5 Things to Do at Home
Hey TEDxErs!
We hope that you have been having a wonderful and safe break, practicing social distancing during this time :)
We know that quarantine can sometimes feel claustrophobic and unproductive, especially after being in the rhythm of working hard during school. So to help, we thought we might provide some ideas of things that you could do during this time of self-isolation and turn it into a time of self-reflection and productivity!
Here are five things we have been doing to keep us busy during these past few days and hopefully they serve as inspiration for what you can do with free time during the rest of quarantine.
Read for pleasure
Reading books can be an escape from everyday life, a skillful tool to learn something new or an opportunity to relax as a story carries you away. However, with all of the reading that goes into reading for classes, it is easy to give yourself time to read on topics that interest you on the side. Whether that be a mystery/thriller that has you flipping through pages rapidly or a nonfiction personal growth book that will help you polish your leadership skills, pick a book and read away. At TEDxUTAustin we have many readers, so we decided to make a book club! During the first week of spring-break, we read “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and we absolutely loved it. Our next read is “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and it is already looking like a crowd favorite!
2. Watch movies and shows
Maybe there’s been a list of films you’ve been wanting to catch up on the past few months. Or maybe you haven’t seen the award-winning movie Parasite yet. Or maybe you’re just trying to find something to help pass the time while in the comfort of your own bed. Either way, this is the prime time to get cracking on all those films. You could even host a movie club with your friends via Facetime to pick apart and discuss your favorite scenes! Within our TEDxUTAustin team, we’ve formed a movie club in which we vote upon a new movie and later discuss the film with each other. This week’s pick: Green Book. Or, if you want to set up a movie date with your friends, be sure to download the Netflix Party chrome extension, so you can be sure to watch the movie at the same time.
3. Journaling
A relaxing and enjoyable way to find order in the midst of uncertainty and chaos these times may bring is journaling. This practice looks different for everyone and can be done in many ways! It can involve writing down your thoughts and feelings, practicing gratitude by writing thinks you are thankful for every day, jotting down ideas or goals you have for the future and overall connecting with your inner self. It is a great way to debrief or keep track of habits! Give it a try by making this practice a time for yourself, put on good music, breath deeply and let a pen lead the way.
4. Exercise at Home
With gyms and exercise studios being closed, we have had to recur to online or at-home exercising to keep up our endorphin needs. But the good thing is that many studios and fitness instructors give online content completely free! They require little to no equipment so you can do the work at home with no problem. Additionally, try going for a walk to get some steps in, being outside is bound to ease any quarantine stress. Anything that gets your body moving will be a great break from your everyday routine. Here are some of our favorite sites so you can start today:
Blogilates: https://www.blogilates.com/workout/
Corepower Yoga: https://www.corepoweryogaondemand.com/keep-up-your-practice
Yoga with Adrienne: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene/featured
Mad Fit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQ34afVgk8cRQBjSJ1xuJQ/videos
5. Learn a New Skill/Hobby
During this time to yourself, you may feel bored. But learning is always an excellent way to stimulate your mind and keep yourself active. You could always use this time to pick up a new hobby or a skill that you might’ve seen on TikTok and thought was really neat. Don’t quite know where to start? There’s an online website called Skillshare where you can learn a range of creative skills. From photography to design to illustration, they have it! What’s better is that the first two months are free! Otherwise, you could also pick up cooking and baking. There’s nothing more exciting than learning to perfect a new dish for the first time. More than that, it’s always fun to snack on something, especially if you’re the one that made it.
Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com/
What the team has been up to:
Those are just some of the things that we’ve found to be fun and mindful to do around the house! We hope you found something appealing to try out amongst our recommendations.
As you may or may not have heard, the university has moved all of its classes online and has encouraged students to practice social distancing and quarantining during this time of uncertainty for preventative measures relating to COVID-19. In response to COVID-19 concerns and campus shutdown, the TEDxUTAustin 2020 Spring Conference, Break Through, will no longer be taking place. We are incredibly thankful to our speakers, teams, and sponsors for all the time and effort they’ve put into this event. We would also like to thank you, for supporting the progress of our conference throughout the year. TED is all about ideas worth spreading, and our team will be working hard to continue this mission, so please continue to keep an eye out for future events and blog posts!
We hope everyone stays safe during this time, and thank you for all the support!
Until next time we connect,
-TEDxUTAustin