As coronavirus spreads, it looks like a lot of healthy people are going to be spending a lot more time at home for a while. Whether you get stuck at home because of an actual quarantine, or are just at home a lot more because of social distancing and social events being put on hold, we may all need to find some exciting activities to keep us from going totally stir crazy or getting bored.

A possible quarantine while healthy doesn’t have to mean that life is super boring if you come into it with the right mindset.  With a little preparation so that you have the right supplies on hand (no, I’m not talking about toilet paper or canned goods, I’m talking about tools for home-based self-entertainment, personal growth, and creativity) it could be very rewarding experience that allows you time and space to connect with God and your own soul, learn and dive deep into mindful activities and self-reflection we wouldn’t ordinarily pursue, get creative, play, and just really enjoy the gift of life.

In this light, as we all get prepared for the possibility of coronavirus quarantine, I asked my awesome friends for their ideas of things to do  (other than watching Netflix) and what to have on hand if you get stuck at home (but not sick) a lot more because of coronavirus. The list of possible quarantine activities and supplies is awesome and will keep you occupied whether you’ll be home alone or with family. The list spans a wide range including spiritual and personal growth activities, creativity, play, self-care, education and enrichment, and life productivity.

Here’s the quarantine activities we collectively came up with, the quarantine supplies you may not realize you’ll want to have on hand, and some online resources you may find handy!

Things To Do During A Self Quarantine To Make it Awesome (these are also just awesome things to do if coronavirus just has you at home a lot):

1. Meditate
2. Pray
3. Journal
4. Write a letter to God (or however you define your higher power)
5. Read a spiritual text (maybe even one from a different faith tradition than your own)
6. Write a letter to yourself from your future self (the things you think your future self would like you to know NOW)
7. Create a vision board
8. Create a written life vision (like a vision board, but in journal form)
9. Write a bucket list
10. Write a list of goals (and a strategy to achieve them) / map out your life and work intentions
11. Finally do the written or meditative exercises in a self-help / personal development book you’re reading
12. Write heartfelt letters to your friends or family (like the pen and paper kind!)
13. Email an old friend you’ve been meaning to re-connect with
14. Read a great book
15. Listen to an audio book (many libraries have the ability to loan audiobooks virtually so check with your local branch!) – you can do this WHILE you do several other things on this list, too!
16. Take a relaxing bubble bath
17. Give yourself a facial
18. Give yourself a manicure and pedicure
19. Do a puzzle
20. Color (yes, adults, I’m talking to you, too!)
21. Catch up on sleep you need
22. Watch TED Talks
23. Start writing that book you’ve been saying you should write
24. Start a blog
25. Bake
26. Try a new recipe
27. Knit
28. Embroidery
29. Paint / watercolor
30. Sketch
31. Weave
32. Cross Stitch
33. Sew
34. Make homemade greeting cards
35. Make jewelry
36. Make homemade soaps, bath salts, lotions, etc. with essential oils
37. Build Legos
38. Play a board game
39. Play card games
40. Do Yoga (there are great tutorials on YouTube or you can stream classes online!)
41. Do an at-home fitness class / exercise on demand
42. Go for a walk or a run (just don’t come in contact with anyone if there’s an actual quarantine situation!)
43. Purge and re-organize your closets, drawers or kitchen
44. Do that home improvement project you’ve been putting off
45. Finish a project around the house that you started and never completed
46. Deep clean your house
47. Deep clean your car
48. Teach your dog a new trick
49. Take a class online
50. Learn a new computer skill or software program
51. Do online coursework / certifications for continuing education or skills training
52. Listen to podcasts
53. Update your resume and LinkedIn and start looking for the new job you’ve been considering
54. Connect with a life coach or therapist virtually (it gives you deep personal connection with no germs required!)
55. As my friend Ciji at Balanced Not Busy suggested: “Do nothing, just sit still. Seems like the perfect time to me for folks to see what it feels like to not have an over-programmed, demanding and unrealistic schedule and just be balanced not busy.”

Supplies you may want to have on hand if there’s a quarantine:

1. Roll of craft paper
2. Poster board
3. Coloring books (adults, too!)
4. Markers and/or colored pencils
5. Paint / watercolors
6. Canvases
7. Sketch pad
8. Other craft / DIY project supplies
9. Magazines to cut up (for vision boards)
10. Puzzles & puzzle mat
11. Books
12. Games
13. Playing cards
14. Journals
15. Stationary
16. At home yoga stuff (mat, blocks, strap)
17. At home workout equipment
18. Organizing bins / tubs / etc.
19. Tools / supplies for home improvement projects
20. Self-case stuff (essential oils, bath salts, nail polish, etc)

Online resources that were recommended (I haven’t checked all of these out, was just told they’re great!):

For Online Courses

• MIT Opencourseware (for adults) – https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
• Coursera (for adults) – https://www.coursera.org/
• Outschool (for kids) – https://outschool.com/
• Khan Academy (all ages) – https://www.khanacademy.org/
• MindValley Academy (personal development courses for adults) – https://mindvalley.com/
• Virtual School Day by Varsity Tutors – (For kids. Over 100 free live K-12 classes available all day long intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning) https://www.varsitytutors.com/virtual-school-day
• Virtual Summer Camp by Varsity Tutors (For kids. Free half-day summer camps will be a week-long, with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign languages, chess, theater, coding, Minecraft, how to be a detective, photography and more) – https://www.varsitytutors.com/virtual-summer-camps

Yoga On YouTube:

• Yoga with Adriene (for adults) – https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
• Cosmic Kids Yoga (for kids) – https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

For Meditation:

• Headspace (app) – https://www.headspace.com/

For Art:

• Bob Ross The Joy of Painting You Tube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxcnsr1R5Ge_fbTu5ajt8DQ

Let’s stay in touch during quarantine! Join me on social media to keep up with all of the quarantine resources I find and create:
FACEBOOK – PINTEREST – INSTAGRAM

WANT TO PIN THIS POST? Here’s a Pinterest ready image: