On a regular week, I am perpetually trying to find some time for myself. In fact, when I recently moved for my new job, I was pretty firm about getting an apartment all to myself. And it has been pretty great for the most part.

This past week, though, has been a weird one for me. It has been a week of boredom, constant overthinking and apprehension. Spending all day within these four walls, left to my own devices, has got my mind wandering, drifting to dark, shadowy places.

And given the fact that this is most likely a pandemic, I knew I had to become more at ease with the situation and keep my anxiety grounded. So, here is a list of my quarantine hacks that might help you make use of all that extra time in your hands!

Read something new

I am a passionate reader and have been taking solace in the pages of a good novel for a long time now. I like being able to transport myself into a divergent reality and experience it through the eyes of the protagonist.

Time and again, I find myself dropping by a random bookstore telling myself that I’m only going to browse. Not surprisingly, I return home with a bunch of books to add to my collection.

Unfortunately, life has kept me pretty busy and I haven’t gotten a chance to immerse myself in a nice long piece of fiction. So, whether you’re someone like me and has a ‘to be read’ pile to tackle or you’ve just been wanting to get into the habit of reading, now is the time!

Self care

I find that it is essential to spend every so often taking care of oneself, body and mind – especially on a stressful day, being able to take an extensive, relaxing bath goes a long way in brightening me up.

What I like to do is add a few drops of a combination of essential oils along with my salts into the bathtub. Lavender oil, in particular, is a mood stabilizer and helps me loosen up and de-stress instantly! In fact, in some cases, it is known to help fight anxiety and depression.

Regardless of your idea of self care, make sure to listen to your body and pay heed to it.

Spend time in your kitchen

I work 9-5 and stay alone (Oh, did I mention that already?), so my idea of cooking is to prepare one obligatory dish to last me the entire week, manage to eat it for the first two days and then throw it out and order takeout. Now this isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy the activity, I just can’t find enough time in my daily schedule to take delight in it.

This last week though, I’m all about getting down and dirty. I have baked a cake from scratch, made the most delicious Penne Alfredo and a mouthwatering Chicken curry all the while sipping on a glass of wine, listening to my favorite playlist in the background. I’ve realized that cooking is a major way to unwind and mellow out. As I’m concentrating on getting things right, anything serious on my mind vanishes!

Share some of your favorite recipes in the comments section to take joy in during Quarantine!

Explore a new hobby

Over the years, I’ve only been making additions to my bucket list, never striking anything out. So I figured now is a good time as any to get on top of it.

The first on my list was to learn to play the guitar. A friend of mine was generous enough to let me borrow his guitar and I’ve only just begun getting acquainted with the strings and notes, but hey, this is a work in progress.

Besides that, after not having written anything for a whole year, this is my meager attempt at getting back into blogging. Hopefully, this is one of many to come.

Seeing as you’re probably going to be socially isolated for the next couple weeks, its time to get your creative juices flowing!

Don’t miss your workout

Working out regularly has made me more active, helped me lose some extra pounds and has added a lot more energy to my lifestyle.

Regardless of the kind of workout you prefer – Pilates, yoga, strength training, etc, don’t let the situation hinder your workout regime. It is especially crucial that you stay healthy and strong at this time.

To keep up my routine, I picked up a small set of dumbbells and some resistance bands and have been taking advantages of the various fitness blogs out there. Here are some of my favorites –

A 14 day quarantine workout plan from @blogilates – https://www.blogilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/quaratine-plan-IG-01.pngs

Total body resistance bands workout from @greatist – https://greatist.com/fitness/resistance-band-exercises

Catch up with your loved ones

I live continents away from the people that I love. For a lot of you, even though this might not be true, you’re probably not living right next door to your family and friends either. And as important as it is to stay in touch with them, oftentimes, our busy lifestyles get in the way of it.

So when I came across all these videos of Ellen catching up with her famous friends on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theellenshow/), I realized that this is the perfect time to reconnect with our dear friends and check up on our loved ones, to embrace and take comfort in each other.

Honorable mentions –

Go on a drive

Meditate

Organize the clutter

Binge watch TV shows

Catch up on your sleep

Write a journal entry

Get into gaming

Paint

Make sure to remind me of anything I might have left out in the comments section. Kudos!