Stuck at home with time on your hands? The ideas that helped most people through the 2020 coronavirus lockdowns still work for any long stretch indoors, whether you are recovering from illness, snowed in or simply between jobs: keep your mind busy, move your body, stay in touch with people, and make your home a place you enjoy being. Here are fifteen practical options, grouped so you can mix and match.
Why lockdown days felt so long
In the spring of 2020, governments around the world asked people to stay at home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Italy began a nationwide lockdown on 9 March, and by the first week of April more than 3.9 billion people, about half the world's population, were living under some form of stay-at-home order. The aim was to protect vulnerable relatives and to give hospitals and medical staff a fighting chance.
Many people joked that March lasted three hundred days. The feeling was real: when every day looks the same, time blurs, motivation fades and moods dip. Psychologists and public health agencies gave similar advice then, and it still applies: keep a loose routine, mix effort with rest, and plan small things to look forward to.
Keep your mind busy
1. Tackle a big jigsaw puzzle
A 1,000 or 2,000-piece puzzle can fill evenings for a week, and it is oddly calming to see order appear from chaos. Leave it on a spare table so anyone in the household can add a few pieces. When it is done, you can glue and frame it as a souvenir of the strange season that produced it.
2. Watch the long films you kept postponing
Plenty of classics run past three hours, and a free evening is the perfect excuse. Our list of movies longer than three hours is a good starting point. Split them across two nights if you prefer.
3. Read the classics
There are countless lists of must-read books. Pick two or three that genuinely appeal to you rather than the ones you feel you ought to read. Many older classics are free as e-books through public-domain libraries, and local libraries often lend e-books and audiobooks online.
4. Take free virtual tours
During the lockdowns, museums, galleries, zoos and theatres opened their collections online, and many of those virtual tours and recorded performances are still available. Wander through a famous gallery from your sofa, then make a note of the places you want to see in person.
5. Learn something new
Think of the skills you always meant to try: a language, coding, drawing, knitting, sewing, an instrument, or training that could help your career. Free online courses and video tutorials make it easy to start. Fifteen minutes a day is enough to notice progress within a few weeks.
Look after your body and your nerves
6. Keep exercising
The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and staying indoors is no reason to stop. Online workout videos, bodyweight routines, yoga and even brisk housework all count. Exercise also lifts mood and helps you sleep, which matters when days run together.
7. Meditate or simply slow down
Being stuck at home can fray nerves. A few minutes of quiet breathing, a guided meditation app or a slow stretch before bed can calm a racing mind. If worry or low mood lasts for weeks, talk to a doctor; many offer phone or video appointments.
Stay close to the people you love
8. Hold a family board-game night
Dig out the games at the back of the cupboard, or learn a new card game together. Regular game nights give the week some shape and give children and adults something to share that is not a screen.
9. Meet friends for virtual drinks
Video calls became the pub, the café and the birthday party for many of us in 2020. Keeping in touch with friends protects against loneliness, and a regular weekly slot makes it easier than waiting for someone to suggest it.
10. Cook your way around the world
When every meal happens at home, new recipes break the routine. Choose a theme night, Mexican, Chinese, Thai or Greek, and let everyone help. Cooking together is also a gentle way to teach children kitchen skills.
Make your home a better place to be
11. Give the house a proper clean
Put on a playlist and work room by room. A deep clean keeps you busy for hours and leaves a satisfying result, and you get to enjoy your tidy house for the rest of the week.
12. Declutter what you no longer use
Cleaning usually uncovers things you have not touched in years: the stack of plastic containers, the clothes bought three seasons ago. Sort items into keep, donate and recycle, and pass on what is still useful.
13. Rearrange or refresh a room
With clear surfaces, it is easier to see new possibilities. Move furniture, swap pictures between rooms, or finally try the ideas saved on your Pinterest boards. Small changes can make a familiar house feel new.
14. Tidy your computer and photo library
Sort folders, delete duplicates and back up important files. Going through your camera roll frees storage and doubles as a trip down memory lane; you will almost certainly find photos that make you smile.
15. Care for your plants
Whether you have a garden, a balcony or a few pots on the windowsill, plants reward attention. Repot, prune, start herbs from seed, and enjoy a greener space to live in.
A simple plan for a day at home
Ideas are easier to use with a little structure. One approach is to give each part of the day a theme:
- Morning: get dressed, move your body, then one focused task such as learning or a household project.
- Afternoon: something practical, like cleaning, cooking or decluttering one area.
- Evening: connection and rest, such as a call with friends, a game, a film or a book.
Keep regular sleep and meal times where you can, step outside or open a window for daylight, and do not judge yourself for unproductive days. Getting through a hard period is achievement enough.
What the lockdowns taught us
For many people, the long months at home revealed which habits really mattered: friendships, fresh air, movement and a sense of purpose. Some discovered a love of baking or gardening that outlasted the restrictions; others learned that they need more social contact than they thought.
Whatever keeps you at home now, the same principle holds. Use the time to look after your health, stay close to people, and try one thing that makes you a slightly better version of yourself.
Sources: Wikipedia: COVID-19 lockdowns; World Health Organization: Physical activity fact sheet.
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