As the world is coming to a stop due to Covid19 more and more people are considering or already self isolating. This is either due to existing illness, age or in general to help prevention of spreading to others and becoming infected.
Things are really taking a toll on those who are already or considering self isolating and so I wanted to share some thoughts, ideas and just little notes to you to maybe help you find things to do and just ways to help you through this tough time. You are AMAZING and you don’t realise how incredible it is that you are doing this. You deserve thanks, even if it’s just from me, a little random girl from the UK. I thank you for continuing to isolate. You are preventing spreading of the virus and are looking out for your own health too. It’s a scary time and you are so brave!
Things to do during Isolation at home alone.
Make one or find yourself some reading challenges
During isolation, you may want to find hobbies that will occupy a large amount of time. One thing I love and find it takes up a nice amount of time is reading. I love books and since I’m a blogger I enjoy reviewing books! I find it so exciting to find reading challenges, even if I only follow them very loosely.
I know reading isn’t for everyone but I’m sure there are books out there that can adhere to anyones taste and preference with reading style. If you’re the kind of person who likes books with more pictures and captions, there are so many wonderful ones out there. Maybe you like encyclopaedia type books or ones on a certain subject such as the human body, nature or animals. You may also be the kind to want to learn either for a personal interest or a career aspiration such as business, social work, law, psychology, anthropology and any subjects you love.
For many there is nothing like getting cosy in your bed or your cosy nook with your comfy clothes on, a beverage of your choice and a good book. A beautiful and calming way to escape reality for a while whilst delving into another universe through the pages of your desired book.
There are many authors giving out free Ebooks on Amazon and such, so take a look over on social media and you may come across some fantastic free books from small or big authors!Β
Practise, learn and work on improving any hobbies you have!
If you are the kind of person who has a creative hobby, there is nothing better than TIME! Some of us can find it hard to find time for doing the things we love, so what better time than during an isolation period when we find ourselves on our own keeping ourselves company. So how about digging your favourite hobby up and reviving it? Spending lots of time on your hobby can make you feel happy, positive and productive and who knows maybe you’ll learn more and improve whilst you’re at it.
Here’s a list of some hobbies you may have:
- CaligraphyΒ
- Guitar, bass or a musical instrument – Click here to be directed to some online 1-2-1 music lessons and here for FREE sessions!
- Graphic design, illustration, Fashion design, art or colouring
- Blogging, creating online content
- Journalling, writing a diary or creating a bullet journal
- Painting figurines
- Crafting, knitting, macrame, sewing – Click here for my latest post with Lovecrafts!
- Gaming
- Writing poetry, novels etc.
- Photography and editing
- Dance
- Exercise, yoga
- Meditation
- Β Baking
- DIYΒ
- Learning new skills or information about a favourite topic
- Gardening
Do some meditation and find a mindful routine
During difficult, scary and tough times like this it can really have a strain on our mental health and wellbeing causing anxiety and even depression due to self isolation and not being able to leave your home. I know this may not resonate with some but meditation and finding time to just be still and breathe is so beneficial to your mental and physical health and wellbeing. It can help ease your overactive anxious mind and help find balance and perspective within your thoughts.Β
Meditation doesn’t have to be the typical, sit with your legs crossed with incense burning in the room. Meditation can be done whilst walking, whilst in the shower and in many ways to adhere to the type of person. There are apps on your phone you can access such as Headspace and Calm. You can use them for free for beginning and if you want to do more in depth meditation plans you can pay monthly or yearly, but it’s good enough with the free use. If the apps aren’t your thing, maybe Pinterest can shed some light and show you how to meditate or focus on breathing exercises. You can also take a look on Instagram and Twitter at bloggers or creators who are very much into meditation and mindfulness!Β
Get creative! Paint, draw, craft
If you have been thinking about getting creative, what better time than now! If you have some yarn and needles, maybe you can make a scarf. If you have some paint and crafting materials maybe you can create a little masterpiece for your home, a friend or family member or just as a fun outlet during your isolation.
I find creativity helps me feel happy. It allows me to find peace and delve into my big open mind. Being and embracing creativity is my therapy and is to many others too. You will find many creators have a backstory as to why they find solace in art, crafting and their hobbies.
Amazon can provide affordable paper, crafting materials, paint and all sorts for you to get creative and have some fun! Release your inner child again and enjoy your time creating. Maybe you can join in the celebrations of the NHS or the heroes in your life by creating rainbows to put in the windows of your home.Β
Sort through your wardrobe and clothes
One thing I find time consuming, fun and productive is clearing out your clothes and moving them around based on the seasons. During extended periods of time at home I will go through my drawers, ottomans and rails to sort through my clothes and update my collections.Β
I love clearing out things I no longer wear and popping them into a charity bag ready for a new home. It feels good to clear out things that don’t make you happy. You should keep things that make you feel fresh, happy and positive.
I find that I will have more fun sorting through my clothes if I am changing them around to suit the season change. During this isolation it has turned from Winter to spring, with the days becoming sunnier! So what better time to change around your wardrobe than right now during this indoor spring isolation. I have put all of my thick jumpers and winter clothes in my ottoman and have moved my spring clothes into my main drawers and rail so I can see them each day and feel the seasonal vibes of freshness. I find colours associating to the season makes me feel fresh, clear and motivated to get up, work and plan ahead. Self isolating and working from home can easily throw us off our usual routine of getting up, putting work clothes on and doing our makeup and hair. We should remember to try and change clothes and settings for the work day so we can find a balance and fine line between where we work and where we rest. This is why trying to maintain parts of your regular routine is necessary and can be so vital to helping yourself with motivation, drive and productivity.
I’m a huge fan of the KonMari cleaning method of keeping things that ‘Spark joy’ so I truly believe that clearing can help you feel more uplifted and happy within your surroundings. Click here to see my interview on BBC west midlands radio about the KonMari method!
Reorganise your home
Tying in the KonMari method of ‘Sparking Joy’ whilst decluttering is a fantastic way to look at things. We should all make our home a place of tranquility and happiness, especially during this period of isolation. I find that if my personal space at home is cluttered, unclean and dim I will feel unmotivated, under the weather and just not comfortable or cosy which is something I really can’t stand the thought of.
During our time in isolation we deserve to have a nice surrounding we can find peace and calm in to keep our mental health and wellbeing looked after. I like to have a little organise and move around often just to change things up a bit and feel fresh and new! I like to reorganise my bedside table and sometimes just add new bits and bobs to various rooms like shelves, pictures and trinkets.
I’m currently renovating my home and since we cannot have the bigger things done such as our bathroom, we are doing the little things like shelving units, painting and other DIY. It’s nice to have change sometimes as it just freshens up a room and can lift your spirits.
Journal to become closer to yourself
I love the idea of Journalling! I know it seems weird to some but sometimes when we need to talk or get something off our mind, we don’t know who to talk to or how to say the things on our minds so I find writing it down can help. A journal can be a place for rants, documenting your day, writing lists of things you’d like to do and all else really. It can be a metaphorical friend you turn to get things out of your mind.
Recently during isolation I started a bullet journal to track habits, remind me of nice things and just general tracking of mood, weather, fun, books I read, films I watch and anything I want to put down on paper. It’s a nice way to make a personal space for your thoughts. Bullet journals are fun, cute and can be made unique to the individual depending on your preferred style, creativity and colour palette etc.
Another idea of journalling is the pre made layout self journals that are a huge hit in book stores and stores such as Paperchase, WHSmith and others. They are fun journals that have prompts, questions, lists, trackers and places to jot down your hobbies, likes, dislikes and daily life. Journals have become a huge thing in todays society with brands and people releasing mindfulness companions, listograraphy journals, ranting journals, gratitude journals and so many more such as the ones in the pictures below!
Journalling can be catered to the individual and can either be an open hobby or your own little secret.
Keep in touch with your friends and family
Isolating alone can be really difficult even to those of us who aren’t keen on social interaction all too often, but when you are isolating without the choice things can become really difficult and being alone can really take a toll on your mental health and wellbeing.Β
To keep yourself balanced maybe try keeping in contact with friends and family over text, facebook, video call or whilst playing games. Also find your balance with social media. You may have some friends you talk to over social media like Twitter, Instagram and other platforms. Find what works for you and make sure you are doing what’s good for your health.Β
Social distancing can be excruciating if you are usually seeng family often prior to it so please find ways you can spend time with family and friends indirectly. It will do you good to have some interaction during the time alone.
Learn a new language
Fancy a new time consuming but productive challenge? What about learning a new language? You can use online sites and even apps on your phone! I use Duolingo and find it super helpful and fun. It’s a great way to learn a new language at your own pace and have fun. I’ve never found it stressful and always feel so productive and happy after each session.
You could also learn sign language or makaton which is something I would love to do. It’s a fab opportunity if you’re feeling bored and in need of a time consuming activity. Give it a go and see if you can make use of your spare time. Β
Find your own fitness fun!
If you love fitness or dislike it, it is so important to keep a level of exercise whilst self isolating as you need to keep your mental and physical strength and help yourself carry on as normal as possible. With the rules of staying in unless we have a good reason, we are spending a lot more time sat down and doing work on laptops, phones and other electronics. Since we are sat around the house with ditractions and A LOT of screens, it’s good for us to take a break, rest our eyes and get our bodies moving. Whether we simply walk or run up and down the stairs, jog in the garden or do a full blown routine, getting moving is great for our wellbeing. To keep track you can also invest in a fitbit to make tracking your new healthy habits easier, but choosing the right one can be tough so using a service to track which is the best fitbit for the gym and workouts can be vital!
I like to follow my favourite fitness bloggers routines that they post on instagram and also my favourite yoga routine youtube videos. They are simple and a great way to stay inspired, motivated and guided throughout your exercise routine. It can be hard to feel motivated to do any form of exercise when you’re cooped up in your house but I promise it is worth it and you will thank yourself in the future when it comes to returning to normality again.
I have isolated for nearly 3 weeks and since being ill I haven’t done any fitness routines and my body is now paying for it! I took a lengthy walk to and from my pharmacist to collect medication for my mum and I felt so weak and unfit. It really made me see what consistency with being active does to the body.
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Do a little confidence shoot!
One thing some people will struggle with is confidence in themselves so how about doing a little private confidence shoot for yourself. You don’t have to share the pictures with other people, but just so you can learn to love your wonderful self. We deserve to be happy and love ourselves and I have found that confidence shoots have really worked magic on me! We find ourselves possible taking less care of ourselves due to lack of motivation and when this happens we may lounge around in our bed clothes which can just all round make us feel icky. I find I will catch more glimpses of myself in the mirrors of my house and will become super critical of my weight and body overall. This is why I try and get my work clothes on, do my hair and just try and keep myself fresh and motivated.
If it’s not for you, that’s totally understandable but for some it may be golden!
Kelly Diane
•4 years ago
This is such a helpful post. I’ve set myself a little reading Challenge too. One thing I’ve enjoyed doing is little photography Challenges on Instagram where theres a certain theme and you have to find something in your house to fit it, the upload a photo. It’s a great way of appreciating what you have and not what you haven’t got
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. Hehe I do love a good reading challenge. I hope to see some posts of yours about what you’re reading π
Wow that Instagram photography challenge sounds fun! Is there a specific hashtag you’re following? I’d love to see this and maybe follow it.
Stay wonderful!
Louna x
Charity
•4 years ago
These are all such great ideas for those self isolating alone. I’m lucky enough to have my husband with me but he still has to go to work everyday so I am alone during the day. I will have to try some of these ideas out to help with my boredom! Thanks for sharing!
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you for commenting! I hope you can find some solace in your own time whilst in the house alone and stay safe and positive! Stay safe & Stay wonderful!
Louna x
katelyn | embark to explore
•4 years ago
Totally love the learn a new language, especially if the whole family does it!
Also, I have reorganised my wardrobe, such a fab tip! I love how you’ve included every detail you’d need to know for each tip too!
Definitely gonna start journalling – its a great excuse to order some new stationary ahah!
Thanks for sharing x
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. It means a lot to me π I want to make sure people feel heard and stay safe but also take care of their wellbeing as I know how difficult isolation can be for so many people.
Learning a new language is so much fun and as I said it’s so productive and leaves you feeling good having learnt something new and you never know where it will come in handy!
Reorganising your wardrobe and home can be so much fun and it’s so worth the awesome feeling afterwards isn’t it Katelyn?
OMG I am obsessed with stationary so it’s most certainly a great excuse to buy new sets!
Thank you again for your time taken to read and comment!
Stay wonderful and stay safe!
Louna x
Amie
•4 years ago
I love my duolingo so much! It is amazing!
Love, Amie β€
The Curvaceous Vegan
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Hehe Thank you for reading and leaving a lovely comment!
I also love Duolingo! It’s a fun and easy way to learn new languages in your spare time. I’m glad you agree!
Stay safe and stay wonderful!
Louna x
Natasha
•4 years ago
Thanks for this! Wonderful post! Stay safe..?
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you so much for reading and leaving this lovely comment. It means the world to me!
Always here if you need a chat!
Stay wonderful and stay safe!
Louna x
Saani a
•4 years ago
Duolingo is fun
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thanks for your comment! Duolingo is so much fun indeed! It’s a great way to learn a language!
Stay wonderful!
Louna x
Saania
•4 years ago
Thanks for sharing
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you for reading!
Stay safe and stay wonderful!
Louna x
Pragati
•4 years ago
It cheered me up to realize I am doing most of these already π Thanks so much!
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Yay that’s wonderful! I’m glad they are clearly good to follow then! I do worry that people won’t resonate with my points but it makes me happy to hear you are finding good use! Thank you so much taking your time to read and comment!
Stay wonderful and stay safe!
Keep being amazing!
louna x
Lauren
•4 years ago
These are such great ideas for people to get involved in to keep busy. Times are so worrying and scary! I am lucky enough to be in lockdown with family, apart from when I have to go into work. But thinking of everyone in that horrible situation. Thank you for sharing these! I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy x
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment! It means a lot π
I’m really glad you aren’t alone during isolating! It can be such a scary place to be alone. Remember that you still matter even if you aren’t alone. You are still allowed to feel struggle. Thank you for your well wishes. I also send love and healing to your end too.
Stay safe and stay wonderful! Keep being you!
Louna x
Ellie
•4 years ago
some great ideas to help keep busy! Iβve been sorting my house out from top to bottom. as my partner is still at work itβs hard to find things to do to keep occupied π
burstsofautumn
•4 years ago
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! – It really is a great way to stay occupied as I suppose it’s a big task that takes up time so I have always found that when I’m alone in my house and need something to do, tidying, organising and clearing out is wonderful hehe. Especially during this bizarre time! We need our homes to be clear and calm so we can feel comfortable and happy in our surroundings!
Thanks again for commenting!
Stay wonderful and keep being you!
Louna x