Stuck at Home? Here Are Some Things to Do Beside Binging Netflix

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Apr 26, 2022 10:04 am | Add a comment | 340 reads

With talks of possible wider lockdowns looming -- or already happening on a smaller scale -- and given the current situation in Shanghai it doesn’t hurt to start thinking well what will I do if my compound does end up being locked down?

Beyond the practical preparations like stocking up on food and essential items having an action plan in place for things to actually do to occupy being stuck at home can be a good idea. Afterall, spending the entire time binging Netflix probably isn’t going to do wonders for your physical or mental health.

Read

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read, so first up on my list would be to tackle the ever-growing pile of the books that have been lounging on my to read shelf. If you aren’t a book hoarder like me, then no problem. You can buy books for Kindle and if not already a Kindle owner can download the Kindle App on your phone or laptop.

Reading can also be a great way to connect with others who are also locked down. Why not set up your own book club or join an already existing book club like Spittoon’s and you can talk about it virtually?

Exercise

No, you won’t be able to go to the gym, but there are still tons of different exercises you can do from home, many of which require little equipment or none at all. In fact, if there is something the last two years has given us it’s a whole pool of resources to use if faced with lockdown. On YouTube alone there are countless free workouts designed specifically for being stuck – take popular Pilates brand Blogilates. In 2020 founder Cassie Ho designed an apartment friendly 14 day workout plan to help keep you fit and sane. Check it out!

Spring cleaning

You might have guessed from my to read shelf but I am a self-confessed hoarder through and through. However, being stuck at home could be the perfect opportunity for me to finally force myself to go through the insane amount of clothes, shoes, bags and other miscellaneous items that I have managed to accumulate over the course of five years living here.

It also doesn’t only have to be sorting through items it could just be giving your apartment a thorough cleaning for once, I for one am guilty of never moving that table or the couch to clean behind it, so maybe now is your chance!

Online classes

Another productive use of your time could be to study some classes online. This could be language classes, if you’re one of the many foreigners here guilty of not speaking Chinese then this could be the perfect opportunity, or perhaps there is another language you have your eye on – LTL actually offer online classes 24/7! Or maybe you’re interested in studying something completely random, well there are a whole array of, often even free, classes available such as those offered by Harvard.

Puzzles and games

Exercise your brain by doing some form of puzzle, it could be a physical puzzle like a jigsaw that you’ve had lying around (guilty as charged) or one of those brain training apps on your phone. A personal recent favorite of mine has been Wordle, which has steadily evolved into also the Quardle and now even some insane 16 Wordle puzzle named Sedordle!

In the same vein as this, if you won’t be stuck at home alone how about dusting off a board game or playing some charades – hey maybe even a game of I-Spy could be fun, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with D...yep it’s 大白 dà bái you got it!”

Catch up with friends and family

Maybe a bit of a no brainer but staying social, especially if you live alone, is pretty essential. When I quarantined in Xiamen for two weeks in 2020 I made sure to schedule plenty of video calls with family and friends, some of who were also quarantining, because I get bored of my own company pretty quickly. It can also help to talk to someone who is experiencing the same thing as you, just to have a moan, a laugh or even a cry can all be pretty therapeutic.

Arts and crafts

So, this last one will depend a lot on what you already have on hand, though I expect most people should at least have a pen and paper right?

Find a drawing tutorial online, draw the view outside your window or do a still life of something in your home. I did a paint by numbers while I was in quarantine and found it super relaxing and an easy way to use up time! If you have some paper maybe you could also try out a bit of origami or if have some spare RMB 1 notes lying around you can transform them into very pretty origami hearts, because let’s face it no one is using cash these days.