Honestly, I’m not even sure how to begin this post.

We are in unprecedented times.

It feels like the world is unraveling and things are falling apart. And being stuck at home because of the coronavirus outbreak is the least of it.

First things first. I am not a health expert so I don’t want to give any guidelines about what to do if you might be feeling sick. All I can say is if you have questions or concerns, call your doctor or a health practitioner and stay up to date with what is being posted by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization websites.

But, for many, we are thankfully not sick, and we are just spending much more time at home now.

If you are planning to hunker down for the next couple of weeks and stay at home, (Which for the sake of everyone else, I hope you do), I want to share some things you can do and focus on to keep yourself from going stir-crazy.

One caveat here: I do not have kids, so while these tips are for everyone, I fully recognize that if you’re a parent with a household full of kids, you might have little time to focus on yourself. First, I feel for you and hang in there. Second, while I could give suggestions on what to do with your kids, I don’t really feel qualified to do so since I don’t have them myself. That said, there are many mom and parent bloggers out there and I’m sure they have great recommendations on what to do if you’re stuck at home with the kids, so do a quick google search to find out more.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may earn a small commission (for which I’m very grateful!) at no extra cost to you. You can view my disclosure here.

Stuck at Home? Here Are Some Things To Do:

• Take an online class. Masterclass is quite popular and has a huge selection.
• Do a deep, spring cleaning of your home.
• Focus on those DIY projects you keep putting off.
• Learn a foreign language.
• Set up video conferencing with your friends. Yes, really!
• Start reading all of those books on your bookshelf. These are my favorite books.
• On the subject of books – start a virtual book club with your friends.
• Cook a new recipe or try baking & swap recipes with each other.
• Try yoga or at-home workouts (Yoga with Adriene on Youtube is a great, free resource).
• Netflix and chill (now more than ever, we need a distraction).
• Go for a walk in your neighborhood with no destination. Walk just to walk and breathe in the fresh air. (Just keep your distance from other people.)
• Take a virtual tour of a world-class museum (many museums are offering this now on their websites).
• Check-in with your neighbors, especially the elderly and people with health conditions. Make sure they have everything they need.

Stuck at Home? You Can Still Help Local & Small Businesses

The other thing I want to talk about in this post is how we can help support local and small businesses. Because if there is one thing that will help us keep sane during this coronavirus outbreak, it is the action of helping others.

• Buy a gift card: It’s very challenging to be in public places right now like restaurants or shops but we can help support these small businesses by buying gift cards that can be used at a later date. The cash they receive now will help them stay afloat during this time of social distancing.
• Leave a positive review online: Is there a local business you love? Now’s the time to leave a glowing review online. Go to Trip Advisor, Yelp, or share your review with your network on Social Media.
• Order Take out or delivery: You can’t eat out, but you can still order take out from your favorite restaurant, or get a delivery from your local wine shop.
• Don’t ask for a refund: Maybe you bought tickets to an event that has been canceled. If you can afford it, don’t ask for a refund. Let them keep the cash to help them stay in business or to keep the show running.
• Shop local: When we do return to a level of normalcy, help the businesses in your community stay afloat by shopping locally rather than at big box stores.

Let’s Be Grateful During this Coronavirus Outbreak

At first glance, this might seem weird. Why would we be grateful for a novel virus outbreak that is having a huge, negative impact on the world?

Of course, that’s not what I mean.

When I say let’s be grateful, I mean that we should be thankful for all of the people who are on the front lines, battling this disease on our behalf. To all of the doctors, nurses, health practitioners, receptionists at hospitals and doctors’ offices, pharmacists, drugstore personnel, scientists, lab assistants, grocery workers, and delivery men and women, THANK YOU for doing your job and showing up for us.

Also, I am grateful for the people who are still going to work to keep our communities running and to keep us comfortable in our homes – government officials, garbage collectors, people working to keep our utilities running like water, power, and gas, and supermarket employees.

We would be in dire straits without all of these people continuing to work, and putting their lives at risk, for us. So let’s be grateful if the biggest inconvenience we are facing is spending the next few weeks at home.

How Are You Handling the Coronavirus Outbreak?

Now I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing to stay busy and informed during this outbreak? How are you coping? What are you struggling with?

We might have to practice social distancing right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t stay connected. Let’s reach out (how we can) and help each other during this unprecedented time. Let’s support each other and our communities.

Hang in there, stay healthy, and stay safe.

Keep calm and wash those hands!