It’s a pandemic time, we really don’t know for how long we have to stay at home. Now ever since the lockdown phase started, we are following the same routine – work, eat, sleep, repeat!
On the contrary, you can use the lockdown period to excel at various significant things in life and become a New You. I have been doing a lot of research lately on productive things to do at home in lockdown. Thought of sharing them with you.
Here are the 35 ways to be more productive and creative at home, I am following some of these and it feels amazing.
1. No Rumours Please
First of all, always go for the no-nonsense news. Please don’t spread and believe in rumours, we are already having a hard time dealing with more severe issues. Did you know news consume a large chunk of your brain and can decide the rest of the day for you? Therefore, believe facts from trusted sources like WIKI /WHO /Govt only and not from paid media. And please stay positive and learn how to identify real vs fake news and enlighten others. Most importantly, educate your friends or acquaintances who think that we are stuck at home, help them understand we are doing it for the greatest cause (to flatten the COVID-19 curve)
2. Help and Respect the needy and Corona Warriors
If this is a tough time for us then imagine how difficult it would be for those who are not able to earn their bread & butter these days. We know the government is doing a lot of initiatives for poor people. But it feels great when you help others, especially in these pandemic times. Remember every single contribution makes the difference.
Consider it a war-like situation moreover here you can’t see your enemy. Guys in this war our real heroes are those who are fighting to protect us – Doctors, Nurses, Medical staff and Police, to name a few. A big salute to our corona warriors, biggest help we can do for them is “STAY AT HOME” & break the chain.
3. Don’t Stock Unnecessarily
Guys, it’s my humble request, please don’t buy more than you need. Imagine if every one of us overstocks then there will be no or fewer items left for others which may create panic situations and result in black marketing of essential commodities. Stocking ultimately weakens our fight against Corona. I know, we are dealing with a crisis but don’t buy more than you need. Please stop stocking up.
4. Form 21 Days Habit
We all know this magic number, isn’t it? It takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Besides, it’s a universally accepted tried and tested method that actually works! You can use this phase to get rid of your addictions (the bad ones). And this could also be the best time to cultivate new habits since the routine is in your hands now.
If you need help on step by step habit formation go through this
How to form Habit in 21 Days
Trust me the beginning of this could be hard but once you are through, you will be happy to see the new developments.
5. Explore your hobbies
Admit it – this is the best time to delve into your passion and hobbies (indoor ones)! For e.g. I always wanted to curate the content for my Luxembourg Travel Guide. Now that I have got ample amount of time, it’s published!
Pick up a hobby, get indulged in your favorite pastimes which you have always sidelined because of the hectic routines.
For instance, try innovative cooking, dancing, reading a book or painting. If you like to travel prepare yourself for your upcoming journey or instead watch your favorite Travel Movies. Do something creative wholeheartedly.
Undoubtedly Hobbies not only help to relieve stress by keeping you engaged in something but also build your confidence because being good at something and learning something new is extremely rewarding.
Here’s a blog I found really interesting if you are not sure what your favorite hobby is 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Hobby
6. Learn a Language
In these lockdown days what could be more productive than learning a new skill or a new language? I am learning German language and genuinely finding the grammar part interesting. There is so much to learn and process. Pick up your favorite language that you have always wanted to speak or understand and start learning online or with a friend.
For starters, use Duolingo app or website to learn any language. It’s fun addictive and very useful.
I found below sites for language learning useful as well –
- Memrise is an excellent study aid.Helps you learn real conversational language from native speakers.
- Livemocha gives you access to free lessons for 35 languages and also offers a vibrant community of native language speakers from 190 countries you can connect with to practice your speech.
- With Babbel you can learn 14 new languages with including English, French, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish and more. While some online language learning platforms focus strictly on speech, Babbel teaches you to speak, read and write in the language of your choice.
- Busuu is the world’s largest community for language learning, providing courses in 12 different languages on web and mobile.
- Mango has a massive repository of language lessons for over 60 languages including Spanish, Swahili, Punjabi, Icelandic and more.
- Languages website is a decent choice if you’re traveling to a new region for work and just want to pick up some conversational cues before you go
Not to mention you can simply learn a language from youtube or unacademy too.
7. Spend Quality Time with family
If you are with your family right now, trust me you are truly lucky because people like me are far away from them and miss the sheer joy of spending time with our loved ones. So, talk to them, lend a helping hand to your Mom, give them your love and strike up those conversations with your Mom and Dad which you have always wanted to.
And in case you are not with your loved ones, you can use Facetime, WhatsApp video call, Skype, Houseparty app and a lot of other digital ways to stay connected with them. Make it a point to listen to them, let them know your day to day highlights.
In short, Stay united whether you are near or far from your support system.
8. Try New Cuisines
Any foodie here? Well I am sure a lot (including me) and in case you are not, you need a break too from the regular meals! Since we are at home and can’t dine out. Amidst lockdown this is the best time to cook our favorite dishes at home. However, we know that an ingredient here or there might be missing. Not to mention I am experimenting random dishes and sometimes I feel I don’t have some of the major ingredients but that’s fine as long as your experimental food tastes delicious, isn’t it?
I have tried making below items and they taste amazing with minimal ingredients too
- Aloo/ vegetable stuffed paratha
- Whole wheat vegetable sandwich
- Idli Dosa, Appey, Dhokla
- Suji, gram flour snacks
- Customized pani puries , Pizzas
- Sprouts Chaat
- Tomato rice/ curd rice
- Chocolate icecream
- Flour/cookies cake
you can add flaxseed and lemon juice in some of the above salty dishes.
Let’s be creative in the kitchen!
9. BE SOCIAL
It’s great that you are maintaining social distancing but that’s not restricting you to be social right? Your friend is just a call or Facetime away! Connect with your friends, furthermore, try interacting with people from all walks of life. And hello… If I am one of them? Grab your phone and take a moment to say “Hi DJ” 😊
10. Workout !!
And here we are at the most desirable topic – Fitness!
Exercise helps to lose weight and lowers the risk of certain diseases like type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure and besides who doesn’t want to look fit?
you have now all the time in the world to workout. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine and boost your immunity. Do the HIIT Cardio and strength training.Use workout apps (there are so many) or YouTube videos. I have a blog on fitness, though it covers fitness tips while traveling however, most of the workouts you can still do at home. Check this out, 12 Awesome Ways To Stay Fit While Traveling
11. Learn History and Culture of your Favorite Country
Those who personally know me might be already smiling with this one.
Okay I have done this for so many countries and regions and its one of my favorite pastimes
To start with you can watch documentaries on Netflix, amazon prime or youtube for that matter.
Unquestionably investing time to watch documentaries are the best things to do to get a bigger perspective and understand different cultures, geography and history, to say the least.
If you like outdoor adventure, watch adventure documentaries or read about the best places for Hiking.
Here are some interesting Channels on youtube –
- Wendover production
- Polymatter
- Vox
- Whatif
- Vice news
12. Practice Meditation
In the first place, we do not know when this pandemic will end moreover with so much negativity around and stressful environment you might feel anxious. Start meditating to keep panic mode at bay.
I discovered the true essence of meditation during my Kashid Trip, such a divine experience it was.
Meditation is the need of the hour. Personally, I think Morning is the best time to practice meditation as it sets the tone for the rest of your day.
Scientific studies show that regular Meditation does wonders such as –
- Makes you more content and happier
- Gives a boost to your work and career
- Reduces Stress
- Controls Anxiety
- Enhances Self-Awareness
- Improves Sleep
- Can Decrease Blood Pressure
13. Work on your CV
If you have internet you are privileged!
Quarantine days are undoubtedly the best time to focus on your career goals.
Build the skill sets which can help you climb the career ladder. Upgrade your technical skills, make your resume strong.
Register for online classes to upscale your competencies. Use learning platforms such as Skillshare, Coursera udemy EDX, Pluralsight and then there is youtube with so much free content.
And in case you have taken a subscription to online classes, it’s time to resume that before your subscription gets over.
14. READ
Cultivate a habit of reading, read anything, dedicate at least 30 minutes for it.
Reading helps you grow as a better and wise person. I cannot emphasize more on this. I enjoy reading autobiographies, thriller, and history books so much. But nowadays, due to my workload, I am hardly getting time to read new things (Wait I am also reading German so that compensates I hope)
Search on google the best books to start with for a beginner. Read as per your interest such as scientific, literature, historical, political interest physiology etc. Choose Knowledge over News
15. Brainstorm New Business Ideas
One of my friends has started a grocery app recently and he is doing quite good given the lockdown condition. That’s just an example! If Business is your cup of tea then take your work to another level or maybe start from scratch.
16. Work on your Communication Skills
Dedicate at least 1 hour daily to improve your communication and articulation skills. Record your speech, analyze and overcome speaking issues (could be stammering or lack of thoughts). Work on your fluency.
17. Improve Personality, Grow Confidence
Confidence is believing in yourself, feeling comfortable in your true-self and knowing you have worth. Learn to like, respect & love yourself, develop a thick skin and work on boosting your self-esteem. Take help from close friends, family or possibly online
18. Learn Dance
I thoroughly enjoy dancing and have tried a couple of dance classes in Bangalore and Mumbai, nowadays I do it online. Discover your favorite dance style, there are so many of them for example – Ballet, Hip-Hop, Classical, Western, freestyle, Rumba, Salsa, Belly and so on.
19. Yoga
We all know regular Yoga has endless benefits. For instance, it brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve a peaceful body and mind. Furthermore, it also helps in increasing flexibility, muscle strength and body tone.
Make it a point to include yoga for at least 30 minutes in your daily routine and do regular exercise
20. Listen to Podcasts and Music
Subscribe to your favorite audio channels and spend some time listening to them. I have been hooked on School of Greatness by Lewis Howes
Wondering what to listen on podcast? check this out 21 best podcasts to listen to right now
Alternatively, you can just listen to your favorite music and update your songs playlist.
21. Build a Skin Care Routine
Irrespective of lockdown you must always follow your skin care routine. If possible, do clean-ups and facials at home (head to YouTube for tons of free how-to videos).
Make sure you are using correct products and not the expired ones, declutter all old makeup items. If you are running short of them, you can use coconut oil or Aloe Vera gel, they do wonders. And lastly stay hydrated.
22. Watch Foreign Language Movies
Foreign language movies expose you to new cultural situations. They are a great way to observe body language and other nonverbal cues, also they have more authentic vocabulary than what you might find in a textbook.
If you limit yourself to just English language films, you’ll miss out on some of the best work out there. Much of the world’s most innovative cinema comes from beyond our borders
BBC Culture featured these as The Greatest Hundred Foreign Films
23. Digital Detox
Live without mobile and Internet for a day and experience the beauty of the real world, listen to the birds chirping. I know it’s impossible to stay away from the internet and news in these lockdown days but it’s worth a try.
24. Listen to stories from Granny
Sounds old school? Well, we are so busy in the rat race that we have almost forgotten these simple pleasures.
Talk to your grandparents, listen to their experiences and stories, take life lessons.
25. Get some Sunlight
As a matter of fact, early morning sunlight (5:00 am – 9:00 am) is helpful to boost Vitamin D levels in your body. After 10 am, exposure to sunlight is harmful.
Therefore spend at least 10 minutes in your balconies or terrace or windows soaking up the sunshine.
26. Learn and Teach
If you are with your family learn cooking or sewing from your Mom, take notes on money matters from your Dad or vice versa. What’s more? enlighten your parents or elder ones on the technology front. Make them internet savvy.
27. Move on
If you are going through a rough patch on personal front and haven’t been able to move on in life then guess what, instead of dwelling on the past and regretting things, start afresh! Think about yourself, your future and move on. I am sure you can find numerous ways online to move on in life. All the best!
28. Pamper Yourself
You deserve this.
- Give your head a massage,
- Do a hot oil hair treatment.
- Take care of your feet – Soak feet in warm water (add some salt)
- Have a steam treatment
- Enjoy Manicure and Pedicure
- Exfoliate your skin
29. Sanitize your house
It’s time for the deep clean drive for each corner and furniture at your home. Sanitize the house and things around you.
Arrange your Wardrobe, clean your makeup brushes, jewelry bags, and office bags. Clean your fridge and remove all the unnecessary things, fill it with healthy and essentials items. Decorate your house and make sure the house looks extremely clean.
30. Declutter
It’s time to declutter your stuff for instance, old clothes which you haven’t worn since a year, you can donate them later after lockdown.
31. Medical kit revision
Go through all medicines and look for expiry dates, and discard the expired ones.
32. Home Gardening
We love gardening at our balcony or terrace, isn’t it?
Did you know that digging in the soil has actual health and ‘mood-boosting’ benefits? Teach your kids gardening and get yourself indulged too. Grow your own vegetables or herbs. I have tried Coriander, Spinach and mustard greens and it really feels awesome when you see them growing.
33. Laptop and phone cleanup
Delete unnecessary media, files and applications
34. Online Shopping – Add in your cart and Buy Later
Browse your favorite categories and shortlist all items you would like to buy after the lockdown such as home decors, apparels and what not. Add them to your cart and buy them later.
35. Wash and Moisturize Hands
It goes without saying please do wash your hands regularly. As directed by WHO
- Clean your hands regularly.
- Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly.
- Use alcohol-based hand rub if you don’t have immediate access to soap and water.
Here I want to emphasis on moisturizing your hands thoroughly. Repetitive hand washing makes the skin surface dry. Also, make it a point to use a skin-friendly handwash.
Okay here we come to an end of this article, I hope you find this blog useful and would like to try a thing or two.
If you need further details on any of the above 35 productive ways, write down in comment section or Get in Touch with me with your questions or suggestions.
Great Blog DJ… Keep doing great work. Your suggestions are life changing, I will try to follow atleast a few?? God bless you.
Good read DJ
So many ideas in one place….. wonderful to read… thanks DJ…
Cool and pleasant to read… its always good to have a to-do list and you just handed over a good one to practise amid lockdown.. thanks!
Lots of ideas to work on!
Thank you ??
Hii DJ , whole web site peppy girl is well designed,interface is user friendly.This blog on lock down is motivating & inspires us to do creative & productive things in odd times as well.
Such a detailed blog..
Enjoyed reading, I will try some of these now. Thanx DJ?
I have never seen such a detailed blog. Have been watching Netflix and all. Thanks for reminding me these things .. so much to catch up on
wow , that’s positive thinking ! Thanks for sharing numerous ways of self improvements.Great article
A different angle altogether of looking at the current situation like “lockdown” where most of the people are getting bored & depressed ,This detailed blog would definitely help , also it tells how can one be productive in a difficult time.
Liked the article , good going !
It’s good that you are motivating people through such blogs. Most of the people don’t have any idea how to utilize the free time.
May be this blog helps them.
Some people are doing work from home and it’s stressing out even more for them it’s good sometimes to do nothing and just pass on the time.
Awesome blog and ideas DJ..! Would definitely attempt on some of these ??