During this time, individuals should be staying safe and healthy by socially distancing themselves within their living quarters. Although this sort of isolation can become boringly dreadful, it doesn't have to if you put your creative mind to good use. Instead of spending your free time on social media or on a screen, consider these fun ideas to get your innovative juices flowing.
1. Sketching.
Whether you are or aren't artistically talented, try drawing some sketches of your favorite photos, landscapes or people in your life. Attempting to create artwork will take time and patience which will allow you to have a calm and peaceful mindset to continue with the rest of your day. Once you begin sketching and developing an artistic nack, your skills will slowly develop with practice and you will begin to enjoy your new hobby.
2. Baking or cooking.
If you enjoy watching cooking or baking shows but have never tried recreating tasty recipes yourself, consider becoming your own personal chef. There are many recipes online that will challenge your culinary skills and provide you with a fun distraction. If you feel up to it, try making your own dish or dessert with the ingredients that best suit your taste buds and aesthetic. If you create an original meal, you can share it with your friends and family for them to try to recreate.
3. Dancing.
If you feel anxious about working remotely and transitioning into a different setting for a period of time, getting some exercise will increase your dopamine production and relieve some of your worries. If you do not enjoy following workout routines from home, try having some fun and dancing to your favorite songs. If you want to challenge yourself, try to choreograph your own dance and share it digitally with your family and friends online to see if they can dance along with you.
4. Singing.
If you enjoy singing but have some rusty vocal chords, try practicing your pitch and breath control by choosing a challenging song and trying to perfect how you sing it. Start by understanding the vocal range of your voice, then choose a relatable song that you can personally connect to and start practicing. To begin exercising your vocal chords, you can follow Jacobs Vocal Academy's Daily Singing Exercises For An Awesome Voice on YouTube. Once you have perfected your preferred song, you can send a video to those you miss showing them your new creative hobby.
5. Writing.
If you love writing or simply have many thoughts, ideas or emotions to express, try starting a diary or writing a creative piece in your free time. Articulating new ideas and candid thoughts will keep your mind sharp and decrease your stresses by giving you an outlet to release what is going on in your mind. If you don't consider yourself the best writer or simply don't have anything to write about, try a writing prompt everyday to give your creativity a little push in the right direction.
Although this is a trying time for many, it is best to make the most of the situation by looking within one's own hidden or out of practice abilities. It is important to manage the time and energy put into social media in order to maintain one's mental health and happiness by trying out new and exciting ways to pass the time.