With the Coronavirus outbreak, many people are being very careful and deliberate with where they go and what they do. And as more and more places are temporarily closing up shop for non-essential activities or forcing different ways to manage work-related processes, such as the professional sports venues ending their seasons, schools going to online courses, and companies sending employees home to work remotely, it’s forcing people to stay home. And repetitive reinforcement is coming in the form of precautionary measures messages circulating in round-the-clock fashion, warning us to stay away from crowds, sick people, and travel.
So, this particular time of the year will be especially hard for people in my area of the world who are currently on or embarking upon Spring Break and looking forward to being out and about with the nicer weather settling in.
Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about this one. I’ve pretty much been a voluntary homebody all my life. I enjoy being able to relax and be free in my own abode; and when I’m ready to come out, then it’s nice to have that option. But, I can be content in staying at home. And some of the most enjoyable activities for yours truly have come in the form of the indoors variety.
But what’s an outgoing person, who hates to be cooped up in the house for hours on end, to do? Well, it’s still possible to be both productive as well as entertained at home and don’t let anybody tell you differently.
Check out my top suggestions for activities that can be done in the privacy of your home or in close proximity to it.
- Take a stay vacation and do all the rest and relaxation activities that are so hard to accomplish when you’re on an out-of-town vacation.
- Perfect your indoor workout routine, since I’m guessing you’re trying to stay inside instead of exercising at the gym nowadays.
- Rest for a change. Sometimes extreme measures force us to take a breather from the exhausting schedules that tend to empty our batteries over and over again.
- Read a book or two or three. Read till your heart’s content. There’s nothing bad I can say about reading. Whether you’re reading for entertainment purposes, to educate yourself, or to get inspired, READ. It’s an all-around win-win situation.
- Get caught up on your favorite blogs. Hint . . . Hint . . . feel free to check out my recent blog posts as well as those in my archives. A lot of my content is evergreen material that’s sure to stand the test of time.
- Start a series on Netflix. You know you want to. I’m guessing there are several of them that you’ve been eyeballing for months now, but you just haven’t had the time to indulge. Well, the time has come. Caution: don’t get too comfortable on the couch though. It’s easy to develop a Netflix addiction, so handle your binge-watching with care.
- Work on Spring Cleaning items around the house. Ugghh! There are some looming tasks that need to get done. I know, because I have them every year and I say that spring time is the best time to get energized to do them. And, every year comes around and I fail to make good on my list of project to-dos. But this is a new year, so we’ll see. There’s hope for you and me both.
- Conduct home improvement DIY indoor projects. This to-do could be a fun one, depending on what type of renos you have in mind and what kind of help you’ll have in doing them.
- Take an online course. There’s always something to learn and new knowledge to gain. And with the huge smorgasbord of online courses offered in every possible subject known to man, it’s easier than ever to find your next educational opportunity.
Now, it’s not necessary to stay inside your house 24/7. You can venture out for the necessary errands and appointments. And, you can even do some outdoor activities that don’t take you far from the house either. Try the following on for size:
- Get your garden and landscaping prepped for Spring. For those of you who have a green thumb or just enjoy being outdoors, getting your lawn and garden in shape is one of those cyclical responsibilities that you can’t afford to shirk on. In a lot of neighborhoods, it’s even part of the Home Owner’s Association rules that you keep your landscaping in tip-top order. So, get on it. If you’ve got good weather where you’re at, it’s always in good taste to keep your house’s exterior up-to-par.
- Walk and/or jog around your neighborhood. Walking and jogging around your neighborhood are good ways to establish some type of outdoor exercise routine, since you’re probably not frequenting the gym these days. Fresh air, sunshine, and outdoor scenery spruce up any workout and can make them down-right tolerable.
- Conduct home improvement DIY outdoor projects to add to your home’s curb appeal. Now, these activities can be totally separate from the lawn and garden activities or done in conjunction with them. Either way, take pride in what you do outside, because everyone else in the neighborhood will get to see it too.
Tip of the Week: So, today’s tip is not your typical fare. It’s actually somewhat of a reflection from a conversation I had yesterday. So, let me recount it for you and then I’ll see if I can come up with a helpful tip to coincide with it.
Well, my son made some of the most precious and profound statements in a conversation we had yesterday. And no, it wasn’t Little Man; it was Junior, my college-aged son. Yes, adult children can still say some of the most precious things you could ever hear.
Anyway, I was scrambling some eggs for Little Man’s breakfast and thought that I should make a little extra just in case Junior wanted some. Usually, Junior would have been in class at that time; but he was at home, due to his university closing down shop for the week because of precautionary measures regarding the virus.
So, even though he didn’t ask me to make him anything, I decided to throw in some more eggs to be on the safe side. And when Junior came upstairs from the basement to the kitchen, I asked him if he would like some scrambled eggs. The conversation went something like this:
“Junior, do you want some eggs?”
“Uh, sure. You’ve heard of the saying: when in Rome?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’d like to think of it as when at home.”
Then, he proceeded to tell me that if I’m going to offer him some home cooking, then he’s certainly going to take advantage of it. And, he thanked me. Junior gave me my heart’s medicine that morning: a good old-fashioned chuckle.
Moral of the story: Going the extra mile, especially when it doesn’t create a lot of extra effort on your part, can create good will for those around you. I call this a win-win situation you just can’t pass up.
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