Stuck at Home and Don't Know What to Do? Break the Monotony, Have Fun and Be Productive with These Innovative Activities in 2020

There are a few who love staying home more than going out and many others who can’t stay indoors for long. However, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced almost everyone to stay at home because social distancing is an important prevention step. And like many others, you might be thinking when you are stuck at home, what to do to pass this time.

But it isn’t as boring as you think. You can do various productive, fun, useful, creative, and other activities while stuck indoors. If you are feeling stressed out or bored, get rid of this by challenging yourself and doing new things in life. Or, simply spend quality time with your family, bake something delicious, and watching your favourite shows. Here’s a variety of ideas to help you turn your boring home isolation days into exciting ones.

Because staying at home with nothing much to do is bad for your physical as well as mental health, here are the top 10 things you can do at home during this lockdown.

Is there a list of web series, movies, or other shows that you have kept aside to watch for later? Now, when you have all the time in the world, shouldn’t you get done with that? Tune-in to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or another service provider and enjoy binge-watching all of them. Add a hot coffee and some popcorn or a favourite snack and take that space on your couch for a comfortable and enjoyable day.

You have a variety of options available online such as Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Now that offer free trials as well. You can also watch Netflix Original series on Netflix or Amazon Prime if you are looking for some new content to watch. Or switch to your favourite TV channel of Amazon to relive those old memories watching classics with your family.

Several musicians have started offering free music to let their fans stuck at home enjoy their time. And, this time is a great opportunity for you to realise your dream of attending a live concert which you otherwise couldn’t attend till now due to a lack of time or money. Now, catch the front row seat with a range of concerts and shows now available online. While some musicians are posting daily concerts on official Facebook pages, others are posting live videos on Instagram.

Just search for your favourite artist on Google and check their updates and know when they are going live. In case, you are not able to listen to the music due to the noise in your home, put your headphones and travel to the music world. If you are looking for some local, India-based live shows, the live concert series “Live from HQ” from BookMyShow is a perfect choice. And, if you are looking for an international concert, check out available options on Livestream. Billboard is hosting Facebook live concerts of a variety of artists, while The Grammy Museum is releasing music from its digital public program. Individual artists like Miley Cyrus are also hosting live-streams of their music sessions that you can enjoy.

Missing your friends? Waiting to reconnect with your favourite group to have fun after this lockdown ends? You can have fun now itself. Make a video call on Skype or another video calling software (or mobile app) and bring your long-distance friends closer. Communicating with your loved ones gives you happiness and also improves your spirits. And, when you feel isolated and lonely, talking to them over a video call makes things far better.

Choose from any of the popular mobile apps like Scrabble, FaceTime, Google Duo for video calling. You can also connect with them to play games over the internet. A wide range of apps are available today where you can play online games with your loved ones.

You are stuck at home and don’t know what to do. Offices are closed and you don’t have much to work from home. Does that sound familiar? Then, its the perfect time to upgrade your skills and get ready for a better career opportunity when things go normal. You can find many classes available on the internet with an increasing frequency of webinars. Find a class or course as per your interest and skill level. Then, sign up to attend the same from home through a laptop, desktop, or a mobile phone. You can check out a range of courses available on Skillshare, Coursera and Udemy where you can find both free and paid options.

Games have been known for long to kill stress by putting the brain to work with fun. And, you can choose from options like Ludo, Sudoku and other indoor games to play on your mobile or the traditional way. Though puzzles are also a great alternative and are easily available at local game shops. Since you can’t go out, you can download some apps on your mobile phone itself. If playing solo isn’t your type, you can choose a versus card or board game like chess, carrom board, etc.

Looking for a good online source to play entertaining games? CrazyGames and MindGames are two of the popular platforms where you can play puzzles and other interesting games online. You can also download apps such as Hago on your smartphone that allows you to interact with other users and also offers a wide range of games. And, you can also earn real money by competing with other players.

Tried everything? Still worried about being stuck at home, what to do? This one’s an effective way of self-care. Raise some plants and nurture them, as giving some care delivers a soothing experience to the mind. And, this time is a great opportunity to start with indoor gardening.

Get the desired seeds and other material for the plants you wish to grow inside your home. If you can’t go out, find a plant nursery store online that offers home delivery. Start planting the flowers in your indoor garden to make your home beautiful. Beginners can look for videos for planting guides on YouTube to understand how to get started with a garden at home.

Do you love writing and sharing things with others? If you are looking for opportunities to interact and communicate with others during this stay home period. Then, this one’s a perfect solution and the right time to express your internal thoughts and feelings. You should start writing a journal, a book or a blog. Pick up a pen and a notebook and start writing. For practice, jot down ideas that revolve in your mind, on a blank page and then try to connect the dots to make a meaningful write-up.

Mornings form the perfect time to write something because your brain stays fresh and clear. Make a timetable and devote some time daily to this activity. And, for the online part, you can choose from free platforms available such as WordPress, Wix, Blogpost, etc. Or, if you are looking forward to investing in blogging as a professional, you need to buy hosting and domain space from providers such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and GoDaddy.

Most of you might be feeling distressed because of your spring-summer plans going in vain. But here’s good news – now when you have a long time to do nothing much at home, start making your long-term plans for the next period. It can be about your next summer vacation with your family or any other event that you are willing to enjoy with friends.

With this, you stop feeling negative over the short-term things that you have missed. When you focus on long-term plans, you start feeling cool and replace the negatives with a positive attitude. Moreover, thinking and planning about your long-term goals helps you kill the stress and put boredom away.

Did you ever worry about where you spent those funds? Or where will the money for future living expenses come from? You probably didn’t get time to do financial planning for the car or the home you aspire to buy one day. Well, this is the time when you can do all the evaluations and assessments for your dreams. Start spending some time on bookkeeping and get a better idea on where and how to spend while saving enough for the future needs and desires.

For the first, check all insurance policies and see if you have enough money to cover your basic needs. Include an estate plan, medical directives, expenses on family, kids and others, that you can’t avoid. With this, you stop thinking about what to do at home and start planning about a healthier, happier and financially sound life.

This one is also a part of the above activity. Call your financial planner and evaluate your current portfolio. If it isn’t apt to meet your long-term goals, re-plan your investments. And, you have got enough time to study all the options closely and make better decisions.

The Coronavirus pandemic has altered the lifestyle of everyone, but it doesn’t mean that you have to change your daily routine. However, you should avoid making any unnecessary changes to your normal routine. Follow the same schedule for sleeping, waking up, eating and other daily chores. And, if you have started working from home, do begin your day like those normal ones. You can replace your commuting time with a quick walk around the house. Maintaining a regular schedule makes your body function well and keeps things like stress and negativity away.

Studies have shown that loneliness adversely affects one’s health, so don’t entirely isolate yourself. Stay in touch with your friends, colleagues and family members through FaceTime, texting, a phone call, Skype, or any other digital communication mode. For work-related communication and official meetings, you can use tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Staying connected with your closed ones also helps reduce stress levels and lets you lead a happier and longer life.

It is the best time to watch your favourite movies, TV shows and read your favourite books and novels. Studies have shown that entertainment helps you to kill stress as well as boredom. Utilise this time while you are stuck at your home, read a book and delve into the storytelling world. You can also transform these boring days into exciting ones by exploring online streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, and many more. Simply sit on your couch and enjoy the latest film or series. You can also make hot chocolate and popcorn to enjoy yourself. It helps you relax your mind as well as your body.

Start working on a fun project that keeps you busy while keeping thoughts of the recent crisis or any negative feelings far from your mind. Take time out for hobbies like baking, cooking, art and crafts, etc. Or, you can launch a project you always desired to do like blogging, story writing, gardening, painting, or anything else. Following a hobby or passion is known to make you feel relaxed and joyful.

Do you spend most of your time on your mobile phone? Do you know it can be detrimental to your health? And, during this period of home isolation, you might be prone to more screen-time. However, you should understand that it is as essential to cut-off excess use of social channels, smartphones and the internet, as much as it is necessary to stay connected nowadays.

Turn off the internet, switch off the TV (or at least the news channels), and devote some time for meditation daily. Though you can check these things out once in a while to ensure that you don’t miss an important message. This way you get rid of unwanted anxiety, stress and worries, while ensuring peace and mental relaxation.

Meditate during the morning as well as evening time. For this, you need to simply sit on a mat on the floor or take a chair. Then, close your eyes and start focusing on the breathing for 10 to 15 minutes. Next what comes is a calming and relaxing effect. And, you will also have some worthy answers to your queries regarding stay at home and what to do.