1

After weeks of being around only your family, it’s easy to fall into a rhythm of skipping showers, wearing the same pair of sweatpants for several days straight, and forgetting what shoes are all together.

However, despite how relaxed you may feel at home, it’s important to avoid these tempting habits.

Instead, try appointing a daily time to take a shower as well as ditching the pajamas, brushing your hair, and starting a thorough skincare regimen.

By making an effort with your self-care and building a routine separate from schoolwork, you can achieve some sense of structure in your life.

2

As easy as it is to forget to shower consistently, it’s also easy to give up hope of getting good exercise. Whether you rely on school sports or the local gym, the options for your daily activity have been severely hurt.

It’s more important than ever to take care of your body by working out.

New and virus-free options include a range of online Zoom classes, Instagram-live sessions or group FaceTimes with friends.

Now, you can take the Zumba class you never wanted to pay for or experiment with a kickboxing challenge, all from the comfort of your embarrassment-free home.

Coordinate your friends to exercise together so that it turns into something you all can look forward to.

And, of course, it’s also important to go outside! Go on a walk on the beach, a run in your neighborhood, or a bike ride on your favorite trail.

3

Until recently, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s all too common for someone to give up on an instrument after just a couple of weeks of trying it out.

Now that your daily life has changed in a hundred different ways, use this instrument to ground yourself.

So tune your dad’s only guitar and break out your mom’s old piano books and get to work. Order a ukulele on Amazon for under 50 bucks and learn a few chords.

Pick a song you want to learn on any instrument, and there will be hundreds of YouTube videos at the ready to guide you through the process.

By putting in a small amount of time and effort, you will leave quarantine feeling accomplished and talented even if you only learn one song, one bridge or one chord.

4

This is, with no doubt, a dark time. Reading the latest coronavirus-related articles or news can easily bring your mood down, so try to use some of your screen time for something uplifting.

And there is no better way to pass the time than Netflix… and Hulu… and DisneyPlus… and HBO…. and Prime Video. The options can get overwhelming.

In the absence of late-night talk shows and SNL, we suggest turning to stand up comedy specials.

Netflix has an entire section dedicated solely to comedy, and with so many options there is something for everybody.

And if you’re looking for something a little more developed, Amazon Prime’s wide selection of original shows and movies are amazing, especially the multi-award winning show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

5

Take advantage of this period of self-isolation to throw yourself into some new projects and hobbies. The possibilities are endless—take out that puzzle, bring some old art supplies back to life, get your family together for a game night, make playlists, redecorate your room or coordinate group FaceTimes.

Make something fun out of these spare moments so that you can come out of quarantine feeling accomplished in both work and personal life.

Give yourself the gift of exploring the things you always wished you had time for.

6

If you have watched “The Sisterhood Of Traveling Pants,” you would know that this 2000s movie follows four teenage girls as they go their separate ways over the summer. To stay connected, they decided to rotate one pair of jeans between themselves.

A similar method can be applied to a book. Coordinate with a group of friends and pick a book that everyone would enjoy.

Send this book around your group until you have all completed it. Of course, you will need to remember to sanitize (!) the book before sending it and upon receiving it.

Write funny notes in the margins for the next member to read, and hold debates and discussions about the content.

This will be a perfect way not only to pass the time but also to engage in a unique and collaborative experience with your friends.