COVID-19 has been catastrophic for hundreds of thousands worldwide. I’m one of the many lucky enough to say that for me, it’s merely been a curveball. The rest of my semester has shifted online, so I won’t get to see my friends until at least August. I feel even worse for the seniors whose goodbyes and celebrations have been ripped away from them. Regardless of how COVID-19 has affected each of us, we all now have one thing in common: time. 

The past few months I really haven’t been doing anything other than breathing, relaxing, taking a break from TikTok, and spending time with my family—and I’ve loved it. After deciding that watching six seasons of The Office in two weeks was enough, I’ve been looking for things to do (while social-distancing, of course). Here I’ve shared ten fun, introspective ideas for your coronacation because there are some things in life that will never be canceled. 

1. For your physical health

• Wash. Your. Hands.
• Eat three meals and hydrate. Have fun with your meals by looking up cool recipes on sites like Spoon University. 
• I’m not a regular gym go-er whatsoever but picking a quick fifteen-minute workout on YouTube is a great way to stay active when stuck at home. 
• If you’re able to, find places around your home where you can exercise, hike, do yoga, dance, or walk while practicing social-distancing. 
• Try to stick to a sleep and shower routine.

2. For your mental health

• Skincare. Whatever you do, it feels good to wash, tone, and moisturize, but skin care masks are cool too. 
  • My favorites are Kiehls’ Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask and Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, but there are so many out there!
• Wearing a cute fit is probably the best way to feel put together and ready to face the day. Getting dressed, wearing makeup, doing your nails, or enhancing your personal style is a great way to feel good.
• Set short-term and long-term goals for what you want to accomplish.
• Clean and organize your workspace and living space. 
• Check in with yourself regularly.
• Reach out to counseling services, friends, and family when needed.
• If you find yourself in an unsafe home environment, there are people available to chat online with you 24/7.

3. For your creative side

Borrowing a quote from one of my movie recs, Dead Poets Society, “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Art awaits.

• Sketch while listening to music or watching a show
• Make a moodboard
• Scrapbook some photos you have lying around
• Played the piano or another instrument years ago? Be fearless and pick it back up!
• Spice things up and rearrange your room
• Make a Depop and sell those fits you don’t plan on wearing
• Pick up a journal or notebook
• Take a virtual art museum tour and browse featured collections
• Make a TikTok, of course

4. For your scholarly side

• Read! Personally, I love reading news articles and trying to be more informed in the era of fake news. But with headlines saturated by coronavirus, I’d stray from overwhelming yourself. Keep it simple and pick up a book. I’m reading Period Power by Nadya Okamoto. 
• Pick up a skill. Download Duolingo or use Conjuguemos.com to learn vocabulary and grammar in another language, try DataCamp for learning data, programming, and statistics skills, or join a community like College Fashionista to practice networking. 

5. For your family and loved ones

• An impromptu letter or call can really go a long way and make their day. Period.
• Relieve some stress from your parents and pick up some chores when you’re able
• Help your siblings with their homework and spend some quality time with them doing anything in this article together

6. For your community

Taken from the queen herself: @MichelleObama on Instagram. The former First Lady recommends:

• Contacting your local school and signing up to volunteer with their food-distribution program
• Contacting a teacher in case they need help
• Calling parents and offering to give their children a lesson or read them a story
• Offering to pick up or order groceries online for your most at-risk and older neighbors by leaving a note on their door
• Calling your local hospital or fire station and asking if you can order takeout for staff from a local restaurant or donating to restaurants offering free meals to first responders in need
• Ordering takeout for yourself

Some other ideas include:

• Self-rationing. While some places like Costco have already set limits on essential items, it’s important to keep in mind others’ needs when shopping.
• Supporting creators and artists if possible. Accounts on Instagram like @ChangingWomxn post about talented artists who are relying on commissions and purchases right now.

These are times of need and we can do so much to help the teachers and professors, first responders, health professionals, local businesses, and people at risk around us just from our phones.  

7. For your consumption

• Make new playlists, be trendy and listen to a podcast, go down the rabbit hole of YouTube, or watch some movie or shows you’ve never had the chance to see!
• Here are some of my movie and show recommendations in no particular order:
  • The Truman Show (1998)
  • New Girl (2011-2018)
  • Scandal (2012-2018)
  • The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
  • Queer Eye (2018-Present)
  • Glow Up (Netflix)
  • Jeopardy (Netflix)
  • The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
  • The Wrap Battle (Freeform)
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
  • Dirty Dancing (1987)
  • Silence of the Lambs (1991)
  • Yesterday (2019)
  • Taken (2008)
  • Dead Poets Society (1989)
  • Clueless (1995)
  • 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
  • Sabrina (1995)
  • Next In Fashion (Netflix)

8. For the mems

• Times are crazy! Document what you’re up to in the form of a blog, video, or photo shoot, and have fun doing it. 
• Revive some of your old mems with some nostalgia-inducing things. Dust off that old board game, turn on that Blu-Ray or DVD player, update your Mii and play some Wii Sports, or play some Club Penguin or Webkinz for the first time in the past decade (I’m guilty).

9. For your friends

• Watch Netflix together using the Google Chrome Extension “Netflix Party.” Super easy to set up and you can chat while watching!
• Send them a cute stuffed animal with Send A Friend (10% of every order is donated directly to children’s hospitals!)
• Write them a card (duh)
• Bake them something and drop it off on their porch! (I recommend warm and homey banana bread—like Nutella Banana Bread)
• Make them a video of the school year cut short
• Send them a gift certificate to a local restaurant for take-out. They’ll love it.

10. Last, but never least, for yourself 

• Be kind to yourself throughout all of this and don’t feel the need to check off everything or even anything on this extensive list. Let yourself breathe.

Keep in mind that these sections have been made arbitrarily—something you do for your creative side can be scholarly and vice versa. We are whole beings whose interests and inclinations are bound to intersect. I’ve been a little skeptical at other people posting about self-care and arts and crafts during a global pandemic. At this point, I’ve been in isolation for over a month and I’m no longer worried about becoming or being seen as an “escapist.” While it’s important that I, and others, stay informed, self-care right now is about preserving our sanity. It’s about reassuring one another that even in times of fear, uncertainty, and social distancing, we can still lean on each other for support and strengthen our relationships. However you choose to allocate your time, do so knowing you’re not alone and remembering your time and your space are your own.