Just the idea of an extended stay in quarantine sells people with a sense of dread. No matter how you put it, being stuck indoors for 14 days at a random hotel where you are stripped of all your home comforts isn’t entertaining. You can’t make your food, you can’t meet your friends or family, and you don’t get to sleep in your bed. While your environment is outside your control, experts agree you can do many things to help you stay entertained in quarantine.
#1 Practice Stretching and Yoga
One of the biggest problems you must address while remaining relatively inactive is the discomfort and stiffness of lying or sitting for too long. The easiest way to combat this is to practice stretching every day, focusing on your back. If you want to go a little deeper, practicing daily yoga will take you beyond simple stretching as it incorporates elements of meditation and mindfulness. Spending an hour of your day practicing yoga is a simple way to stay entertained in quarantine, and it’s also good for your mental and physical health. Don’t worry if yoga is something completely new to you; there are many free online resources that you can take advantage of.
#2. Learn a new Language
Now that you have spent one hour of your day doing stretching and yoga, you could also try to learn a new language if you are quarantined in a country that speaks a language alien to you. This is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill and a constructive way to burn time and stay entertained in quarantine. Mastering new languages is a simple way to keep your mind fresh and occupied. Many of us struggled to learn languages. Because of this, an application such as Duolingo has created entertaining ways to study; this is an excellent life skill and will help you quickly assimilate to any new environment.
#3 Do some reading
Once you’ve kept fit, supple, and busy mastering the local language, it may be time to study local history or culture. Reading is an excellent way to occupy your time and stay entertained in quarantine. You have little in the way of interruptions, and with a little help from some friends, you’ll find an abundance of paperbacks you can easily fit in your luggage. You don’t even have to spend any money. Ask a handful of friends to borrow a book for your head off; this should keep you covered for your time in quarantine.
#4 Catch up on some podcasts
Hundreds of excellent podcasts are available, and this is a superb way to engage your listening skills, which does suffer during quarantine. Listening to music is fine, but podcasting is far more engaging and thought-provoking. You can listen to everything from history podcasts to true crime podcasts, even travel podcasts. Whatever way helps you stay entertained in quarantine can only be a positive.
#5 Start and finish an online course
If you want to test your ambition and stay entertained in quarantine, one of the most productive ways to do this is to take a two-week online course. Not only would you do something productive, but you’ll get an enormous sense of achievement. The course doesn’t have to be in anything that leads to a formal qualification; it could interest you. Look at sites like Skillshare and Udemy, and you’ll find thousands of options. These sites have abundant resources and online courses you can work through. What are you looking to gain additional knowledge or upskill? Taking an online course is a great way to stay entertained in quarantine
#6 Catch up with family and friends
Isolation is one of the most difficult quarantine aspects; for many people, this is the biggest test they will face. However, there’s no excuse with modern technology at your fingertips: you can contact whoever you want, whenever you want, at the touch of a button. One of the best ways to stay entertained in quarantine is to spend your days catching up with friends and family. Take the time to check in and chat to see how people are. To do this by video calling, messaging, or even emailing. You can even play games over platforms like Zoom if you want to.
#7 Take up drawing
This idea might be slightly out of left field for some people, but if you’re looking for an alternative way to stay entertained in quarantine, you could start drawing. A friend told me about venturing into the art world and how they spent 14 days of their quarantine mastering basic drawing and sketching skills. Having never been recognized as a person with artistic talents, it amazed them that something as simple as an adult coloring book and some doodling and drawing tutorials helped them swiftly pass boring hours and stay entertained in quarantine.
#8 Start Journaling or blogging
Now that you’re on a journey to stay entertained in quarantine, why not help others and blog about your experience? Like budding artists who doodle and draw, you can start this by doing some simple journaling. This will help you write some words and identify your thought processes. You don’t even need a new diary today. We can do everything on our laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Create something you can look back on as a memento of your quarantine; it could also be your stepping stone to a potential second revenue stream.
These are just some tips from experts on staying entertained in quarantine; whatever way you choose is totally up to you. Pick just one thing listed and focus on that for your 14 days, or combine all eight, spending an hour every day at each. This is completely down to you.
