork. Add grated cheese and other extras if desired such as chopped red bell pepper or chives. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Microwave and stir in 20- to 30-second increments until eggs are set to your preference.
Lunch: Salad Wrap
Your favorite salad instantly becomes a wrap when you put it in a tortilla.
Add any prepared salad (for example, Trader Joe’s BBQ Chicken Salad) to a tortilla of your choice (spinach, white, whole wheat, etc.). Enjoy!
Dinner: Elevated Ramen Noodles
Don’t just microwave your Cup O’Noodles—cook them on the stovetop with your favorite vegetables and protein.
Prepare your noodles according to package instructions, then place them in a skillet on the stove. Add black beans, rice, sauteed spinach and onions, and top off with a poached egg. Experiment with whatever you have in the fridge for different flavor combinations!
Make Green Cleaning Products
Right now, staying home is essential to stopping the spread of COVID-19—and maintaining a clean environment is paramount to staying healthy. Using heavy industrial cleaners in enclosed spaces can leave you with a headache or feeling dizzy and nauseous. Instead, try these DIY cleaners using only natural ingredients that can be found in stores (yes, even during a pandemic).
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner: A great alternative to chemical-laden products is this formula for general all-purpose cleaning.
Mix 3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon unscented liquid castile soap, and 2 cups water.
Bathroom Cleaner: Place these ingredients into a spray bottle, and in no time, your bathroom will be clean and disinfected.
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons borax
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon liquid castile soap
1 cup distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
Essential oils (optional, for fragrance)
Natural Heavy-Duty Scrub: Use this formula to get heavy grit or grime off of surfaces.
Cut a lemon in half, dip it in borax power, and then get to scrubbing. (NOTE: This is not safe for granite or marble surfaces, but useful on porcelain or stainless steel sinks.)
Destress with Self-Care Activities
Over the past few weeks, you may have found yourself thinking, “What is there to do at home when I’m there all day?” Well, we have some ideas for you. It’s of paramount importance to remember self-care during this challenging time, so look to the activities below to help keep you positive and productive at home.
Bake or Cook Something Fun
Check out these websites for some creative cooking ideas:
https://www.loveandlemons.com/
https://www.bonappetit.com/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes
Clean & Organize Your Home
This is the time to tackle the parts of your home you usually avoid.
Stay Connected with Friends & Family via Text, Call, or Video
Call family, friends, and past clients to check in on them, see if they need anything, or to catch up.
Read a Book
Now is the perfect time to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to start—or finish.
Go Online Shopping
No need to go outside to shop; you can do everything online. Check out the websites of your favorite stores—many are having big sales right now since most physical locations are closed.
Order Takeout & Support Local Restaurants
Don’t forget about local restaurants; they need our support now more than ever before. Also, a lot of restaurants are offering free delivery—hard to say no to that!
Play a Game or Do a Puzzle
Dust off your board games and have a great time. Games and puzzles can be a lot of fun and make the time pass quickly.
Learn a New Language
There are many free resources online to help you learn a new language. For example, Duolingo is a great language-learning website and mobile app that offers free lessons.
