25 Fun Activities to Do at Home While Social Distancing

Nicolette Muro

4 years ago

Life has changed so drastically in the past week I’m still trying to catch up. Most of America is now forced into social distancing, basically a form of quarantine to the home away from other people. I was fully prepared to write about my recent Old Navy or Walmart finds, or start a gift guide for Easter, but I would be lying if I said the pandemic isn’t occupying my every thought right now.

As more and more businesses begin to close, employees are sent home to work, and the government recommends that we self-quarantine, the boredom has sunk in for many. I’m starting to get stir-crazy myself, so I’ve come up with 25 fun activities to do at home while social distancing.

1. Clean Your House/Apartment

This is the most obvious activity to do while you’re stuck at home, but quite honestly, social isolation has motivated me to clean out my entire closet and start working on my room too. When I’m busy, the last thing I make time for is a deep clean. I’ve wanted to thoroughly clean out my closet for months and get rid of anything I don’t wear or like anymore, and I’m so glad I’ve finally done this. I feel much less stressed now when picking out an outfit. Besides your closet, you can also take this time to clean your kitchen, bathrooms or any other room that needs cleaning!

2. Read

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and a good way to relax after a long day. I used to spend hours and hours reading books when I younger. Now, it’s much harder to make time for reading amid all of the other work I have. I’m dedicating at least an hour a few nights a week to catch up on some of my favorite books or to start something new. My recent read is called “Between Grit and Grace” by Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD. It’s about how to find a balance in the work world between being aggressive and humble. I’ve only read one chapter, but I love it so far!

3. Watch TV Or Movies

I don’t watch tv or movies much. Usually, I feel guilty if I allow myself to spend time watching tv or movies when I could be spending that time working on blog tasks, my to-do list, or career-related work. However, this is a horrible mindset to have and everyone deserves a break from now and then. Lately, I’ve been watching Nancy Drew on the CW and love it. I know most people are obsessed with the Bachelor, but reality tv personally doesn’t interest me. No matter, what you enjoy watching, this is the ideal time to binge-watch your favorite movies or shows while stuck home.

4. Cook

Normally, I don’t enjoy cooking when I’m on a busy schedule. It feels like another task on my to-do list, and it’s time-consuming and messy. With all the free-time social distancing has given me, I’m trying to prioritize cooking more frequently and earlier in the day so it doesn’t cause stress. Recently I made a healthy fried rice dish, and it was relaxing and enjoyable to be able to cook on my own time. Pinterest has a lot of fun recipes if you’re interested!

5. Start a New Hobby

I joined YouTube a few months ago, and I’m still working on growing my channel and increasing my views. I’ve spent the past few days learning more about SEO and search keywords that I can use to improve my channel. While YouTube is different than blogging and comes much harder to me, it was fun to try something new and get outside of my comfort zone. I encourage you to try something new while you’re at home and bored out of your mind. It doesn’t necessarily have to be social media-related, but there are plenty of activities out there just waiting to be discovered.

6. Work on Your Side-Hustle

This is another activity that isn’t exactly ground-breaking considering that most people that read my blog are bloggers. However, it’s difficult to find time for your side-hustle with work and other obligations. This is the first time in a while where I don’t have any personal or work-related obligations and can essentially work on my blog full-time. Try and catch up on as many posts or content-related activities as possible while you still have the time. Your future self will thank you!

7. Clear Out Your Phone/Laptop

I’m not sure about you, but my phone and laptop are a complete mess. I have way too many photos saved, messages that need to be deleted, apps I don’t use, and more. I always put off clearing out my electronics because it’s such a hassle, but there’s no excuse for avoiding it now. If your devices are a mess too, I encourage you to do the same 🙂

8. List Clothes on Poshmark

I haven’t been as active on my Poshmark account as I’d like to lately, so I’m making sure to get back to it this week. I’ve deleted all items I recently donated, and I’m going to list new pieces soon! Uploading pieces to Poshmark is very time-consuming, so I recommend doing that during a period where you have a lot of free time such as right now.

9. Clean Out SD Cards/ Hard Drives

This is another activity for content creators, but if you have any storage devices that need to be cleared out, get to it! My SD cards fill up quickly because I’m constantly taking photos and filming videos for Instagram and YouTube. I’m usually too lazy to clear them out and instead just buy new ones or put it off for a while. Clear yours out whenever you can to reserve space for future shoots.

10. Exercise

I was sad to see my gym close, but I love working out from home whenever I can. I follow fitness influencer Kayla Itsines’ workouts and find that it works well for me. It costs around $65 for the digital guide, but there are plenty of workouts on Pinterest or YouTube that you can follow for free. Once you get into a routine, I promise it’s not as bad to workout from home as you may think.

11. Take Photos

You don’t have to be a content creator to enjoy taking photos. I love shooting photos for Instagram and my blog, and I find it to be very therapeutic. I know we’re supposed to stay inside, but if you take photos outside far away from the public either by yourself or with a family member, it should be okay. My outfits are captured in a cute town by the beach or at pretty parks. If you don’t want to take photos of yourself, you can always shoot a product flat lay, nature, makeup, or food.

12. Facetime/ Call a Friend or Family Member

One of my best friends from college and I try to Facetime at least once a month. Life is busy now that we’re both in different places, but it’s always great to catch up with each other when we can. If you require social interaction, calling or Facetiming are the next best things.

13. Improve Your Self-Care Routine

I’m not the best at keeping up with my self-care routine. I put this off just like I put off tv if it means I can get more work done but not this week! I’m going to do all the face masks, bath bombs, moisturizers, and more that I can find. Self-care can be whatever works best for you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be skincare or beauty products!

14. Color

I used to love coloring when I was younger, but it’s still fun as an adult too. I have a few stress-free coloring books that I bought during college and still use them. It’s a nice way to relax at night while listening to music or watching a movie, and it gets the creative juices flowing.

15. Learn New Makeup Skills

I’m decent at makeup, but I’m always in search of new skills I can pick up. Particularly, I’m interested in improving my eyeshadow techniques. I think there are more precise ways out there to blend eyeshadow than how I currently do it. If you don’t wear makeup, now’s the time to start experimenting with new products!

16. Play Board Games

I love playing board games when I’m stuck inside. Some of my favorites are Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue. My mom and I usually play games together when we go on trips or on the weekends occasionally. It’s a fun way to unplug from social media and spend time with people you’re isolated with.

17. Redecorate

I’m using this free time to look for new room decorations. I plan to re-do my room in the upcoming months, and I’m finding inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram for my theme and decorations. If you’re interested in updating your home decor as well, I recommend browsing places like Amazon, Marshalls, and T.J. Maxx online for the best deals. If you’re unable to buy decorations right now, you can always plan for the future.

18. Bake

Along with cooking, I don’t usually bake all that frequently either. Cooking and baking have both become calming activities to me in the last few days and something to occupy myself. I enjoy making healthy recipes, and I recently made oatmeal cookies out of oats and chocolate chips. Try out a simple recipe like this if you’re hesitant to begin baking.

19. Run/Walk Outside

Running may not be for everyone, but I grew up running track and cross-country, so a long run always calms me. My gym closed recently after it was decided that all NYC, NJ, and CT gatherings have to be limited. I do an at-home workout as I mentioned earlier in this post, but I enjoy going on a 30 minute run during the day if the weather permits. I’ve noticed that the weather has been a little nicer lately than usual so I’m taking full-advantage and going for a run by myself to get some fresh air.

20. Do Yoga

I loved taking a yoga class when I was in college. It’s calming and an easy way to get into exercise if you’re hesitant about it. Yoga works your muscles and your mind at the same time. If you’re stressed and anxious about Coronavirus, give yoga a try. You can find free tutorials on YouTube or Pinterest.

21. Scrapbook

One of my goals is to make a scrapbook for all of my trips. Scrapbooking is a fun, calming activity, and I look forward to piecing together some of my memories. If you don’t have the supplies for one, you can store important memories in a notebook or a binder until you’re able to make it to the store once all of this craziness passes.

22. Play Cards

I’m not the best at card games, but I’m using this time to unplug from social media more frequently and spend time with my family. I love playing Go Fish (because I’m a child at heart lol) and Rummy. Now is also a great time to learn new card games if you don’t currently know how to play any.

23. Try a Podcast

I’m not the biggest fan of podcasts because I prefer to either watch or read something, but I want to get more into them. There are a lot of podcasts out there about fashion and social media, so I’ll probably take advantage of the ones I can find on Spotify to pass the time.

24. Play With Your Dog/Cat

Not all of us have pets, but if you do, give them attention during this time. With more free time, you can dedicate at least 30 minutes to an hour either playing fetch or sitting with your pet. I have a Boston Terrier, and she’s a very active dog who loves to play fetch and ball. It’s impossible to work at home without giving your pet at least some extra attention.

25. Write

You don’t necessarily have to write more blog posts than usual or start a blog, but you can write in a journal. I have a cute journal I bought from Marshalls to doodle in or write positive affirmations in to keep myself motivated. I think we could all use more positivity during this time.

Thank you so much for reading! I plan to do a few more similar at-home posts soon to help everyone adjust to our new normal. Stay safe, friends <3