Binge-watching Netflix on the couch a lot these days? Me too! Most days I’m finding it hard to be very productive and keeping four kids (and a husband) alive, fed, at home, educated, and sane is enough. But there are some days I need something else and I get a little spark of motivation. If you have one of those days here are 26 things to do when you’re stuck at home.

We’re living through some tough times right now and it’s easy to feel paralyzed by emotions. If you are at home like me it’s easy to feel guilty for just being at home. But we are all dealing with our own experiences and our feelings are just as valid. It’s ok to cope with this in your own way and if your own way means finding something to do so you don’t lose your mind, this post might help.

No Guilt, No Judgement

I saw something on Facebook the other day about a celebrity who suggested people use this time to learn a language or write a book. And she was kind of vilified for it. While I don’t think we should be held accountable for what we “accomplish” during this time, sometimes having something to do can be a healthy way to cope.

You shouldn’t feel guilty if you don’t use this time “wisely.” We’re living through an incredibly stressful time and I don’t think we should hold ourselves to any standards.

But some of us are home, our only real job right now to stay home. And we might have more time on our hands than we ever have. So while we shouldn’t be made to feel like slackers if all we accomplish is keeping our family home and fed, we shouldn’t feel bad if we put that time to good use either.

I know I could use a distraction from the anxiety and pit in my stomach. And while I do feel guilt and a sense of helplessness being home while others are out there doing so much for people, I don’t think I need to wallow in it.

So some days I pull myself up, I find some motivation, and I get shit done.

Other days, I shuffle around in my slippers, unshowered and unfocused. I am pulled to my phone to check on news and loved ones and numbers. Or I escape on social media and watch bad TV. I eat junk food, I don’t exercise, and I am not parent-of-the-year.

So this post is not meant to shed judgment on anyone. It’s just some things that I’m doing to help me through an unprecedented time and some things I’m hoping will help us through the near future. Because we’re getting a little buggy over here.

And I do it with gratitude to all those out there who aren’t at home. And to those out there who are at home but are bearing bigger burdens right now.

We’re living through some tough times right now. I’m feeling everything from guilt to fear to sadness to love…sometimes in a matter of minutes. I think we’re all figuring out how to manage the situation, whatever our situations are right now.

So I’m not saying we should come out of this time in the best shape of our lives or achieve some great big thing. No one should feel guilty for just surviving.

But maybe we could use the time to do one of these…

30 Things to Do When You’re Stuck at Home

♦Try something new. A new workout program, a hobby, a new recipe. Take an online class, sign up for a free webinar on whatever.

♦Exercise. There’s something out there for everyone. Check out great workout programs, look for local businesses that are streaming live workouts, or go to YouTube.

♦Tackle a project you’ve been putting off. Paint the old desk in your attic. Clean out the closets. Organize your photos.

♦Make a photo book. Maybe make one for each year…we’ve got time. Put together a book to give as a gift. Mother’s Day is coming up…maybe I’ll finally put together a photo book for my mom.

♦Make something. Try a new recipe, bake something from scratch. Bake bread, make your own pickles.

♦Get creative. Color with your kids (it’s very relaxing). Watch a how-to video and paint a watercolor (even if it comes out terrible). Write a story or start a book. Take pictures of flowers in your neighborhood. Rearrange your furniture. Make an i-movie.

♦Craft. Make a friendship bracelet with your kid. Rainbow loom. Break out an old craft kit your kids never opened.

♦Pick up an old hobby. Or find a new one.

♦Garden or get some house plants. My neighbor gave us some seeds and little sprouts and explicit directions so I don’t mess this up. That’s yet to be determined, but we did plant them and have been watering them.

♦Write letters or cards. When was the last time you mailed someone a note? We don’t do it very often. But my mom is in Florida right now, so I’ve had my kids write a little something each day and we try to mail one note a day. It can be short and sweet. Getting a note in the mail can brighten someone’s day, especially if they’re alone right now. It’s also a good chance to practice addressing a letter if you have little ones! Or big ones who have forgotten!

♦Read. Dust off an old favorite, download a book, arrange a no-contact book swap with a friend, buy a magazine at the grocery store.

♦Listen to a podcast. There are tons of them on tons of different topics. Or find a Ted Talk and listen to that on YouTube. The first podcast I listened to was S-Town and it was so good. Now I listen to a lot of business-related and motivational stuff. (I’m working on a post about podcasts and will share more when I finish!) In the meantime, check out this post from Time for ideas broken down by subject.

♦Body Self-care. Give yourself a facial. Try a hair mask. Do a make-up tutorial. Curl your hair. Paint your nails.

♦Mind Self-care. Read a personal development book, find an inspirational blog, pray, meditate. Do things that relax you.

♦Learn something on You-Tube. I have two daughters with long, beautiful hair that I can just barely braid. Maybe I’ll finally learn how to french braid!

♦Listen to an old album in its entirety. And make your kids listen to it too.

♦Watch movies. Binge-watching series is great, but watching a movie has a different feel.

♦Play board games or cards. Learn a new card game. Teach your kids the games you loved to play as a kid. Remember Spit? Or SlapJack?

♦Do a jigsaw puzzle. I lose my patience with these pretty quickly, but if I get one started people usually drift over to help.

♦Make a CD. Our minivan does not connect to my phone, so we are big fans of CDs for our long drives. Have each person pick a certain number of songs and make a family mix. It’s fun to drive with other people and see if they can guess who picked which song. Home alone? Text some family or friends and ask for their picks.

♦Go for walks. Lots of them.

♦Go for drives. Go down that street you’ve never been down before and see where it takes you. Just to safely get out of the freaking house!

♦Pick up a healthy habit. And commit to it. Maybe it’s a skincare routine or making sure your kids floss every night. Get a meditation app and give it a go, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day.

♦Make a vision board. Think about what your dream life looks like, cut out pictures from a magazine or print some out, and glue them to cardboard or poster board. More on this later…

♦Make a list of movies. Look at online lists, ask friends and family. Share the list with friends and ask them to do the same. If you have any suggestions please share them with me! Movie night causes lots of fights over here.

♦Use technology for good. There are so many online options right now, from museum tours to live performances to nature stuff to yoga. This post from the LA Times has some great links.

♦Declutter. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and get tidying. If none of your clothes spark joy right now (think quarantine snacking) make sure you hold onto some for when we have to wear something other than pajamas.

♦Investigate side hustles. Looking for extra money or something that makes you feel fired up more than your current career? Check out ideas for side hustles, anything from direct marketing to copywriting to freelancing. Read this post by Susie Moore to see if a side hustle might be just what you need now.

♦Connect with friends and family. Facetime, set up a Zoom call with a group of friends. Seeing other people and connecting with them makes this all feel a lot less isolating.

♦Check on friends and neighbors. We have to keep our distance, but we can be good neighbors. Shop for at-risk friends, pick up things for loved ones to save them a trip. Bake (being extra careful about germs) and drop off treats for family members.

Live in Love, Not Fear

I am afraid right now. But I know we can choose to live in love or in fear. Love is where all the positive feelings live, and fear is where all the negative stuff thrives. Not just fear, but negativity, judgment, anger. So I’m trying to redirect when I find myself dwelling in fear.

However you spend this time, we all know the most important thing right now is the health of our loved ones and getting through this together.

Share the good stuff with your kids- the support in the community, the acts of kindness, the selflessness of essential workers. Do your best to stay calm and positive.

And some daily things that will help your physical health and your mood…

♥Keep up with routines…for the most part. Stay up a little later, sleep a little more. But try to maintain some kind of schedule. Especially if you have kids at home.

♥Set boundaries. Moms especially can get pulled wherever everyone else’s tides take us. Make sure you have time for yourself- to do whatever, even if it’s nothing. Maybe especially if it’s nothing. See this post for more.

♥Make time for mental health. Meditation, breathing, news breaks, gratitude.

♥Connect with others.

♥Get outside. Either in your yard or for a walk around the neighborhood.

And if you have a day where you don’t do anything? Don’t beat yourself up about it. Yesterday I got just about zero things done. And then I made pizza bagels for the kids for dinner and we watched Jim Gaffigan on Netflix. I was unshowered and in pajamas all day. And that’s ok.

But if I come out of this time with a clean attic and I can do ten perfect push-ups? That’s a pretty good silver lining.

What are you doing while you’re stuck at home? I’d love to hear from you! Comment here, send me an email (mary@stayathomefit.com), or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram.

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