In this unprecedented time, we find ourselves stuck at home, trying to flatten the curve for COVID-19. For all of us, this has either meant adjusting to working from home or unfortunately being laid off or furloughed. It can be extremely hard to stay motivated during this unique time, and therefore, we have put together a list of 10 ways to stay motivated while social distancing.

Create a routine

Whether you are working from home or not, it is important to create a routine that you can stick to throughout the week. This will help to create a semblance of normalcy. The routine can include waking up around the same time every day, work (if you are working from home), or learning something new (such as getting your TEFL), exercising, and meals.

Learn a new skill

For many of us, staying at home has enabled us to have much more free time. It’s important to use the free time to heal (this is unprecedented after all), however, we can also use it to be productive. This is a great time to learn that skill or language you’ve always wanted to! So many companies are offering free classes, so why not take advantage!

Workout 

I am not going to lie, it can be so difficult sometimes to motivate yourself to workout, especially at home. However, if you do some form of physical activity, it can help your mental health and can keep you entertained. There are thousands of free workouts on YouTube and Instagram that you can try! You can even do a class virtually with a friend, being social while following the guidelines! Even if it is only for 15 minutes, doing some form of physical activity will help improve your daily life at home.

Try to get outside

Although everyone has “stay at home” orders, getting fresh air and seeing the sun is vital to both your physical and mental health. Even if you simply go for a walk around the block, just by getting outside, you will greatly improve your mental health for the day. We recommend incorporating this into your routine to make sure that you do it every day.

Do something for yourself 

This will differ for each person but try to take some time out of each day to do something that will give you peace. For some people, this can mean meditating, journaling, yoga, or taking a long bubble bath. Whatever it is that you need to do, take at least 15 minutes every day to do something for yourself. 

Plan ahead 

This doesn’t have to be concrete plans but having something to look forward to will help with your mental health. We recommend putting together a list of things that you want to do, places you want to visit, or restaurants and pubs you want to eat to give you something to look forward to. Although social distancing end dates continuously change, having a list and thinking about what you want to add to it can help to brighten your day. For example, my list includes visiting Colombia, Paintball with friends, and going on a party boat! 

FaceTime friends and family

Although we may not be able to see our friends and family in person, there are so many ways to keep in contact. Have a family or friend night each week to give you something to look forward to! You can set up a weekly call on FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype so that everyone can be seen and heard. Simply chat to check-in or play fun trivia games!

Have international night 

For those of you who love to travel like us, this is an exciting activity that you can do each week! Pick a country you have always wanted to visit, or perhaps one you have, and do an international night! Cook food from that country and then watch a movie that takes place there or has something to do with it. It’s a fun activity that incorporated your love for travel and gives you something to look forward to. You can even do this with friends via Zoom! This way you can stay connected while social distancing.

Eat healthy foods (i.e. incorporate fruits and vegetables)

It can be so tempting to simply eat frozen foods, snacks, and desserts. But is extremely important, especially now, to try to incorporate healthy food. Fruits and vegetables are vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and helping your immune system. 

Look towards the future

If you are like so many impacted by COVID-19, then you may have unfortunately been laid off. Rather than focus on the negative, it is important to look towards the future and perhaps re-evaluate what you want to do. Do you want to return to the same job, or perhaps try something new? Have you always wanted to teach English abroad? Why not prepare for that now? With this newfound time, it’s a great opportunity to work towards making that change you have always wanted to.

These are just a few ideas on how to stay motivated while social distancing. What are some things you have found to be helpful while staying at home?!