“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
We all know the feeling by now. We wake up in the morning and dread another day trapped in the same place we have been banished to for the year since the Great Shutdown of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It feels like we are trapped in an entirely non-humorous version of Groundhog Day, except everyone else is stuck in the same situation, and everyone is telling you to make the best of it and get on with your life in this “new reality.”
Fortunately, places are beginning to open up again now that more and more people are getting the vaccines, thank God. However, everyone will still experience being stuck at home for various reasons even once society has completely opened for business. This is something that I, and other people I know, dread. That is why coffee shops are so popular among students and young professionals – we hate being stuck at home. Anyway, we cannot always do something to keep ourselves from being just stuck at home, and we just have to figure out how to be inside your house and still be in “work mode”.
Here are 5 ways to make your time in your house more productive and bearable.
Put on new, clean clothes and shoes
When you sit around at home in the same clothes you have been wearing for a concerning amount of time… you do not feel good or happy. On the other hand, putting on a brand new, CLEAN set of clothes can work wonders for your mental health and overall mood.
Pro tip: putting on some sneakers or comfortable movement shoes is also essential. If you have on shoes, you will feel less tempted to climb back into bed to either sleep or lose yourself to YouTube. I am always amazed by how much more motivated I am to get stuff done when I lace up my tennis shoes and start moving around.
Make yourself a fully-balanced, healthy meal
Most of the time, when you drag yourself out of your warm bed, you do not feel like making yourself a full meal, instead opting to grab a bag of chips or some leftover pizza or questionable Chinese food you have had sitting in your fridge for a week. Look up an easy Pinterest or YouTube recipe for a healthy meal and round it out with some fruit and a glass of water or milk instead of that coffee you have been drinking for days on end without stop.
You will feel better because you ate something bright and fresh, and you will feel accomplished because you did something constructive and made a good choice for yourself at the same time.
Get up and work in a different position or place
I know that this seems simple and dumb, but it is conducive. If you work in an office or bedroom or bed (I’m looking at you, fellow college students), get up a move to a different place in your house. Move to your kitchen table or outside to a table in your backyard.
Soak up a bit of sunshine by sitting near a window (opened or closed, depending on how pleasant the weather is where you live and how attractive you are to the dreaded mosquitos). Maybe use one of those standing desks to keep your legs and bottom from falling asleep once again. However you want to do it, get yourself moving to a new location.
Blast your favorite music without headphones (dance around as well!)
I know this feels kind of silly. But trust me, there is something therapeutic and freeing about cranking up your latest lyrical obsession to the highest volume and dancing around your room or house. Moving your body in a loose, creative way will refresh your mind and the simple actions will give your body the movement it has been craving while you have been staring away at your computer for so long.
If you feel silly, embrace it! Let yourself laugh at your cringe-inducing dance moves (maybe yours are better than mine, so this might not apply) and have a few minutes of not taking yourself so seriously. You can then get back to work with a new, upbeat and lighthearted attitude.
Go outside and interact with nature
Why do adults always tell younger generations to go outside and “touch some grass”? I think they might be onto something. Whenever I am overwhelmed or drained from working on a school assignment, I give into my Mom’s loving nagging to go and take a walk or a bike ride. I often start feeling rejuvenated once I step out of my house and breathe in that unique smell of suburbia – rich mulch mixed with asphalt and grass.
Most likely, you will see a couple of birds, bugs, people, or even better, PEOPLE WITH DOGS that you can interact with while you are having your outside time. And who knows? You might run across someone you know who had a similar idea, and you can catch up and actually interact with a fellow human being! Even if it is for a simple conversation, interacting with other people can do wonders for your mental health and general mood. We were made to be around other people in the community, so naturally, doing that will make us feel good.
Anyway, although these 5 tips could help make your time at home more bearable and can keep you from going crazy and talking to random household objects like Tom Hanks in Castaway, do not forget that as things open back up again, it is important to go out in the world again and visit both new and familiar places!
If you like my content and would like to read more about my journey, I have some of my older posts linked below, and I would love it if you would give these a read as well!
Some of my older posts…
How To Bring Yourself Back From a Panic Attack
If You Do This, You Might Have ADHD
A Memory of a Good Deed Can Shape Your Life Forever
Mistakes – Learning to View Them as Growing Experiences
My First Time Acting – Overcoming my Fears
Please like, comment and subscribe if you connect with my post and would like to see more of my crazy, exciting journey with Christ and mental illnesses. Every interaction I receive here means a lot. Thank you and God bless you.
Until next time!
Anxiety Prone, Jesus Saved 