Break Up Your Daily Routine With These Fun At-Home Activities

With several states having Stay-At-Home orders, thousands of people are finding themselves getting reacquainted with more time on their hands. 

Being productive or learning a new skill is not a requirement. We are all collectively going through unprecedented trauma and not doing anything is perfectly okay! But for those that are looking to break up their daily routines, some of the following activities are low-key, low-stress, and low-effort. 

1. Painting or paint by numbers. Choose a kit with a soothing background like this one from Etsy seller AOXGO or cute watercolor animals from NANNADIY or grab some paint and paper or canvas and paint whatever comes to mind. Painting or coloring allows our brains to focus on the task in front of us and provides a sense of completion and pride once finished. Plus it gives us something fun to hang on our walls afterward!

2. Playing a game—New or old. Dust off that game of Life or Mancala that’s been sitting in the back corner of your closet. Or set up a friendly game of Monopoly with friends via video chat. Learning a new game like chess or checkers can also help pass the time and be a fun way to involve family members. Puzzles are another great relaxing way to spend time away from screens or if the weather isn’t all that great. There are a ton of different games out there to try. Find one that interests you and give it a go!

3. Join in on the latest internet sensation of Dalgona coffee. Those who love iced-coffee are obsessed with this simple recipe (with bonus ASMR!) for whipped iced coffee using simple ingredients. Give it a try, tag us and let us know how it went! You can try making a simple sweet treat to go along with is such as these three-ingredient peanut butter cookies (or substitute with your fave nut butter).

4. Read a book outside of your normal genre. Love fiction but not sure what to read outside of that? TBR (Tailored Book Recommendation) is a subscription bases service that pairs you with self-described book nerds that take your profile and recommend three books to help stretch your reading horizons. You can sign-up for two different plans—hardcover or recommendation only. Want to shop local? Check out local indie bookstores in your area or pop on over to Bookshop—a website that allows you to browse books from bookstores in your area and donates a percentage back. Twitter fan? Use the hashtag, #AskALibrarian and receive awesome book recommendations from librarians around the world. You can still give your library card a workout by using the app Libby. Just enter in your card numbers and check out books and audiobooks from your local library!

5. Take a new spin on mealtime. Try planning an indoor picnic (or outside if the weather is nice!). Add some creativity by doing a theme by trying out recipes from different regions of the world and different cultures. Or keep it super simple by recreating your favorite elementary school lunches of Lunchables and PB&J’s with apple juice. Another idea is to bring the outdoor camping experience indoors. Make a “campfire” out of paper and roast marshmallows indoors. Bonus points if you set up your tent in the living room or make a fort out of extra sheets and blankets! 

Staying inside doesn’t mean you have to stare at the walls! Try out these ideas to break up your routine or to try something different.

We’re all in this together. 

Your friend,

Mina