10 Ways to Spend Your Quarantine Time
Weeks into the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have many people itching to get out and do something.
Netflix is getting old. How much baking can you do? And with little exercise, how much eating should you be doing?
Here are some other ways to spend your time.
1. Help others. Look to the Caremongering movement that took off in Canada during the last month or so. The grassroots phenomenon is designed to respond to community needs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook sites give people a way to find neighbors in need and help them. Consider setting up a Caremongering effort of your own, for your city or neighborhood.
2. Plan ahead. Many consumers likely will be struggling financially once the pandemic ends. Position yourself to help them get closer to financial wellness. Getting back to green basics can help, so keep sharing those small changes people can make at home to reduce their day-to-day costs and utility expenses and show them how the decisions they make today could help them with better long-term financial outcomes.
3. Reconnect locally. It’s unclear how we’ll emerge from this crisis, but you can talk with your local network of builders, architects, lenders, and so forth, and start strategizing. Make plans now to join forces and put together appropriate programming to help your community with the housing challenges that emerge.
4. Renew relationships. If you haven’t had time to review your LinkedIn page for a while, get in touch and reconnect with colleagues.
5. Refresh your skills. During normal times, it’s tough to find the time for continuing education and putting in the work for a new designation. Now’s your chance. Start with a refresher on your GREEN education. Free and discounted education is available through the National Association of REALTORS’® Right Tools, Right Now Initiative.
6. Build other skills. Teach yourself video basics, podcasting, LinkedIn, TikTok, and so forth.
7. Address nagging home projects. When you’re spending so much time at home, those little things you keep putting off begin to get to you. That hole in the drywall, the office purges you’ve been meaning to do, and the box of mystery junk in the garage are calling your name. Put in just a couple hours a day on those pesky tasks and think how terrific your place will look once the stay-at-home order ends.
8. Get outside. If you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space, start tackling those long-neglected outdoor projects on your to-do list. After all, once you’re the stay-at-home order is lifted, you’re not going to want to hang out at home. Some possible projects:
- Ready your garden. Start your seedlings inside, and turn the dirt and even start planting, if it’s not too early to get started in your zone. Clean and repair your planter boxes and purge broken pots. Consider giving some or all of your lawn over to a vegetable garden. One of the takeaways from this pandemic is that being self-reliant is a positive thing. Being able to feed yourself is step one.
- Rehab garden tools. Scrub your garden tools; sharpen scissors, hoes, shears, knives; and sand tools’ wooden handles.
- Paint the garage door.
- Clean the gutters.
- Consider your lighting scheme. Look at any remaining energy hogs and replace them with LEDs. Figure out where solar lighting would be appropriate to enhance safety and aesthetics. Also, decide what lights actually need to be on at night and which ones can be put on motion sensors.
9. Ponder retirement. With so much downtime, many have gotten a taste of what retirement could look like. Are you cut out for it? Especially if you’re nearing retirement age, start thinking about your goals, how you want to spend your days, and whether you want to continue working part-time.
10. Take a break. You may have noticed that there’s an obsession with productivity and maximizing every hour. But you also need downtime. Learn new skills or pick up a hobby. Whatever it is you want to learn – playing the guitar, knitting, practicing French, or listening to lectures – there likely are free online resources. Here are some examples:
- Coursera. Access lectures at schools like Stanford, Penn State, Duke, and the University of Edinburgh. Literature, music, philosophy, successful negotiation, content marketing, and market research are among the vast offerings. You also can start an online degree.
- San Diego Zoo. The zoo’s livestream cams let you see how owls, tigers, penguins, and other animals spend their days.
- The world’s greatest museums are offering virtual visits. Among them are the British Museum and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.