Quarantine blues
Duolingo is an American platform that includes a language-learning website and mobile app, as well as a digital language-proficiency assessment exam. The app and the website are accessible without charge, although Duolingo also offers a premium service for a fee. Duolingo is a great academic way to spend time well stuck indoors.
April 1, 2020
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. The clock on the wall seems to work unceasingly while you lie on your bed, staring at the blank ceiling. Outside, you hear birds chirping and a few cars whooshing by. You have already completed all of your homework and scoured Netflix for good shows to watch, but none of them have quenched your thirst for entertainment while in self-quarantine.
Due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts highly encourage the practice of a 14 day self-quarantine, as a way to slow the spread of the virus and determine whether or not you have contracted it. In California, stay-at-home orders have been extended until April 30.
If you are bored out of your mind or just have a bunch of free time on your hands, here are a few ideas to help keep yourself entertained:
Working out
It has never been easier to workout at home, with various types of exercise like weight lifting or cardio. Some workouts can be performed in a home gym while others require little to no equipment.
When working out in a home gym, you have the freedom to use what equipment you want when you want it, and don’t have to bother or be bothered by others. A fitness center inside your home also allows you to workout comfortably with no distractions.
Another great way to exercise at home is using video instruction. Just search the type of workout you are looking for on YouTube or download a workout app. An instructor will guide you through your workout and oftentimes help motivate you.
Media streaming
One of the largest trends in the past few years is media streaming services. The most common services are cable TV and movie streaming, such as Netflix, YouTube TV, Hulu, and Disney+. Nearly all require a paid subscription, but give you access to hundreds of TV shows, live TV, and movies via apps downloaded on your devices or a web browser.
If you aren’t in the mood to watch something, consider listening to a podcast or audiobook. Available on apps like Spotify and Pandora, podcasts discuss many topics such as politics, sports, and health. You can listen to audiobooks without following along in a physical book, allowing you the ability to multitask.
Learn a new skill
This is the most flexible idea of them all. Learning a new skill can be different for everyone since some people have certain abilities others don’t, so this one is up to you. You could decide to learn a new language through books and downloadable apps, try a hand at beginner level cooking and baking, or even follow tutorial videos on how to draw and paint. To keep life organized and creative, you could try bullet journalling or scrapbooking to reminisce on happy memories.
