11 Ways to Stay Productive During Self-Isolation

Stuck at home in self-isolation or self-quarantine during the Coronavirus outbreak? Stay productive with these 11 projects & ideas #stayathome

Coronavirus has now been part of our lives for almost a year. I know many of us are still self isolating, working remotely, or just stuck at home because many businesses are still shut down. 

If you want to make the most of your time and stay productive, then this post is for you! These are the 11 things I've focused on while having more than enough time at home and are projects that every single person can benefit from. Continue reading for 11 ways to stay productive during Coronavirus self-isolation 

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Coronavirus Self-Isolation | How to stay positive and productive!

1. Clean and deep clean

Now is the time to get your home sparkling clean. I spent two days cleaning our apartment. The first day was a regular clean…bathrooms, countertops, floors, dusting, etc. Day two was spent doing a deep clean. I’m talking cleaning everything…items you don’t normally clean. I vacuumed every cushion on our couch (and under cushions), lint rolled every single pillow, washed the duvet inserts, cleaned the insides of drawers and cupboards…you get the drift. 

This is your chance to get your “spring cleaning” completed. If you’re going to be cooped up at home, it might as well be glistening!

2. Organize every drawer, cupboard, and shelf

Let’s continue focusing on getting your home in tiptop shape. Now that everything is clean it’s time to get organized. Go through every drawer and cupboard. Start a throw away box and a donate box. 

Get rid of stuff you rarely use. With the current economic situation there are going to be a lot of people depending on donations. If you have household items that you could do without, donate it! There are many organizations like Salvation Army that will come to your doorstep and pickup your stuff. No human contact required. 

Whichever organization you go with I would call and ask about their procedures to make sure you are following guidelines and recommendations to keep everyone safe. You might have to keep your donations stored away until things calm down.

3. Learn something new

Ever wanted to learn a new language? Have a few tech devices that you never took the time to learn or fully understand. I’m using this time to dive into my new Sony A7III camera, and that includes actually reading the manual. I’ll use YouTube to supplement my learning with videos that cover specific functions.  

If you aren’t already a YouTube user, now is a great time to get comfortable with utilizing the platform. YouTube is a great resource for how-to videos. Whether that be learning about tech devices like GoPros and Cameras to DIY home repairs. 

You’ll quickly find YouTubers that you are drawn to and will want to start following or subscribing to their channel.  Using this platform will open up a whole world of go to guides, tips and tricks, and DIY tutorials.

Brainstorm things you have always wanted to learn and start a list. It can be as random as how to make your own candles, how to clean your Nespresso machine, or how to do smoky eye makeup look. The possibilities are endless.

Just because you’re in Coronavirus self-isolation doesn’t mean you have to stop learning!

4. Clean out your closet

Time to look up Marie Kondo’s tips and clean out that closet! Go through everything and if you haven’t worn something in the last six months to a year, add it to the donate pile.

I am horrible at getting rid of clothes. What has really helped me is this thought: “does this item give me joy when I wear it? If not, would it give joy to someone else”. This prevents me from holding onto things that I’m not wearing. Thinking of someone picking this up at Goodwill and being excited to wear it gives me the motivation to toss it in the donate pile.

Organize as you clean out your closet and dresser drawers. 

5. Research future trips

The current travel restrictions and climate of fear and uncertainty is not going to last forever. We will be able to travel again and resume life. When airlines and hotels start posting sales you want to be prepared. Not scrambling to put together a trip to a place you know nothing about because Delta just announced reduced airfares.

Make a list of the top five places you want to visit. Research those destinations to make sure they earn a spot on your top five list. From there, select one or two destinations to research more in-depth. A trip that you want to take the moment things clear up. This will ensure you are ready to jump into action once airline and hotel sales start.

We can also assume that once life returns to normal, or as normal as possible, we are all going to get busy. Seeing friends, getting caught up on work, etc. This takes time away from trip planning. Better to research and get ahead on vacation planning now. Once you can actually book things you’ll already be ahead of the game and will spend minimal time putting your itinerary together.

Get started on your trip planning!

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6. Organize computer files, online storage, and email accounts

It’s easy to walk through your home and visually see everything that needs to be cleaned out and organized, but what about the stuff you can’t actually put your hands on? I’m talking about the digital world. Do you have a stellar organization system in place for all your computer files? What about your photo storage or online databases like Dropbox or OneDrive?

Pick a digital project each day. I spent one day focusing on the files on my laptop. Making sure everything had a folder, sorting documents, and deleting outdated or unnecessary files. The next day I focused on my Google Photos. These are all the pictures I take on my phone and are automatically stored in Google Photos. I deleted photos and videos that I didn’t need. The photos I saved were then downloaded and organized in Lightroom (where I save ALL my photos). My Google Photos is now empty and I have plenty of storage space.

Next on my list is to go through Lightroom. I have 25,000 photos on there. I plan to spend thirty minutes a day deleting photos I don’t need and making sure everything is in the right folder. 

I will also spend a day organizing OneDrive, my cloud storage for files I don’t access every day or need on my computer. I know there are plenty of files that I no longer need that I can delete or files that can be combined.

Make a list of all your digital systems and try to tackle one each day. If it’s a big one, like my 25,000 photos in Lightroom, carve out a set time to focus on the big project each day until it’s done.

7. Create a photo storage system – organize and delete

If you don’t have a photo storage system now is the time to put some thought into it. Do you want to use an online storage base or something on your computer? Research cloud storage options and devise an organization system you can stick with in the future. 

Decide how you want to organize your photos. Will it be by year or month. Does it make more sense to organize by destination or topic?

I use Adobe Lightroom and love it. I do pay $9.99 a month to have 1 TB of storage, but that includes all the editing capabilities of Lightroom which makes it absolutely worth it. I also like knowing my photos are stored on a cloud database. If someone stole or I damage my computer, my photos are safe.

8. Make a photo album…an actual hard copy

How often do you actually look through past trips and old photos on your computer? Probably never. Having a yearly photo album is a great way to have your memories in a format that you will actually revisit. I can’t tell you how many friends end up looking through our albums when they visit our home.

I’m actually two years behind in making photo albums because it is something that requires some time. Pick a day when you have a good chunk of time at your disposal. I find it’s easiest to get in the zone when you try to knock it out in one sitting. 

When I first started making yearly photo books I tried a couple companies and the one I ended up liking the most and sticking with is MixBook. The quality is great, the design process is easy, and the price is really good considering how professional it looks.

9. Stay fit with at home workouts

It’s easy to use Coronavirus self-isolation to sleep-in and watch Netflix all day. If you need a break and your body needs to take it easy for a day, then go right ahead. Being inactive should not be the norm though. Get moving! Even if your apartment is tiny, there are plenty of workouts you can do with little to no space.

Get on YouTube and search for “at home workouts”. If you have an idea of what you want to focus on, narrow your search for that. Look for glute workouts, cardio routines, barre workout, etc. You will find an entire world of fitness professionals and companies posting videos online.

If you have a membership at a studio or gym, visit their website and see what they are doing for their clients. Many studios are offering video sessions, live workouts on Instagram, and more. 

Cities with the strictest self-isolation rules like San Francisco are saying it’s ok to go for a walk or hike as long as you maintain social distancing. I’ve been trying to fit a long walk in as much as possible to get some fresh air and feel the sun on my skin. Bailey, our rescue dog, needs some long walks too!

There is no excuse not to be healthy and fit during this time and you will find there are many individuals and companies doing everything they can to keep people fit while they self-isolate and stay at home.

I’ve been posting a lot of my workouts on Instagram, so follow along to get some ideas!

10. Take a break with games

Before all this Coronavirus self-isolation started I can’t tell you the last time Jake and I played a board game together. When we need a break from working and don’t want to watch TV, we’ll pull out a board game. My current favorite is Villainous. This game actually requires some thought and strategy, which we both enjoy. Have your friends buy the game and you all can play together over Zoom!

11. Call family and friends

Last but not least, call your family and friends. We are all feeling a little bit lonely these days. I try to call two people every day at a minimum. Consider checking in on a neighbor or coworker, someone outside your inner circle. You don’t know who has no one to talk to right now. Utilize Facetime and Zoom so you can actually see each other. We are so lucky to live in a time where we have technology to stay in touch. Coronavirus self-isolation doesn’t mean you have to feel alone.

I hope these 11 things to do during Coronavirus self-isolation help you stay busy, productive, and positive while staying at home. All of us are playing an important role in today’s climate of health risks and uncertainty. Remember you are not alone and that this is a great opportunity to organize every aspect of your life. Set yourself up to hit the ground running when life picks back up again. You’ll look back and be happy you used this time in Coronavirus self-isolation well.

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