Update: With news, staying at home guidelines and advice constantly changing, this article, originally published on March 12, 2020, will be updated on a continual bases for your use as new information is gathered.
You may be working and with your normal routine as if everything is fine, when suddenly your employer tells you and all your coworkers to telecommunte (or telework) — work from home. In this uncertain time of coronavirus, Covid-19, this scenario may not be that far-fetched. It could happen and it could happen soon — if it hasn’t already happened — like right after this post was published! Here are 14 positive reasons why staying at home can be good. You can check one off each day during your potential 14-day self-quarantine (or “self-isolation” or “social distancing,” there are so many phrase options to choose :). You can do these list items while you are teleworking or at anytime. They are not listed in any particular order and you can exchange any for ideas that are more personal to you or fit your circumstances better than this list attempts to provide. Remember, you’ll be most productive if you are able to establish a daily routine at home.
So, let’s get started. Get doing and the 14 days will go by quickly because you are focused doing your work, along with something you enjoy or have put off doing because you haven’t had time to accomplish, primarily because of work, maybe.
1. Do Your Taxes
Now you have the time, especially if the April 15 due date is extended. (After this posting, the due date AND payment date have been extended to July 15, 2020.) You won’t be rushed or have any excuse for waiting the last minute. Getting the least fun thing done first allows you more enjoyment for other things and rewards you at the same time.
2. Reconnect with Family & Friends
Do you have long-distance relatives that you’ve been out of touch with? Now is the time to touch base, especially if they are older. If you have immediate family members in your residence, have a family game night, catch up on some movies together that you’ve been wanting to watch. Reconnect with friends and renew relationships through email and phone, abiding by keeping a physical distance as well. (At this posting, 6 feet distance is recommended.)
3. Disconnect
I know this sounds opposite of number two on this list but disconnecting allows you to reflect, meditate, relax and live in the moment. Sometimes, too much information is too much saturation of information. We all need a break. Putting down the cell phone, laptop or computer, at least for some time, allows you more enjoyment in your surroundings, especially since you have 11 more days to go 😉 Oh, and this includes slowing down on social media. A day or two of non-communication won’t kill your followers. It might make them want to hear more. Try it and see.
Tip: Even if you don’t do yoga, playing this meditative mind OM in and even Tibetan Monks Chanting OM with Bells in the background helps bring a very peaceful calm while disconnecting from too much information saturation. Clearing negative thoughts helps your remain positive with less worrying.
4. Spring Cleaning & Decluttering
Time to add another task that might be a least favorite. It’s good to alternate between enjoyable and not-so-fun things to do because you appreciate the more enjoyable ones greater this way. If you have an upstairs, start at the top of your home and dust then vacuum, mop and polish all the way down. This will clean, then disinfect. Declutter, tidy, corral and put away untamed mess along the way. If you want to leave some things out, trays are great way to get a sophisticated look while keeping curated items together. You can also use trays outdoors — especially if you’re already going stir crazy from being inside (4 days)!
Decluttering goes for your tech tasks as well like from FastCompany: Organize your photos, back up your documents, protect your passwords, clean out your email, create a system for notes and lists that you’re really use, repurpose old tech devices, cut the cable cord, especially now that we are all watching so much TV.
5. Closet and drawer cleaning
While you’re at it, do the nitty gritty. You’ll have more space in your closet and drawers after going through them. This clears clutter and restores some breathing room for adding and keeping your clothes fresh and in style.
6. Think of others: If items are worthy to give away, pack in various bags for thrift stores
Once you clean things out, packing them up to give to thrift stores, homeless shelters, church or second-hand resale shops (even online) will help your conscience in doing something meaningful for others, and including yourself.
7. Sew and iron items put aside long time ago just collecting dust
Have socks to darn? Well darn them now so you can don them later. I have pile of things to be sewn. Think of how they could be put to good use, if they were only fully functional. Bonus, this can even be done while watching TV (see number 2 above).
8. Read and/ or listen to books
Even if you’re not in a book club you can learn so much from reading and listen to books. Guess what too? You can combine this positive task while exercising, which is the next item, when using a treadmill. A “walking desk” is fantastic for working too!
9. Start exercising
That is, if you haven’t already and ideally do this everyday to start a routine for getting into better shape. This will also help keep you healthy and less prone to getting sick. Try using a 7-minute workout to start and work up. You can use a trial Fitbit Coach app to try the exercises that you can use on your computer or phone, wherever you go. You don’t need a tracker but having one will help document your efforts and you can expand to record your food intake, which will help you stay fit and lose weight, if that is your intention — a perfect segue to the next one.
10. Plan and cook healthy meals
Like exercising, planning and cooking healthy meals helps keep your body in shape and less prone to illness. It also helps your mental acuity to plan and organize meals in advance, while increasing your culinary skills with practice in making them.
11. Gardening, get outside, walk, enjoy outdoors
Gardening can be indoors as well as outdoors. Start an indoor herbal garden if you don’t have a plot of land to till. Or take advantage of the time to be a better gardener outside. Enjoying Nature can be spiritually enlightening. Planting and watching something grow can bring such pleasure, especially if it is a crop you can eat or a beautiful flower you can smell and see. If you don’t have a lot of space or even if you want to use a space that isn’t normally designed for planting, this hydroponic / self-watering planter from GlowPear is fantastic! See ours on the roof and our winter lettuce produce! And, we just planted Brussels sprouts. While we’re at home, we can look forward to seeing them grow.
12. Access your interior — does your decor reflect the way you want to live?
Staring at your walls already? Look around, do you like your interior design? Do you want to change things or reorganize your furniture in a new layout? Consider the possibilities. What will increase your quality of living inside your home and maybe even your productivity too?
13. Personalize your space
Surrounding yourself with items you enjoy increases the likelihood of long-term quality living. Expressing yourself is creative and even artistic, like deciding what to paint on a canvas. Your home is your interior masterpiece. It’s also your safety sanctuary, especially now.
14. Order Casart removable wallcoverings and decor accessories to enhance your indoor living
Consider over 100 different designs that most all can be color customized, printed and easily installed as self-adhesive, removable and reusble wallcovering to personalize, brighten and spruce up your space. Casart Coverings has Casart Accessories that can coordinate with each other to give a complete designer look that will increase your working and living environment indoors. Just as you do this, you may be called back into commuting again to work. Remember, spring is right around the corner, officially March 19, so here are some bright wallcoverings to herald the season in.
No worries! Your 14 days are up and hopefully you are healthy, more rested and feel positive about what you’ve accomplished while at home. See, staying at home can be good! If anything, you’ll have a space you can look forward to returning to — even if work doesn’t require you to be there.
Post notes:
1) You can always repeat these steps if more time is needed or recommended to “shelter in place” for your own safety and for the greater good of public health. The second time around will be even easier as you gain experience in mastering how to manage your time in one place. Actually, living a more back-to-basic lifestyle can bring enhanced enjoyment of simple pleasures, which helps balance home life with work. Please stay well and healthy.
2) Perhaps you can use this list of 15 positive news stories to consider in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak and for the next self-quarantine stint, if needed.
3) One last thing, with a lot of saturation of gloom and doom news and with more opportunity at home to soak it all in, here’s a great, quick read that can give a positive perspective with just the change of a simple word.
— Casart Crew wishes you well. Stay healthy and please take care of yourself and others.
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