How to Spend Time During Social Isolation

If you’re anything like me, social isolation has had its moments of boredom. We are so used to living our busy lives, whether we’re students, employees, parents or all of the above, that it’s easy to feel cabin fever in these uncertain times.

While the following habits have kept me productive and happy, it’s important not to beat yourself up for being unproductive right now. You are enough as you are in this moment, but directing my time towards the activities below has significantly improved my physical and mental health. If you’re looking to do the same, this list is for you.

Exercise

If you enjoy exercise, I’m sure you’re already using this time to focus on your physical health. But I know a lot of people hate exercise, or they want to start exercising but have trouble finding the motivation.

If you want to develop an exercise routine, especially a daily one, it’s important to ease into it slowly. In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that in order to develop any habit and stick to it, you have to start small. And by small, I’m talking one push-up, five jumping jacks, or one minute running small.

Your routine needs to be easy enough to break through the resistance of accomplishing it, even when you’re unmotivated. You will quickly find yourself wanting to do more instead of resisting the effort.

Practice meditation or mindfulness

Meditation may feel like a waste of time at first, but you’ll quickly see the positive effects in your day to day life the longer you commit to it. In these times of uncertainty, having the ability to clear your mind and remain calm is something like a superpower.

How often you meditate doesn’t matter as much as making meditation, and mindfulness in general, a priority in your life. I use the Headspace app but there are also tons of guided meditations on YouTube. If you prefer no distractions at all, setting a timer on your phone works as well.

If meditation is not your thing, yoga or walking outside are other great ways to practice mindfulness. Not only is it relaxing and stress-relieving in the moment, but a regular practice will train your mind for the long term as well.

Limit news and social media

It’s difficult to stay away from social media when we feel so isolated. While social media is useful for keeping in touch with family and friends, it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole. I’ve found myself spending countless hours consuming content that isn’t even that interesting or useful.

While news can be useful and informative, as with social media it’s easy to go overboard. In our internet age, there is so much information that it would require multiple lifetimes to read it all. If you like catching up on news, pick a certain time of day and limit yourself to no more than half an hour.

Maintaining discipline with your media habits may be difficult at first, but I’ve found that it’s made me happier and more at ease as a result. Spending your time intentionally feels way better than being a slave to your smart phone.

Stay connected with friends and family

Instead of compulsively checking social media, stay connected with friends and family using other methods. Call them, text them or FaceTime them instead. We are all in similar situations being cooped up at home with not a lot to do. It’s more important than ever to reach out, as we all need human contact during this difficult time.

You can also create a group chat using an app like Skype, Houseparty or Google Hangouts Meet. While the Zoom app has been really popular lately, several security issues have been exposed and I don’t recommend using the app until they have been resolved.

Clean

You’ve probably taken some time to clean in some capacity during this time. You’ve organized your room, cleaned your cupboards or gone through your storage spaces and disposed of any unused items.

If you want to take this a step further, try playing The Minimalists’ 30 Day Minimalism Game, or using the KonMari Method to organize every room in your house. Now is a better time than ever to get things in order. Having less stuff in your life will take a load off your back, both physically and mentally.

Read

Disconnecting from electronic devices and curling up with a good book is a great way to wind down from the day. Nothing beats the feeling of a physical book, but using an eReader with the backlight turned off is almost as good and doesn’t disrupt your sleep.

Right now I’m reading The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday. It’s a great book that teaches the values of stoicism with an entrepreneurial flare. I think we could all use a pep talk in these confusing times.

Watch movies and television

While watching movies and TV is often considered an unproductive activity, I think it’s one of the best things we can do during this time. What’s a movie or show you’ve been meaning to watch, but have been putting off?

Now is the time. While books are great, the stories in films and television are other works of art that I feel we need now more than ever. Whether you’re watching a classic like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad or the latest season of your favourite cooking reality show, kick up your feet and binge a bit. Just don’t do it all day.

Create (write, paint, cook, learn an instrument)

In today’s world it’s pretty easy to live a passive life of consumption. When we’re stuck in our homes, this temptation is even greater. There’s nothing wrong with consuming things in moderation. But when I’m not putting things out into the world as well, I feel awful. It’s why I started blogging in the first place.

The act of creating can take on any form that fits your personality. As cheesy as it sounds, you are the artist of your own life. I’ve been enjoying writing blog posts like this one, cooking delicious food for myself and my family and learning new songs on the acoustic guitar. Not only do you have something to show for your hard work, but these activities are great stress relievers as well.