COVID19  – 6 ideas to spend your time usefully if you have to stay at home

Written by Charlotte Magnus

Your university or school has closed, or you were sent home from work to take a vacation. Suddenly, you have a lot of time on your hands – apart from the obligation to wash your hands frequently. We have put together the best ideas we came across to spend your time on, rather than just sitting through the pandemic. 

No. 1: Go through your finances

You might still be paying for that service or online tool you only wanted to try out for free for the first three months that you forgot to cancel. Now is the time to have a look at your bank and credit card statement. 

No. 2: Clean up online

Whether you finally catch up on all your emails, clean up your social media accounts, organize the documents on your computer or delete all the photos you will never look at again doesn’t matter. Just get started.

No. 3: Clean up offline

You might finally have some extra time to properly clean the apartment, making it look as clean as it was when you moved in. As an added bonus, you’re going to feel a lot more comfortable in a clean home if you have to stay in during the next weeks.

No. 4: Catch up on school/uni

Many EU members have ordered universities and schools to close. Most of them don’t have a plan for exams or teaching remotely yet. While we totally understand why it’s great to have such a surprising break in your work schedule, this might be a chance to catch up on some lectures you have been missing or some work you have kept pushing back. 

No. 5 Work Out

While most gyms have closed, there are still a few options to work out. Doing sports regularly will keep you fit and healthy, mentally balanced and more content. It doesn’t protect you from an infection with covid-19 but living and being healthy contributes to your immune system and your body’s response to infections and sickness in general. You can work out at home with little or no equipment or go running outside alone, if there is no curfew. 

No. 6 Get Involved

If you are young and healthy, an infection with covid-19 will probably have a less sever impact on your body. This means that you can help others who risk more, every time they are potentially exposed to the infection. Austria has already considered to “reactivate” young men who have done community service  (1) – a duty for all male Austrians if they don’t choose to do military service. This could mean getting groceries for your grandparents, walking your elderly neighbor’s dog or taking care of the single parent’s children if they have to go to work.   

Bibliography

1. Apa. (2020, March 15). Corona-Maßnahmen: Zivildiener und Rekruten müssen länger ran. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from https://www.salzburg24.at/news/oesterreich/corona-massnahmen-zivildiener-und-rekruten-muessen-laenger-ran-84886459