When we find ourselves stuck at home and unable to take part in our usual routines and activities, our first reaction might be anxiety. How will you pass the time? Is it even possible to do so with authentic positivity?
To that, I say, absolutely. Being stuck at home might not have been on your agenda for the current moment, and it might not have been your decision. But home time can be quality time, an opportunity to rest, restore and re-energize. Here are five tips to help you start feeling positive about being “stuck” at home.
1) Make a Schedule
It can be destabilizing to be stuck in your home when you’re accustomed to organizing your day around various comings and goings—to work, on errands, to social gatherings. Think about ways you can make a schedule to help normalize your home time. Try to keep to meal and snack times, have a general routine around waking up and going to sleep, and make a plan for how much time you will spend working or online.
2) Add Some Variety
Have breakfast for dinner. Indulge in a mid-day nap. Watch three favorite movies in a row. As important as it is to keep some structure in your day when you’re stuck at home, it’s equally gratifying to seize on the opportunity to step outside your usual routines and enjoy being spontaneous.
3) Pick Up the Phone—and Talk
The art and pleasure of a phone conversation often gets lost in the age of smartphones and ubiquitous technology. Being stuck at home is the perfect opportunity to restore your phone chatting skills. Reaching out to a friend or family member—either one you don’t often get to see, or one who lives down the street—can remind you that being at home doesn’t mean disconnecting from the relationships that enrich your life.
4) Read for Pleasure
There’s no more reliable way to transport yourself to other places, mindsets and moods than to read a deliciously absorbing book. Whether you’re diving back into an old favorite novel, or cracking the spine on a brand new book, reading for pleasure is a boundless source of relaxation and joy.
5) Start a Project
It could be as simple and mundane as alphabetizing the spices in your pantry, but looking around your house and identifying a project that needs doing—and then getting started doing it—is a way to make your time at home feel meaningful and productive.
How do you stay positive when you’re stuck at home?
