At this point in time, many of us are adjusting to being at home 24/7. With recent news that this lockdown could last until June, and social distancing could carry on into October, it’s very likely most of us will have a lot time on our hands. This situation isn’t in our hands, and so the only thing we can do is make the most of it.
If you’re running out of things to do, here are a few suggestions of things to do whilst at home.
Online learning
If you enjoy learning, you’re in luck because there are plenty of online courses available! The Open University provides some of its formal course material for free on its OpenLearn platform, where there are over 950 free courses available. LinkedIn Learning is another fantastic online learning tool where you can learn business, creative, and technology skills that can contribute to your personal and professional development. Although it’s not free, there is a one-month free trial, or you can login via your organisation. These are just examples of the many only online learning platforms available and there are plenty more that provide flexible study.
Catch up with friends
Social-distancing can become lonely, but a good way to overcome this loneliness is to keep in touch with others. Even though we can’t physically be with them, the internet means that we can remain in contact and see our friends. Facetime, Houseparty, Skype etc can be used to catch up with friends, especially those you haven’t caught up with in a while.
Watch an Instagram live
These past few weeks have demonstrated how creative people can be. There have been so many fun Instagram live events taking place, including producer clashes and live DJ sets. The enjoyment is endless! Seeing as we won’t be going out for a while, this is a good way to enjoy whilst in isolation.
Learn a language
Are you a Ghanaian who can’t speak any of the local languages fluently? Now would be a good time to brush up on your Twi/Fante/Ga etc. Memrise, Live Lingua, the upcoming Talking Drum Academy and a wide variety of YouTube videos are just a few of the online platforms that you can use to learn or improve your language skills.
Watch a film
With streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and now Disney +, there is a plethora of films to watch. There’s even a Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party where you can watch Netflix remotely with your friends. You can even make it a habit whereby you treat yourself to a movie night every Friday night until all of this is over.
Read a book
Perhaps you’re tired of looking at a screen all day, an alternative source of entertainment that won’t strain your eyes is reading. There are so many books in this world so there’s no way you can get bored. If you need suggestions of possible books to read, The Black Book Blog is a good place to start.
Exercise
Gyms may be closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t exercise at home. There are so many home workout plans available online and YouTube videos, so you can continue to work out and stay fit.
Try new recipes
This is the best time to learn new skills and acquire new taste. If you’re someone who enjoys eating, now would be a good time to learn to cook new meals. Alternatively, if you’re a Ghanaian but you don’t know how to cook Ghanaian food, use this time to learn! There are so many YouTube tutorial on making Bofrots, Meat Pie, Jollof Rice and other delicious Ghanaian delicacies. Kwaku's Kitchen also has a lot of good recipe's on instagram that you can try out.
Reflect
I’m sure that many of us wrote down the goals we want to achieve this year and now that things have slowed down a bit, there’s a perfect opportunity to reflect on those goals. If you didn’t write down any, now’s also the perfect time to do so. The year is definitely not over yet so there is still plenty of time to achieve those goals.
Relax
Life has slowed down a bit so it might be worth utilising this time to rest properly. I don’t think we’ll get a time like this again, so it may be worth taking things a bit slow for now before things become hectic again once everything calms down.
We hope you all continue to stay safe and make good use of your time at home!
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