10 Things to do While Self-Quarantined

2020 is the year of challenges

2020 is the year of Corona/Covid 19

2020 is the year of unbelievable events

2020 is the year of drastic changes

Since the beginning of March 2020, every morning I wake up trying to figure out if what is happening is real! We are surely living an unparalleled moment in history. It is true we have lived through many crises, but this is one is different! Around the world, a great portion of the population is self-quarantining to minimize the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic. This might be depressing for many but, remaining positive is essential to keep achieving success in life. Benefiting from every moment while staying at home can become your competitive advantage. Unfortunately, many people waste this valuable time by doing insignificant and unimportant activities.

Below are 10 meaningful activities that anyone can do while self-quarantined:

1. De-clutter

• a. Files on your laptop: Google Drive or One Drive are great tools to help you organize your important files and delete the unnecessary ones.
• b. Pictures/videos on your mobile: whether you use google photos, mobile gallery or any other folder, it is time to arrange your photos by place and date.
• c. Contacts: I was able to take my total contacts’ count from 850 to 500. It is an opportunity for you as well to call or message people whom you had almost forgotten. Be kind and supportive when you reach out!
• d. Groups and pages on your social media: I was shocked to realize that many groups and pages are draining my energy and time without adding any value. Go and delete them now.

2. Exercise

• a. Cardio: it is recommended to exercise for 30 minutes a day. If you don’t have a treadmill at home, there are plenty of other ways to do cardio exercises. Just google it.
• b. Strengths training: it is essential to exercise your body muscles daily for around 30 minutes. Don’t forget to warm-up in the beginning and to cool down/stretching in the end. Make sure to engage your muscles in this order:
  • i. Legs
  • ii. Chest
  • iii. Back
  • iv. Triceps
  • v. Biceps
  • vi. Shoulders
  • vii. Abs

3. Reach out

• a. Call or message 3 people daily. Make it genuine without expecting anything in return. I trust the reciprocity concept: it will pay back one day.
• b. Network with 1 new person daily. There is no better time to expand your PR. You could use any phone call application if targeted people don’t live in your country.

4. Eat healthier food

Home cooking is the best way to remain healthy. We all now have the privilege of cooking at home and enjoying the meals with our loved ones. Below are my favorite high protein food items:

• 1. Broccoli
• 2. Quinoa
• 3. Beans / Lentils
• 4. Watermelon / Pumpkin seeds
• 5. Oats
• 6. Fish

5. Learn online

We should never ignore our mental health. Choose a subject that you like and start learning about it for 30 minutes every day. There are several online resources that are free of charge. Check the following webinars, articles, and blogs on Smart website:

• A. https://www.smart-edu-training.com/webinars
• B. https://www.smart-edu-training.com/articles
• C. https://www.smart-edu-training.com/blog

6. Nap in the afternoon

Recharge yourself by napping between 15 to 20 minutes every day. As per the experts, the best time to nap is in the afternoon. Here are some of the benefits of the daily short nap:

• Relaxation
• Reduced fatigue
• Increased alertness
• Improved mood
• Improved performance, including quicker reaction time and better memory

7. Meditate

This is extremely important to everyone regardless of your religious and cultural background. There are many valuable sources on the internet. Below is a good start:

https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/

Some of the meditation benefits are:

• Reduces stress
• Controls anxiety
• Promotes emotional health
• Enhances self-awareness
• Lengthens attention span
• May reduce age-related memory loss
• Can generate kindness

8. Play board games

Every evening after dinner, I play with my kids for around 1.5 hours one of the following international well-known board games:

• a. Pandemic
  • i. Pandemic is a cooperative board game designed by Matt Leacock and published by Z-Man Games in 2008. Pandemic is based on the premise that four diseases have broken out in the world, each threatening to wipe out a region. The game accommodates 2 to 4 players, each playing one of five possible specialists. The game is unlike most boardgames as the gameplay is cooperative, rather than competitive. Through the combined effort of all the players, the goal is to discover all four cures before any of several game-losing conditions are reached. (from Wikipedia)
• b. Chess
• c. Scrabble
• d. The game of life
• e. Monopoly

9. Read more

If you don’t have budget to buy books, check any of the free online book resources. Most importantly is to choose a topic that you love. I personally summarize every book I read and try to apply some of the things I learn. Keep track of your learning journey.

10. Update your 2020 Goals

With all these changes in our life and high volatility in the market, it is essential to review our 2020 goals. You may extend deadlines, amend actions, delete some goals, or add new ones.

Are you now ready to say “thank god I am self-quarantined”?

Are you willing to commit to unleash a better version of you?

Will you benefit from staying at home to achieve, grow, and succeed?

It is totally in your hands; it is your decision; it is within your circle of influence!