We're now in the third week of lockdown here in the UK and it looks highly likely to be extended for longer. With so many restrictions on movement and socialisation, being stuck within their own four walls and garden is too much for many. If you have been suffering from cabin fever here are 40 things you can do to keep yourself busy during lockdown.
Here are some practical ways to deal with the monotony, for you, your partner, and the kids.
1. Journal the experience
Sometimes you just have to deal with the feelings, recognize them, accept them, and move on. Journal what you want to do in the future. Write about how you want to know yourself going forward. After you have got it all out, change your thinking to focus on hope and expansion.
2. Research sleep hacks
Everyone needs to sleep better. It is your perfect chance to implement the hacks. You are more likely to be able to establish a consistent routine that won’t be disturbed by going out during the week.
See: How to Have a Good Night's Sleep Every Night
3. Make a travel bucket list
Think about all the places you want to visit in the world. If anything, we have learned that life is too short to sit around and do nothing all day.
Why not research how to choose the best Caribbean island for your dream holiday or the best places to visit suirng October half-term.
4. Zentangle every day
Get your creative on and do one small zentangle square a day. By the end of the self isolation, you will have a compilation of artwork to display. Keep it to a theme – colour, object, topic to give it more depth.
5. Learn a new language
There are so many mobile apps out there to help you learn the basics of a language. Even better, they are free. But, a language is no use if you don’t get to use it. If you want to practice with a native speaker, jump on one of the many platforms such as Amazing Talker that offer conversational language from beginners to advanced.
You can also try Youtube. There are some great learning tips from polyglots such as Lydia Machova. You can even pick up some free online videos to help you learn a new language.
6. Read a book
Seriously, get those books out that have been piling up beside your bed, or being thrown into the bookcase for your next vacation. Now is the time. Get a book club together with your friends or family and discuss the book on a live chat.
7. Virtual museums
There are numerous opportunities to connect you to virtual tours of some of the most famous museums in the world. Just Google virtual tours + famous museums. I'm currently rediscovering my French by visiting the Musee d'Orsay collection regularly.
8. Learn a new skill for your online business
That’s right. Use this time to get that online business up and running. Get onto Udemy, Khan Academy, or any similar learning platform and get cracking. You can learn coding, marketing, copywriting, FB ads, excel. You name it; they have a course for it. And they are either free or at an excellent price.
9. Declutter your wardrobe
It’s your chance to get all those clothes sorted. Clothes that don’t fit……gone. Clothes that need mending……sorted. Colour coded…….done. Get it cleaned and looking smart for when you get to emerge out into the world again. Just like a butterfly.
10. Declutter everything (or just one room) in your house
Get all the junk you haven’t been using or keep saying you are going to use and never do. Pile it in a room, figure out whether you can sell it, give it away, or trash it, then……………..
11. Earn some cash
Sell your stuff through eBay or Facebook.
See: How to Make Money Fast
12. Make greeting cards and send them to your friends
You still have to connect with people. You just have to figure out new ways of doing it. Make some greeting cards (with the artwork that you have been doing) and send them to your friends. Everyone loves to get mail!
13. Write some letters or emails
For the same reason as above. They don’t have to be extensive. Just catch up. Tell them a story. Let them know what you admire about them.
14. Organize a virtual happy hour
Get online via Zoom, Skype, or FB group messenger and have happy hour drinks with your mates. It can help you get through your 'new way of working' workday. It’s just like a real happy hour.
It'll give you something to look forward to at the end of the day, and it's cheaper because you aren’t paying inflated prices at trendy bars.
15. Schedule in meditation
It will be fabulous for your mental health as well as your ability to cope with the pressures of isolation and anxiety. And you have been saying you need to do it, but you just don’t have time. Now you have the time. Even if it’s only for five minutes.
16. Do a daily practice of stretching or yoga
Get your body not only moving through exercise but make time to rest and rejuvenate. It’s essential, even when you’re not pushing your body to the limit physically.
17. Record a meditation for your kids
Children pick up on the panic that is happening in the media and what is being discussed around them. Write your own script or get one from online. Record the meditation and play if for the kids as they fall to sleep. They will love listening to your voice as they fall asleep.
18. Laugh
Compile a list of links to the funniest YouTube videos you have seen. If you have a YouTube channel, put them up there and send out the link to your friends. Otherwise, just send the individual links to your friends and family by message or email. They will love you for it. Laughter is so good for the soul.
19. Do a digital declutter
Go through your phone and computer and rearrange the files. Clean out all the junk that you don’t need. It’s time to get it organized and free up some space.
20. Declutter and backup your phone photos
Edit your photos, make them look awesome. Then upload them to a cloud drive, so they are easy to access. It frees up untold space on your phone.
There are more practical ideas of things to do in our printable list. Grab your copy here:
21. Spend time in the garden
If you have a garden, get out there. Plant some herbs or flowers. You can even re-purpose your celery, pak choi and lettuce roots to regrow. True, look it up online. If planting something isn’t within your reach, give your indoor plants some TLC. Dust their leaves, prune, and water.
More gardening ideas:
22. Learn Calligraphy or lettering
It will make the next lot of birthday cards you send out to your friends ROCK.
23. Neuroplasticity exercises
No-one is disadvantaged by spending 30 minutes a day developing their neuroplasticity. Check out the apps and YouTube channels that show you how. Grab our pack of Sudoku puzzles to start with, but challenge yourself in a new way each day too.
Get a FREE bundle of 150 Sudoku puzzles here
24. Jigsaw Puzzle
Go back to your childhood. Wipe the dining room table clean and get out the jigsaw puzzle and make it a family project. Every time someone passes it, they must attempt to get a piece of the puzzle.
25. Organize a games night
Have a fun games night (or afternoon) with your family. Make some fun food, whip up some drinks (Elsa hot chocolate anyone?) and get your board games out. These are the nights that everyone ends up talking about for years because they had so much fun.
See: The Best Board Games for Families
26. Colouring/needlework/mandala
The joy is in the mindfulness of the project. Zoning out and focusing your mind on one thing. It’s not pseudoscience. It’s often used as a technique to take cancer patients’ minds off the constant nausea they feel while going through chemotherapy.
27. Give yourself a pedicure or manicure
Give yourself a manicure or pedicure with all the tools you have and some pretty polish. Spend time massaging your feet and hands. You might even be able to convince someone else to do the foot massage for you. That would be gold!
28. Get some DIY hair treatment action
Get out the coconut oil, avocado, or henna wax, and give your hair a beauty treatment. There are so many recipes online that you can make at home.
29. Gratitude jar
Cut up strips of paper and place them in the kitchen next to an empty jar. Every morning, write down something you are grateful for and put it in the jar. Have your family do the same. When anyone is feeling down, read the contents of the jar. When this is all over, read the contents to remind yourself you made it through.
30. Buy a present for someone
Go online and get something small for a friend or family member. It only has to be little. It could even be some toilet paper! Get it sent straight to their address. No explanation needed. Imagine how good it will make them feel when they get a surprise gift.
31. Vlog
Start your YouTube channel, vlog about your thoughts and experience and send it out to the world. Or vlog about that unique skill you have. Teach the world. You might not know it, but there are people out there who want to learn how to play the spoons.
32. Just start
Spend 10 minutes doing that thing you have been putting off. Tax, mending the t-shirts, fixing the squeak in that ceiling fan, or filing all the paperwork sitting on your desk. Once you start, you end up finishing it. Once completed, you’ll feel so much better.
Grab our list of productive things to do at home:
33. Dance it out
Get your Beyoncé on. Close the curtains and make it happen. Have an online dance-off with your friends if you are game.
34. Work on your plank time or successive push-ups
No explanation needed.
35. Start a movie or book club with your friends
Agree on the movie or book, then meet up via Zoom or Skype to discuss. Maybe have a few glasses of wine to get the conversation flowing.
36. Learn sign language
Then you will know if the person signing beside the politician on TV is doing it right!!
37. Create your quarantini
Mix up your own quarantini recipe and share it with your friends online. Everyone can attempt to make a different one every week.
38. Mix up your space
A change is often as good as a holiday. It doesn’t have to be a significant change. Move some furniture around. Change the cushions and add a throw. Change your duvet. Freshen up your space.
39, Make an I'm Bored Jar for the kids
Fill a jar with fun activities to do, then next time your child says "I'm bored" get them to pick an activity idea from the jar.
See: How to Make an I'm Bored Jar for Kids
40. There is always Netflix
More ideas:
10 Activities to Stop You Going Crazy During Lockdown
90+ Things To Do While You're Stuck at Home
For more fun but practical ideas of things to do when you're stuck at home, grab our free printable:
Pin it:
Here are some practical ways to deal with the monotony, for you, your partner, and the kids.
1. Journal the experience
Sometimes you just have to deal with the feelings, recognize them, accept them, and move on. Journal what you want to do in the future. Write about how you want to know yourself going forward. After you have got it all out, change your thinking to focus on hope and expansion.
2. Research sleep hacks
Everyone needs to sleep better. It is your perfect chance to implement the hacks. You are more likely to be able to establish a consistent routine that won’t be disturbed by going out during the week.
See: How to Have a Good Night's Sleep Every Night
3. Make a travel bucket list
Think about all the places you want to visit in the world. If anything, we have learned that life is too short to sit around and do nothing all day.
Why not research how to choose the best Caribbean island for your dream holiday or the best places to visit suirng October half-term.
4. Zentangle every day
Get your creative on and do one small zentangle square a day. By the end of the self isolation, you will have a compilation of artwork to display. Keep it to a theme – colour, object, topic to give it more depth.
5. Learn a new language
There are so many mobile apps out there to help you learn the basics of a language. Even better, they are free. But, a language is no use if you don’t get to use it. If you want to practice with a native speaker, jump on one of the many platforms such as Amazing Talker that offer conversational language from beginners to advanced.
You can also try Youtube. There are some great learning tips from polyglots such as Lydia Machova. You can even pick up some free online videos to help you learn a new language.
6. Read a book
Seriously, get those books out that have been piling up beside your bed, or being thrown into the bookcase for your next vacation. Now is the time. Get a book club together with your friends or family and discuss the book on a live chat.
7. Virtual museums
There are numerous opportunities to connect you to virtual tours of some of the most famous museums in the world. Just Google virtual tours + famous museums. I'm currently rediscovering my French by visiting the Musee d'Orsay collection regularly.
8. Learn a new skill for your online business
That’s right. Use this time to get that online business up and running. Get onto Udemy, Khan Academy, or any similar learning platform and get cracking. You can learn coding, marketing, copywriting, FB ads, excel. You name it; they have a course for it. And they are either free or at an excellent price.
9. Declutter your wardrobe
It’s your chance to get all those clothes sorted. Clothes that don’t fit……gone. Clothes that need mending……sorted. Colour coded…….done. Get it cleaned and looking smart for when you get to emerge out into the world again. Just like a butterfly.
10. Declutter everything (or just one room) in your house
Get all the junk you haven’t been using or keep saying you are going to use and never do. Pile it in a room, figure out whether you can sell it, give it away, or trash it, then……………..
11. Earn some cash
Sell your stuff through eBay or Facebook.
See: How to Make Money Fast
12. Make greeting cards and send them to your friends
You still have to connect with people. You just have to figure out new ways of doing it. Make some greeting cards (with the artwork that you have been doing) and send them to your friends. Everyone loves to get mail!
13. Write some letters or emails
For the same reason as above. They don’t have to be extensive. Just catch up. Tell them a story. Let them know what you admire about them.
14. Organize a virtual happy hour
Get online via Zoom, Skype, or FB group messenger and have happy hour drinks with your mates. It can help you get through your 'new way of working' workday. It’s just like a real happy hour.
It'll give you something to look forward to at the end of the day, and it's cheaper because you aren’t paying inflated prices at trendy bars.
15. Schedule in meditation
It will be fabulous for your mental health as well as your ability to cope with the pressures of isolation and anxiety. And you have been saying you need to do it, but you just don’t have time. Now you have the time. Even if it’s only for five minutes.
16. Do a daily practice of stretching or yoga
Get your body not only moving through exercise but make time to rest and rejuvenate. It’s essential, even when you’re not pushing your body to the limit physically.
17. Record a meditation for your kids
Children pick up on the panic that is happening in the media and what is being discussed around them. Write your own script or get one from online. Record the meditation and play if for the kids as they fall to sleep. They will love listening to your voice as they fall asleep.
18. Laugh
Compile a list of links to the funniest YouTube videos you have seen. If you have a YouTube channel, put them up there and send out the link to your friends. Otherwise, just send the individual links to your friends and family by message or email. They will love you for it. Laughter is so good for the soul.
19. Do a digital declutter
Go through your phone and computer and rearrange the files. Clean out all the junk that you don’t need. It’s time to get it organized and free up some space.
20. Declutter and backup your phone photos
Edit your photos, make them look awesome. Then upload them to a cloud drive, so they are easy to access. It frees up untold space on your phone.
There are more practical ideas of things to do in our printable list. Grab your copy here:
21. Spend time in the garden
If you have a garden, get out there. Plant some herbs or flowers. You can even re-purpose your celery, pak choi and lettuce roots to regrow. True, look it up online. If planting something isn’t within your reach, give your indoor plants some TLC. Dust their leaves, prune, and water.
More gardening ideas:
- How to Create a Bee-Friendly Garden
- How to Create a Garden Perfect for Outdoor Entertaining
- How to Invite Wildlife Into Your Garden
22. Learn Calligraphy or lettering
It will make the next lot of birthday cards you send out to your friends ROCK.
23. Neuroplasticity exercises
No-one is disadvantaged by spending 30 minutes a day developing their neuroplasticity. Check out the apps and YouTube channels that show you how. Grab our pack of Sudoku puzzles to start with, but challenge yourself in a new way each day too.
Get a FREE bundle of 150 Sudoku puzzles here
24. Jigsaw Puzzle
Go back to your childhood. Wipe the dining room table clean and get out the jigsaw puzzle and make it a family project. Every time someone passes it, they must attempt to get a piece of the puzzle.
25. Organize a games night
Have a fun games night (or afternoon) with your family. Make some fun food, whip up some drinks (Elsa hot chocolate anyone?) and get your board games out. These are the nights that everyone ends up talking about for years because they had so much fun.
See: The Best Board Games for Families
26. Colouring/needlework/mandala
The joy is in the mindfulness of the project. Zoning out and focusing your mind on one thing. It’s not pseudoscience. It’s often used as a technique to take cancer patients’ minds off the constant nausea they feel while going through chemotherapy.
27. Give yourself a pedicure or manicure
Give yourself a manicure or pedicure with all the tools you have and some pretty polish. Spend time massaging your feet and hands. You might even be able to convince someone else to do the foot massage for you. That would be gold!
28. Get some DIY hair treatment action
Get out the coconut oil, avocado, or henna wax, and give your hair a beauty treatment. There are so many recipes online that you can make at home.
29. Gratitude jar
Cut up strips of paper and place them in the kitchen next to an empty jar. Every morning, write down something you are grateful for and put it in the jar. Have your family do the same. When anyone is feeling down, read the contents of the jar. When this is all over, read the contents to remind yourself you made it through.
30. Buy a present for someone
Go online and get something small for a friend or family member. It only has to be little. It could even be some toilet paper! Get it sent straight to their address. No explanation needed. Imagine how good it will make them feel when they get a surprise gift.
31. Vlog
Start your YouTube channel, vlog about your thoughts and experience and send it out to the world. Or vlog about that unique skill you have. Teach the world. You might not know it, but there are people out there who want to learn how to play the spoons.
32. Just start
Spend 10 minutes doing that thing you have been putting off. Tax, mending the t-shirts, fixing the squeak in that ceiling fan, or filing all the paperwork sitting on your desk. Once you start, you end up finishing it. Once completed, you’ll feel so much better.
Grab our list of productive things to do at home:
33. Dance it out
Get your Beyoncé on. Close the curtains and make it happen. Have an online dance-off with your friends if you are game.
34. Work on your plank time or successive push-ups
No explanation needed.
35. Start a movie or book club with your friends
Agree on the movie or book, then meet up via Zoom or Skype to discuss. Maybe have a few glasses of wine to get the conversation flowing.
36. Learn sign language
Then you will know if the person signing beside the politician on TV is doing it right!!
37. Create your quarantini
Mix up your own quarantini recipe and share it with your friends online. Everyone can attempt to make a different one every week.
38. Mix up your space
A change is often as good as a holiday. It doesn’t have to be a significant change. Move some furniture around. Change the cushions and add a throw. Change your duvet. Freshen up your space.
39, Make an I'm Bored Jar for the kids
Fill a jar with fun activities to do, then next time your child says "I'm bored" get them to pick an activity idea from the jar.
See: How to Make an I'm Bored Jar for Kids
40. There is always Netflix
More ideas:
10 Activities to Stop You Going Crazy During Lockdown
90+ Things To Do While You're Stuck at Home
For more fun but practical ideas of things to do when you're stuck at home, grab our free printable:
Pin it:
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