Tips and tricks to stay busy at home during this pandemic (keep calm, it's almost over)

DO SOME PHYSICAL EXCERCISES

Yoga, no equipment pilates, barre, ballet, indoor walking, zumba. Name it, you’ve got it. Different exercises for different body types are all for free on youtube videos. 30 minutes to 1 hour per day is enough to make you energetic throughout the day.

LEARN NEW THINGS

Are you the type of person who loves to draw but just never had the time to do it in your adult life? Then now is the time to start and be passionate about it again. Drawing, sketching, painting, graphic illustration. There's so much free tutorials online.

Do you have two left feet just like me, but still love dancing? Whatever. Just go for it. Do it with your son/daughter or husband/wife, or do it all by yourself, like no one is watching. Life is too short to even worry about what others think.

Baking is not for everybody, but baking cookies are the easiest to learn ever. You may want to start with your favorite good old chocolate chip cookies. A lot of baking suppliers can easily be reached out via the FB marketplace. Cooking/baking guides are everywhere, but Pinterest is my favorite platform to get recipes. Without it, my life would be so different. Just a little fun fact: I never knew how to cook until I got married, Pinterest is indeed my best friend.

What about learning a new language? Not that easy, of course, especially if you have no one to talk to with the same tongue. But it does help your brain work. You may not see a good result now, but maybe in time, you’ll see.

Are you adept at using a computer? Or perhaps, a phone with Facebook is good enough for you. Remember, we all have to adapt to our ever-changing technology. Teach yourself how to use the computer, even with just the basic ones. Don’t depend on your millennial kids, or better yet, ask them to teach you the fundamentals at least, then learn to grow from there. Show them that you are still the boss.

(wink wink)

REDECORATE/RENOVATE YOUR HOME

Are you tired of seeing all four corners of your home every day with the same old style and decoration? Whether you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse, or a big house, why don’t you try redecorating parts of your home? OR you may also do some DIY wall painting and minor renovations. If you are concerned that painting might be too much for you, shopee has all of the inexpensive wallpaper options from which you can choose from. As opposed to the more expensive wallpapers, shopee wallpapers are self-adhesive and easy-peasy to install.

Change some of your decorative items in your living room or your bedroom, mix and match your throw pillows, light a scented candle and put your newly bought fresh flowers in a pretty vase. It will brighten your boring and monotonous home.

Repaint some of your aged furniture and make it look new. Reupholster your worn plain colored cloth dining chairs with a brightly printed textile. Learn how to sew, if you don’t know already, s'il vous plaît.

COOK FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES

I know a lot of us cook during this almost 2 years of the pandemic – every.single.day – though many of us also preferred to just order food because of all the food delivery alternatives.

Make a weekly menu. Try not to repeat a dish for at least 3-4 weeks. And make it special. And when I say “special”, it does include your table setting. Yes, cook something special and spice it up some more by making your table setting exceptional. You can mix and match your plates if you don’t have a new set, but it doesn’t hurt if you buy new flatware and dinnerware to add to your beautiful dining setup. It is also time for you to take out all of your Chinas and crystals, chargers, beautiful placemats and use them even on your most ordinary day, just to make your day a little lovelier. After all, things are meant to be used and not just to be kept or displayed.

READ

It doesn’t matter if you read a book, a newspaper, a magazine, or online. What matters is that you try to add something good to your already overly informed (but sometimes misinformed) brain – hello tiktokers and vloggers. Sometimes, we are just too distracted by everything that we see on social media. Photos here and there, salivating to the lives of people who have “better” lives than ours. Come on girls, remember, the best things in life are those that are not posted on social media. Yes, I am also a very visual person, and texts with pictures make me more interested in reading. So naturally, Instagram for example, is a distraction. But let’s try to be more productive by avoiding social media. Read more sensible stories, or news and current events, than just social media goings-on. Celeb news is juicy, but there’s just so much more exciting and juicier than that. Nowadays, there’s no reason for someone to be st*pid, excuse my French. Google is everywhere, but be wise to know the difference between fake and fact.

SPRUCE UP YOURSELF

Make sure you fix yourself as soon as you wake up, whether you plan on taking a quick shower or just changing to stylish and comfortable clothes for a more productive day. Have some time for yourself in between your household chores and WFH duties. Paint your nails. Do some home skincare regimen. Cut and dye your hair, or even perm it. Don’t worry if you fail, you are just staying at home anyway. You still have so much time to recuperate hehe. And if you succeed, you’ll feel so much better about yourself. It’s like living your life like a Kardashian, minus all those overly made-up hair and face. Fixing yourself boosts your self-esteem. And the people around you will also appreciate you more. And when you are happy, everybody is happy. Positive energy attracts positive outcome.

BOND WITH YOUR FAMILY

Call your parents. Get in touch with your loved ones if you live separately. Video call, zoom calls. This is when social media comes in. Open your fb messenger app, insta, viber, telegraph, wechat, or whatsapp to get connected with your friends and loved ones. Use it to COMMUNICATE and NOT just lurk on other people’s good lives, and feel sorry for yourself afterward.

Have a little chitchat with your family at home, minus your phones. Be funny, be serious. Argue, or just simply hug and appreciate each other... Just talk. Every moment is precious. We learn from each other every day. These are the best days that God has ever given us - being able to spend more time with our family, more than we ever asked for.

MEDITATE/PRAY

In short, just breathe and leave everything to God. For tomorrow will be another day. For tomorrow will be a better day.