The impact of the coronavirus has required Australians to socially distance, which means spending a lot more time at home. This can be stressful for us mentally and physically, so it’s important to keep yourself busy and try to conquer this extra down time with some fun and new activities. 

Get your arts and crafts on

It’s time to get the creative juices flowing.

Try some still life drawing. Grab some objects from around the house and arrange them in a nicely lit area. Then draw it!

Have a pile of old magazines? Cut them up and make a collage!

Adult colouring books. Dymocks have a great variety to purchase.

Get Cooking 

Now is a great time to learn how to cook something new!

Perhaps you’ve been wanting to make something that is time consuming for a usual week day dinner. With this extra time up our sleeves maybe it’s the perfect opportunity to give it a go.  

Cook your favourite meals too. It’s important to try and enjoy ourselves as much as possible while in isolation, and if that means cooking your favourite meal then so be it. Food can bring great comfort, especially if it is something you love and look forward to.  

Bake something. It’s no doubt that ‘iso-baking’ has become a trend.

Get lost in a virtual tour

With most galleries and museums closing their physical doors, they have opened up their virtual ones. Now you can take a tour through the National Gallery of Victoria or head overseas to the Louvre or NASA at the comfort of your own home. 

Read

Escape reality with a new book. Reading is a great alternative if you are wanting to get off the computer, but don’t want to move.

Start a virtual book club with your friends. This keeps you connected with your pals and gives you that extra motivation to finish a book! 

Here’s 101 books that Dymocks recommends.

Catch up on your movie and TV show list

We are forced to spend more time than normal at home, so now is the perfect time to catch up on your list of TV shows and movies and not feel guilty about it!

There is plenty to watch on Netflix and Stan, and don’t forget about Disney Plus!

Create your ultimate playlist

Music is always a great companion. Working on a playlist can keep you entertained for hours, picking your favourite songs for the ultimate ‘isolation playlist’.

 Educate yourself  

Keep your mind challenged in these tricky times. Learn a language, start a new online course, or teach yourself a new skill.  

Puzzles and board games

If you’re self-isolating with room mates, get out the board games and discover the competitiveness in each other.  

If you’re a one person isolator, then puzzles are a fabulous alternative to board games, and a great way to stay occupied.  

Check in with loved ones

It is extremely important for your mental health to stay connected with your circle of friends, family and colleagues. It can be as simple as a quick text or call to see how they are doing, or a Zoom/Facetime chat with a group of you can turn into a lot of fun.

Self care

Remember to give yourself a break each day. You could take a bath, make yourself a coffee or tea - or go for a walk. There are little things like this that you can do each day to make sure you are looking after yourself.

This is a very testing time for us all, and self isolation may not be an easy concept for everyone. It is important to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy during this time, so if you are struggling there are organisations like Beyond Blue and Lifeline who are always available to help. There is also a National Coronavirus Helpline if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19.