Top ten ways to defeat quarantine boredom

1. Start a business

• It might sound a little wild. However, starting an at home business is much easier than it sounds. You could sell your old, barely used clothes on Poshmark, make car freshies, or even take up amateur crafting to sell on Etsy.

2. Take up arts and crafts

• Have you ever seen a YouTube video over five minute crafts? Now is the perfect time to find out if you can really make your own earrings or if painting your own shoes is as easy as it looks. Although some crafts seem less entertaining than others, it is always fun to try things outside of your comfort zone and YouTube is the place to go.

3. Self Care

• Self care can range from taking a long, hot bath to simply taking a three hour nap in the middle of the day. College can be stressful, especially online classes,  so the best way to unwind is to do things you were unable to do before. For example, fill a bathtub with bubbles and bath bombs and let all your worries fade away. Live in the present.

4. Play games with friends

• You don’t have to leave your house to play fun games with your friends. To enjoy your time off while still following obvious guidelines, visit www.playingcards.io to play card games with your friends! Some games include Cards Against Humanity, Go Fish and Checkers.

5. Binge Watch

• Disney+, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime are some of the many prominent streaming services that offer many options to choose from. Each streaming site offers reduced subscription plans for college students. That being said, binge watching your favorite television shows for hours at a time only comes at a small fee. Catch up on some throwbacks, start a Netflix original series, catch up on old episodes of your favorite feel-good shows or rent a movie on Amazon. You have all the time in the world so you might as well enjoy it!

6. Workout

• We have all pushed off exercise for far too long. No better time to start like the present. Find a home workout plan and follow through with it. Now is the best time to work on your summer body.

7. Catch up on missed assignments

• Although it feels like it is still spring break, reality has set in and school is back in session. If you were failing before, today is the day to take your life back. Most professors have become more lenient and as students, we should take advantage of that by getting ahead of schoolwork and working hard on preparing for the next semester.

8. Spend time with your family

• It can get easy to forget the important things in life. You are already stuck at home so you might as well enjoy your time at home. Themed family dinners, family game night and even watching television as a family can really reintroduce the family dynamic. Spending too much time alone is never the answer but make sure to surround yourself in love during such a time of negativity.

9. Read books from your childhood

• It may sound childlike but that is the point. I know personally that reading Junie B. Jones and Dear Dumb Diary have helped me flash back to a simpler time in life. Regaining that childlike wonder helps to stimulate the mind and lighten the heart.

10. Become Tik Tok famous

• Tik tok will take up so much of your free time that you will not even have time to be bored. Joining a community of people that are going through the same things can be refreshing. At a time as crazy as today, knowing that you are not alone can be just the remedy you need to survive a pandemic.

Always remember to stay safe and watch your surroundings. Staying at home 24/7 is no one’s first choice. However, doing things you love helps pass the time while also keeping you safe.