How to Become a Better YOU During Quarantine
If your area is becoming impacted by the recent outbreak COVID 19, it may be time to think about what you will do in the event you end up in a quarantined area or simply at home because your job is temporarily closed.
As there is not much precedence for this, it’s hard to forecast how long a quarantine will last and how it may affect your daily life. Based on what’s happening around the globe, we’d expect a month-long quarantine not out of the question.
If it happens, what will you do with all that free time at home?
Sure, you could look at this an opportunity to sit on your butt and watch Netflix all day, every day, finally watching that series you’ve been putting off for a year, but where will that get you?
Want to change your life for the better?
Ready to cash in on this pandemic’s silver lining of free time?
Here’s a quick list of six nine things you can do to improve your life while stuck at home.
#1.
Love your job? if not… LEARN SOMETHING!
Even if you do love your job, you can still learn something to better your position and possibly make more money when this all blows over.
The internet likely wont be effected and there are hundreds of thousands of videos on YouTube and Vimeo with instructions on all types of tech and even trade industries. Learn web design or how to service AC units. Come out of this crises with some knowledge that gets you a better paying job and quite possibly one you enjoy more.
Related Resources
Tech Related Options We Recommend
- Lynda.com (huge library of options, about $45 a month
- TeamTreeHouse. For web design, WordPress & programming. *our personal favorite if you’re looking into programming or web design.
#1.5.
Read more.
Reading is well known for helping reduce stress, increase memory function and even help with getting better sleep.
Amongst a wide array of health benefits, studies have shown that reading can help with mental stimulation, which may help prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Aside from the healthy factor, picking up a good book will also help with your vocabulary, something that is slowly falling apart in our technology-driven world today.
Related Resources
#2.
Happy with your physical appearance? Get FIT!
You may have been putting this off because you don’t the time but now you do and guess what? Whether you are looking to lose weight, put on muscle mass or both, you can do it all with your own body weight and the furniture in your home. You might end up doing a lot of variation of lunges, pushups, dips, jumping jacks and running in place but it WILL PAY OFF!
Related Resources
Re-purposing furniture as gym equipment
Gain Muscle Mass
Lose Weight
#3.
Do you dance? If not, you should & now’s a great time to learn!
Ever sat at a bar and watched people dance the night away? Not just bump and grind but proper couples dancing and wished you had those kind of skills? Dancing is more than just a social skill it’s also a way to get great exercise and burn off those calories.
Whether it’s hip hop break dancing or West Coast Swing, there are hundreds of free videos online. Not all dance lessons are created equal! If you want to learn proper, lead and follow lessons, check out Addictive Dancing.
Related Resources
Instructors We Recommend
- Break Dancing for Beginners (free YouTube video)
- Club Line Dances. (DVD sold on Amazon).
- Couples Dance Lessons (digital in home dance lessons via streaming)
#4.
Learn how to play an instrument
This may take more time then most the other options, but for some, you’ve been putting off learning how to play that dusty guitar and now is the time to pick it up and get to jamming! If you don’t live alone, and the instrument getting dusty is a drum set… maybe go with the cooking option instead.
Related Resources
- Well Rated Video for Beginner Guitar Lessons (Free option)
- Guitar Tricks (Paid, Monthly subscription option)
#5.
Learn to cook like a pro
Cooking skills will come in handy for both your overall financial future as well as your health. Heck, it could even help your love life… 😉
Take it seriously, take notes, take your time and take that special someone’s breath away with a masterpiece of a meal.
Related Resources
- Here’s a list of the top 10 YouTube cooking channels
- Top 5 Healthy Cooking Blogs
#6.
Write a book, script, or even poem
You might not realize how great of an author you are until your put your pen to the paper (or fingers to the keyboard). At least get something started and see what you can do.
You may just surprise yourself.
Related Resources
#7.
Minimalism!
If you’re like us, you may have been putting of that big job of organizing the garage, closet, kitchen and all corners of the house.
No better time then now to get cracking on the project! Be sure to let things go that you really don’t use anymore.
Be sure to declutter first and organize second.
Related Resources
#8.
Learn a new language
– Or work towards expanding your knowledge of a second language you may already have some skills with.
Knowing a second language, fluently, can help you with getting a better paying job. Many companies pay hire wages to individuals whom a bilingual and if the second language is in high demand, you may even land a job as a translator that pays very well.
When traveling, knowing the local language can help you save money, get around faster and simply help you enjoy the area more as the locals are much more likely to welcome you.
Plus, it’s just super cool to be able to speak a second language when you meet someone in your own country who also speaks that language while the people around you listen in ‘awe’ of your massive skills.
Related Resources
- Premium online / app language learning system, Duolingo
- 11 Best Free YouTube Channels for Learning Spanish
- 10 Tips for Learning a Second Language
We will be adding to this article in the coming days and weeks so be sure check back for new resources.
Feel free to comment a viable option or resource below and we will add it to the list above so long as it is helpful and not spam.
The above post is really geared at picking up new skills and improving yourself during quarantine. However, if you want some tips on staying sane and coping with the situation, buzzfeed.com has a great article on that here.
Learning a language like Spanish would be a great addition to this list. Great list though btw!
Thank you Jessica! That’s a great idea, we are adding it now.
WOW! This is a great resource, thank you! One thing I did recently was buy a few things for some house hold projects we plan to do in the coming weeks. Not sure if home depot will close, but better safe then sorry.
Another awesome idea! Thanks Eric. I’ll be adding this shortly
Taking advantage of the panic I see. smh
Mr. Demario, we have put a lot of thought into this article and believe it is a great resource for the public. I understand your sentiment, but I think you have missed the mark on this one.
During quarantine, I went back to reading. Haven’t picked up a book for years because I’ve been busy with work. I’ve also baked and cooked a lot since I love baking and cooking and it’s better than ordering takeout. I also tried learning Korean, Japanese, and Thai. I was able to learn the basics and I can speak some Japanese and Korean after watching dramas, movies, and animes for a while. LOL