20 Things to Do in this Time of Coronavirus
Binge-watching TV or finally picking up that book you’ve been meaning to read are both wonderful ways to pass the time as we find ourselves in this new reality of physical-distancing and quarantines. Here are some other ideas if you find yourself solo at home. Plus they may lift your spirits — remember, stress lowers your body’s immune defenses and you need those little virus fighters in tip-top shape.
1. Call or text your neighbors — especially elders or folks who have health needs — to see how they’re doing. If you’re able, knock on doors and offer assistance. Maybe you can do a run to the store or walk their dog. If you’re home bound too but more tech-savvy than them, offer to send an email or to order something they need online and have it delivered.
2. Fill out your 2020 census. Letters are now going out with info on how to do this online. It takes 10 minutes or less and is super important because it will help shape federal funding for your community — resources for hospitals, fire departments, schools, and roads are based on census data. It also determines the number seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the boundaries for voting districts (no wonder Republicans don’t want folks to fill out the census in communities of color or immigrant communities).
3. Check out how the rest of the world is coping. Holed up in your home can be demoralizing (or not, if you need a break from human interactions) but one way I’ve found to give me inspiration is to see how other countries are dealing with the coronavirus (since our country right now is pretty much a shit show). Like the Iranian doctors on the frontline of the epidemic who are finding moments to dance. Or all the Italians taking to their balconies in collective song. Check out this catchy pop tune from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health.
4. If laughter is indeed the best medicine, check out videos to boost your immune system: Randy Rainbow addressing Trump via musical comedy, Saturday Night Live taking on VP Pence, some insight on the whole toilet-paper hoarding phenom, Trever Noah on the Daily Show. and this coronavirus-themed parody from Hong Kong.
5. I know you may personally be needing support right now but we are in this together and there may be ways you can support others who are impacted too. Think of all the people who aren’t able to work right now and are hurting. Think of our unhoused neighbors and other vulnerable communities. Think of non-profits providing needed community services who’ve had to cancel their Spring fundraising galas or have lost major donors due to the market crash. Think of performers and speakers who rely on large gatherings — from campus presentations to theater performances — all shut down due to the COVID-19 crisis. Think of all the people scrambling to find child care after all the school closures. Think of others struggling and what you might be able to do to help out — maybe it’s just a $10 donation to someone via Venmo like on this thread inspired by author Roxane Gay or purchasing art/books/merchandise from Native artists/speakers/writers in this thread started by Indigenous blogger and scholar Adrienne Keene, or volunteering to support a non-profit in your community that’s struggling right now by amplifying their fundraising efforts.
6. Boost your learning. This may depend on your access to a computer and the internet but there are there are lots of educational videos where you can deepen you own grasp of societal problems and solutions — like this series on systemic racism from Race Forward, this look at Coronavirus through a Social Justice Lens, a panel on the intersection of women’s economic security and reproductive rights, these interviews with Disability Justice activist Mia Mingus and Janetta Johnson, a powerful Black transwoman working for justice.
7. Write a letter…on paper — not on email — to someone who haven’t been in touch with for a while. Now I realize there are a couple generations of folks who may have never done this letter-writing thing. But trust me, most everyone loves to receive mail. Send a letter or card to a relative or friend or an acquaintance across the country or even across town. Simply tell them you’re just thinking of them. Or you can relate your thoughts and musings about our current crisis. It’ll lift your spirits and theirs when they receive it.
8. Do research if you have access to the internet on your phone or computer. It doesn’t have to be for anything except your own curiosity. For example, I spent a few hours learning about the horrible conditions in Sicilian sulfur mines in the early 1900s. I know it sounds random but I wanted to better understand my family’s immigration to the U.S. Maybe you wonder how something is made. Or want to know more about an event in history. Lots to look into on the internets!
9. Game night! There are a number of apps for playing games remotely with other humans. Simple games like Words with Friends for Scrabble lovers and Draw Some if you like Pictionary. Of course, there are also the classic multi-player video games that pit you against zombies or nazis or nazi zombies. Probably depends on your age group but the point is to have some human interaction even if you physically can’t right now. And for all those introverts who are relishing these less-social times, there are endless games you can play alone — solitaire with a deck of cards or on your phone is still always a way to pass the time.
10. Color! You may have some coloring books lying around from when you got into this craze for a hot minute. Or you may need to order one online. There are tons of different ones available but some of my personal favorites align with my values and world view — pick up Sometimes the Spoon Runs Away with Another Spoon or Girls Are Not Chicks or Girls Will Be Boys Will Be Girls Will Be…, and you’re supporting an independent publisher at the same time. You can even take up coloring on your mobile phone with free apps available in your app store.
11. Gardening — even if you don’t have a green thumb, there are things you can do, from ordering seeds and getting seedlings going in your house to foraging clippings on an early morning walk. Plus there’s nothing like fresh herbs and vegetables and as an added bonus, gardening can be quite therapeutic.
12. Go for a walk or a run. Fresh air (especially now as pollution goes down) and sunlight (emitting rays of Vitamin D) are good for your mind, body, and spirit.
13. Do you have years’ worth of photos sitting on your phone or computer? Now’s a good time to organize them, share them, save them (or delete some), and create gifts for others — like photo books, cards, or coffee mugs with your favorite photo to send to family and friends
14. You know all those projects around the house you’ve been meaning to tackle but didn’t have time. Well, now you have some time! Deep cleaning, going through all the things you’ve been saving (do I really need to keep every single drawing my daughter drew from age 2 to 12?!), going through your closet (if I haven’t worn it in a eight years, do I really need to keep it?), or shredding that pile of old bills and pay stubs you’ve been saving just cuz.
15. Get creative! Try crafts: make a collage with clippings from magazines you have lying around the house, crochet or knit a scarf, paint a chair, make earrings, paper maché. Or bake! No experience? If you can read, you can follow a recipe. Make a batch of cookies and share them with your neighbors. Bake bread. Try a new soup recipe. Explore the world by preparing traditional or typical dishes from other countries.
16. Visit a museum — many institutions are offering virtual tours online: The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, among others.
17. Interact with friends and family via FaceTime, Zoom, NextDoor etc.
18. Discover a new artist from another country. Music can be soothing or uplifting or both. Like this video of Stromae that a friend shared today on Facebook. Made me get up and dance along too!
19. If you’re an educator scrambling to figure out how to teach remotely to your students, here’s a pretty massive list of free education resources. Here’s a list of 30 virtual field trips.
20. Keep up your social justice activism. Here are some ideas from Bay Rising on how we, as organizers, should be organizing with our communities right now.
P.S. And don’t forget — WASH YOUR HANDS!
