So you’re quarantined…now what?
Alyssa Bunde ® Staff Writer |
Whether you’ve received news that you’re required to stay at home or you’re still practicing social distancing, you may be finding yourself in your own home and company more than usual. Due to this, you’re probably getting relatively bored. So allow me to save you from staring at the walls contemplating “what’s next”…unless that genuinely entertains you, in which case, you should keep doing that.
Exercise
Depending upon your current health this one may vary in its applicability to you.
If you’re like me and don’t have a home gym or don’t really trust going back to public gyms quite yet, YouTube is now the next best thing. Therefore, here are my favorite fitness YouTubers:
Yoga
Get in touch with yourself
This one may sound corny, but I’m here to tell you that self care is work and it’s important we’re listening, challenging, and improving ourselves. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time alone, you might as well get to know the stranger that stares back at you in the mirror every day.
Help me be me Podcast
This podcast is meant to help listeners “overcome a variety of emotional challenges”. The host Sarah B breaks each situation up into three parts: the what, the why, and the how. Some personal favorite episodes include:
Ep 121: Inner Dialogues: When Others Trigger Us + We Get Stuck in Our Heads
Ep 125: Base-Level Self: When You’re Acting Like a Person You Hate
Meditation
If you’ve never meditated before, I strongly suggest you try. It’s relaxing and can help you clear your mind. We spend so much of our days constantly moving that often we forget to just be in the moment, meditation helps us do that. Depending upon who you are as a person you may enjoy meditating to sounds more than a guided one. Personally, I prefer guided ones. Here two of my favorites:
Guided Meditation For Powerful Positivity ➤ Peace, Focus, & A Positive Mind In 10 Minutes
GaryVee
He’s aggressively good at getting you off the couch and getting that first foot out the door. For the most part, he’s geared towards entrepreneurs but his message is still applicable to most: to get to where you want to be…you have to work for it. He has a podcast called “The GaryVee Audio Experience”, an Instagram page, @Garyvee, and a website filled with blog posts, videos, and links.
Amy Lee
This is by far one of my favorite YouTuber. She’s raw, relatable and goes in-depth about her own personal problems while addressing how you can help yours. Videos range from “Why is love hard: attachment styles” to “7 money mistakes to avoid in your 20s” to “5 mindset habits to change your life”, to fashion and DIY vlogs.
TED talks
I’m one of those weird people who actually enjoys it when teachers play these in class. So here’s a couple of my favorites:
The 5 People you Need To Be Happy
How to Figure Out What You Really Want
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
Mind-body & green
This Online magazine is by far one of my favorites for easy reads. It focuses on your well being “connecting soul and science”. With topics ranging from mindfulness to social good and to beauty, there’s a little bit for everyone.
Get informed
You’re bored, I know you are. Now is the prime time for you to be learning something new that will benefit your future self. Stop scrolling through TikTok and let’s get to work.
Black Lives Matter
If you’re quarantined, you have plenty of time to educate yourself. It’s important to question our way of thinking, even if it makes us uncomfortable.
If you’re struggling to find empathy for the movement or “just don’t understand why everyone is so upset,” I strongly suggest this film. This Oscar-nominated documentary is free on YouTube and also on Netflix. It covers the racial injustice of William Ford’s murder and follows the pain the family and friends experience as they try to move on with their lives.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
This is the first video of an ongoing series by Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho. In it, he addresses commonly asked questions regarding race and provides clear and honest answers. In addition, Acho sits down with celebrities ranging from Mathew McConaughey to Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Double Down News
I gave this channel it’s own category because they have multiple videos regarding race and so much more. Listed below are two I found to be the most engaging:
Show This Video To Anyone Who Says ‘All Lives Matter’
Black Lives Matter & The Question of Violence | Gary Younge
General News
The election is coming up, the environment is tanking, stocks are fluctuating, and people are starving to death in Yemen. There is news erupting all around us, so besides tuning into what The Reporter has to say, here are a few other news organizations and their platforms you can pay attention to:
New York Times: The Daily Podcast
NPR: Up First podcast
Wall Street Journal: What’s News Podcast
Random
Cooking
Pick Up Limes: Vegan meal preps that are easy and good for you!
Tasty: If you love those quick recipe videos that clutter Facebook, I guarantee they’re probably from this food network. Meat eaters and vegans are both welcome here as the recipes are never-ending.
Interesting listens
The Smithsonian’s Sidedoor Podcast
Every Little Thing Podcast
In the midst of this pandemic, most of us have found ourselves with copious amounts of time and unsure of how to navigate this new “normal”. While this list of activity suggestions may not be your cure all for the remainder of your quarantine; I do hope it provides, at the very least, some entertainment. Or I suppose you can continue to stare at a wall. Honestly, whatever works for you.
Header photo from Flickr.