You’re Stuck in Quarantine for Weeks, Now What?

So, let’s say that you come into contact with a doctor or a nurse that tests positive after accidentally being exposed to a positive COVID-19 patient, what next? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are different stages to monitoring your potential symptoms and depending on the severity of the situation, you may be asked to self-isolate at home for a certain amount of days.

As millions of Americans, and people around the world, are self-isolating to help prevent the spread of this potentially harmful virus, it’s become obvious that people are running out of ideas to keep themselves entertained at home. As many states around the country began shutting down “non-essential” businesses, people are having to find other ways of keeping busy while hunkering down at home and staying safe.

Depending on your living situation at home, it may be tough to find things for your entire family to enjoy. Or maybe you have to take a step further and self-isolate from your family members or loved ones during these tough times. Whatever the case may be, there are a few things that you can do to help pass the time while these dauntingly long social distancing rules remain in effect.

So, while you’re doing your part at home, isolating from others and staying safe, we’ve come up with a couple of solutions to temporarily ease your boredom.

Keeping in Touch, Virtually

The virtual world is all around us. For many, it encompasses our jobs, it helps us stay connected with long-distance friends and family members, it’s our source of entertainment, and for people around the globe, it’s been our saving grace during this time of extreme social distancing and boredom at home.

Being the social human beings that we are, staying connected to our friends and family during this difficult time is crucial to our existence. For many, a simple phone call to grandma or grandpa can help reduce major stress, anxiety or fear that they may be sick and you can’t get in touch with them. And for others, maybe a quick “Face Time” call with your best friend can help take the tension off of the tragic news that we constantly see on television or on social media everyday.

The internet has also been able to virtually connect us to our jobs and coworkers while working from home. As many businesses around the world closed their front doors, many workers, if possible, began to work from home and found ways to connect to coworkers through online video chat platforms, such as Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts. In fact, businesses aren’t the only ones using Zoom as a platform form for social interaction, as schools, colleges and government organizations also use it as a tool to keep in touch while in self-isolation.

Another way people are using these online video meeting platforms to stay connected is through hosting birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, and other party-related activities with friends and family members. Although no one wants to cancel their special birthday plans, having a “Zoom party” with friends and loved ones is another way to stay connected during these difficult times.

Individuals in self-isolation are also attending virtual workout classes, taking virtual tours of cities, museums, and national parks, keeping in touch on social media platforms, such as Facebook or the ever-growing popular TikTok. Additionally, an increase in streaming your favorite TV shows and movies is also a favorite pastime. Especially with so many celebrities and artists providing “at home” versions of their shows and performances, straight from their own living rooms.

Whatever the case may be, it’s most likely that you’re already using some type of virtual platform to get through your long days of social distancing and self-isolation. But instead of connecting with people virtually, what about using the internet for something else, such as learning a new skill?

Learning a New Skill

It’s time to put that episode of your favorite TV show on pause and start exercising some brainpower by teaching yourself a new skill. Social distancing can be a tad boring, but it’s also a great time to put your thinking cap on and try a new cooking recipe, learn how to sew or crochet, learn a foreign language, or even take the time to catch up on your CE’s.

With so many of us no longer commuting into work, you may have extra time on your hands to experiment in the kitchen a little more than usual. Check out some tips from celebrity chefs on how to stock up your pantry and put it to good use by creating new, delicious meals. Maybe there’s a recipe you’ve been dying to try but never had the time for or maybe you want to learn how to make bread from scratch? Well, now is the time to get creative and test your cooking skills.

If cooking maybe isn’t your thing, but you still want to learn a new skill, you can try picking up sewing or crocheting. Especially with the PPE shortages going on around the world, it may be helpful to learn how to sew to create a mask for yourself, as well as for your family members and friends. And if you’re good enough at it, maybe you can try your hand at making several masks and donating them to the nearest hospital or nursing home facilities, where they are needed the most.

Last but not least, another way to freshen your skills and brain power at home is by catching up on all your continuing education hours that you may need for the upcoming year. Thankfully, CEUfast makes it easy for healthcare professionals to meet their continuing education requirements at home, and for a limited time only, you can register now and save money on CEUfast’s annual subscription rates. CEUfast is also offering new courses at no cost, such as the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Course.

Other ways to take control over your long, social distancing days ahead could include sprucing up things around your house or apartment, getting outside and taking care of your yard and garden, taking your dog for a walk around the neighborhood, and even picking up a new book to read, quietly at home.

For many households around the world, school closings have forced parents and guardians to not only work from home, but to also keep their children up-to-date with all their schoolwork. Especially for households with more than one child, this can be a daunting task and may take up a majority of your day.

So, whatever the situation may be, it’s important to keep yourself virtually connected to your family and loved ones during these hard times, as well as take the time to enjoy the things around you. And remember, you’re not alone. Even though being isolated for long periods of time could be the ultimate test of our patience, it’s vital to help slow and eventually stop the spread of this potentially harmful virus. So take the time you have now to learn a new skill, get to know your children better, or take the dog for extra walks around the neighborhood. After all, this is only temporary and life will eventually go back to normal.