With the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic now passed the one-year mark, many of us are feeling more than a little weary and fed up with lockdowns of varying degrees. However, while the world is very slowly beginning to look towards normality, there is still always the risk of having to self-isolate, and that for many can be a very long, boring, and lonely period.

However, by shifting your mindset just a little, and turning self-isolation, assuming you are not unwell, into a time where you achieve something productive, you can make it a positive experience. Let’s take a look at some productive things that you can do to pass the time.

Catch up on all of your boxsets

Okay, so admittedly I said productive things, and watching TV is probably not most people’s idea of a productive activity, but you have to do something enjoyable, right? Call it self-care and productive towards maintaining good mental health if necessary.  Plow through that list of shows and movies that you have always wanted to watch and stream video. You can combine it with another activity as well – if you have a treadmill or exercise bike, why not hop on that and rack up some miles while watching Grey’s Anatomy?

Organize your digital files

Use the time you are in isolation to clear-out and tidy-up of your digital files. It is a chore that most of us need to do but that we all put off because we never seem to have the time. Well, now you do! Back up your files using your chosen cloud provider (Dropbox, Google, etc), delete anything you no longer need, create an organized file and file naming system for the documents that you do need to keep. You can also update all of your passwords  – something you should also be doing regularly – and remove yourself from any mailing lists that are no longer relevant.

Create photo albums

So many of us have all our photos stored on our computers or cellphones these days and never do anything with them. Order some photo albums or scrapbooks online, get your favorite photos printed out – there are lots of places that will print and mail them to you – and spend some happy time organizing them and writing down the memories that you have associated with them. They may make someone very happy at some point in the future.

Research your family tree

Again, this is something that many people yearn to do but never quite seem to have the time. Use your isolation to do some digging into your family tree and history and find out more about your heritage. You could also (virtually or over the phone) interview relatives about their lives and experiences and put together a family book, maybe for the children in your family to look at some point in the future and find out more.

None of us want to have to self-isolate, but by turning it into something productive, it will feel much less stressful and boring. What projects have you started during the lockdown? What are your tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Until our next rendezvous …

XOXO

Trudy