Keep from getting bored during lockdown


quicksilver trail san jose

pictured: Alamden Quicksilver Trail, a great way to get outdoor exercise while social distancing.

Starting at midnight, March 17, 2020, than San Francisco Bay Area went on a lockdown to help stop the spread, or at least slow it down, of the coronavirus also called Covid-19. All non-essential workers in the area are ordered to stay home. Many businesses are shut down, and everyone is ordered to stay in their homes unless they need to buy food, go to the pharmacy, see a doctor, buy gas, or go to the bank.

The bright side, is that restaurants are still allowed to serve take-out, so we can still enjoy chik-fil-a, burritos from our local taqueria, and even fancier food from our famous local eateries. The hardest hit sector during this time will be retail shops not deemed essential.

Although we are all stuck inside our homes during the lockdown, which lasts until mid-April, there are still things we can do to maintain our sanity and parts of our lifestyles. Without further ado, here are my tips for surviving the Bay Area Lockdown-or any lockdown that may be happening anywhere in the world.

Grab take-out

If you are like me, you get bored of your own cooking. Call your favorite restaurant and find out when they are having take-out hours. Place an order, and pick-up your favorite food while adhering to social distancing rules by staying 6 feet apart from other people waiting for food. Also, remember to tip them! Someone had to cook your meal, take your order, and wrap up your food. Please leave them a regular 20% tip.

Organize your house

You know that closet you have been meaning to clean out? The garage you have been meaning to organize? The guest room still in boxes? This is a great time to sort through things, and get organized!

Dive into a new book

If I had a penny for every-time someone told me they don’t have time to read, I would be very rich! Well now, you have time to read! Pick up that book you have wanted to read, and dive in! You can still order books on Amazon and get them quickly. Here are a few of my recommendations, I’m kind of a bookworm:

Shop online

Support your favorite stores online. While you might not need a new outfit for an event this weekend, you may still need other items such as new pajamas, slippers, etc. Order online, and keep the economy flowing!

Support small business

Many small business can take phone or online orders, and then ship to you. Call them and see how you can shop from them while on lockdown.

Take walks and keep active

One of the best ways to keep your spirits up is to stay active. Get out of the house and take a walk. If you do take a walk, make sure it isn’t a busy path and maintain social distancing guidelines.

You can also stay inside! Find a workout on demand or online, and get your cardio on from your house. Go in the backyard and play. Stay active, and you will feel better.

Have online meetups.

Randomly Facetime your friends. Schedule group chats via Facebook, Skype, or Zoom. You can even have group happy hours online! Keep in touch with your friends and family by utilizing video chat technologies.

Check in on elderly friends and family

Anyone over the age of 60 is being told to stay home. See if you can run errands for, and help out, an elderly neighbor, friend, or family member. Please Facetime them too! They are bored at home, and need human interaction. Do what you can to help. My Mom loves to get random Facetime calls, it’s a fun technology the elderly can enjoy.

Watch cooking shows and test recipes

OK, your normal ingredients are sold out at the supermarket due to panic buying in the community. Why not try something new? Watch a cooking show and take notes. You can try a new recipe and have fun testing new foods, ingredients, and cooking methods-just don’t start a fire ok? Keep the flame on your cooktop normal, don’t try anything fancy with flames. Just sayin’

Start your own online business

Have you been dying to sell your crafts online, but never got started? Are you itching to start a blog? Do you want to develop a new app, but have been short on time? Now is the time! Make the world a better place with your new business venture. Start a new company, you have the time. Interest rates are low too, in case you need a business loan. It’s the perfect time to be an entrepreneur. Get started!

Well, those are my tips. Feel free to leave yours in the comment section below!

Also, remember, this is temporary. We will get through and life will eventually get back to normal. The economy will go to back to flourishing, and we will all look back on this as something to tell our grandkids about. We’ve got this!

Remember to wash your hands!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO

Cathy