You’re at home, or in quarantine, and need to keep yourself active and productive. Here are 21 activities that you’ll be glad you did when it all gets back to normal.

For many, this lockdown period has given us more time on our hands than we’ve ever had. Time which we never thought we would have.

This free time presents us with opportunities to do things which we’ve always wanted to do or like to do more of depending on our individual circumstances. I think it makes sense for us to be productive with this time and do things that are meaningful to us.

This posts reviews a number of productive activities which you can undertake.

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21 THINGS TO DO DURING QUARANTINE

So, let’s get stuck into twenty-one productive things you can do during your time at home in quarantine or in lockdown… you’ll be glad you did.

1. READ THAT BOOK (SERIES) YOU’VE BEEN PUTTING OFF

First on the list, is very much where you should be starting. I like nothing more than immersing myself in a book, concentrating fully on the book, its characters and its storyline without distractions. We have that opportunity now. Books exercise the brain, build our vocabularies, lowers stress and also enhances the imagination. Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, buy yourself some books and start reading more this week. There really is no excuse as you can buy used books on Amazon for next to nothing. Don’t forget, if you prefer audio, audiobooks might be the way forward for you. If you’re a pharmaceutical marketer, here is a list of books to consider.

2. WATCH A DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON NETFLIX

This activity is a potential trap. Whilst watching a stimulating TV series on Netflix passes time, it can do so in an unproductive manner and you might find yourself binge-watching programmes that won’t really help you in any way, other than waste the free time you have. I’d suggest that, alongside your normal TV watching habits, invest time in watching documentaries and learn about your favourite subjects. You may choose to watch a documentary series on Netflix which you have never taken an interest in before, which is great. The cost of a Netflix subscription is minimal and there are many factual programmes which you can get stuck into during quarantine.

3. KEEP A BLOG/JOURNAL

Keeping track of your thoughts, activities and learnings is always a good idea - and a highly productive one at that. You might look back at this time and process your memories or even process your thoughts for the day or the week that has passed. You can do this privately on your computer, mobile or even better in a notebook. Consider going a step further and set up a personal blog that takes those daily experiences and turns them into weekly or monthly posts for others to read and learn from. Either way, putting pen to paper once a day could be 15 minutes well spent.

4. ENROL ON A FREE COURSE

Enrolling on a course and successfully passing tests and assignments will help build up your knowledge-base as well as your CV. The Open University, for example, offers a wide range of foundation-level courses for anyone to enrol for free and start learning from their catalogue of courses from history and the arts to society, politics and law. A free profile on the OpenLearn website gives you access to your personal learning profile and record of achievements that you earn while you study. There are also a range of other courses you can learn from. Take a look at FutureLearn or Edx for other providers.

5. LEARN A NEW SKILL

Building up your qualifications by enrolling in courses can also be accompanied by learning new skills. This could be learning the rules of a game (Chess is a good example from my own list) or how to play an instrument… or anything at all that takes time to get to grips with. Practising an instrument I think can be good fun, and it’s also an inventive way to keep yourself entertained and constantly learning. This is the case when picking up a new instrument or upgrading your skills with an instrument you might have played all of your life. Skoove offers free piano lessons during the outbreak.

6. SET UP A WORKOUT ROUTINE

How long have we all been looking to begin this activity? If you work out regularly, you will know that the key to a successful and consistent workout regime is routine. And I don’t need to tell you about the benefits of working out and keeping fit. Can you get your hands on some basic gym accessories? You actually don’t even need such equipment if you follow some of the workout videos available on YouTube, such as the Joe Wicks routine for which a few of my colleagues here at Orientation Marketing are undertaking. This particular workout routine has also recently been awarded a Guinness World Record for the number of live viewers to a workout.

7. COMPLETE A DAILY PUZZLE

Another great way to get the mind working first thing. Like reading books, solving puzzles offer a range of benefits: Improved memory, better problem-solving skills and increased IQ are just some of them. This sort of brain training can take many forms, such as jigsaws, Sudoku puzzles or crosswords which can be found/purchased easily and cheaply. You can also visit the App Store/Play Store on your mobile and access a range of games that stimulate the mind. Set 30 minutes to try a puzzle each day. You don’t even need to complete them, just setting a designated time and then aiming to complete the puzzle in the allocated time is enough.

8. MEDITATE

It’s important to be mindful of your surroundings as well as your wellbeing whilst in quarantine, and meditation might help you get a bit of peace of mind in times of uncertainty. Find a quiet space, light some candles and clear your mind with some therapeutic meditation music - more info here. Meditation is one of the best things you can do right now to relieve stress and improve your wellbeing. Aura and Headspace both offer help if you are new to meditation and mindfulness.

9. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS AND PAST COLLEAGUES

We’re isolated from the people we usually spend time with but we can be connected with them via more means more than ever before. Make time to catch-up and have a virtual drink with your friends and family. Use the time to speak to relatives that you might not have spoken to in a while - maybe look to find out via those family members about great-great-grandparents who lived through wars as well as pandemics.

I also feel that reconnecting with past colleagues is a great idea. You would have spent a lot of time with these people in previous roles and might have grown apart as you move on in your career. But make that effort to find those who you’d love to catch up with - they’re in the same position as you so a virtual beer is likely an appealing idea for both.

10. ATTEND TO THE GARDEN

Yes, I’m afraid now is the time to attend those garden jobs and chores. Your busy lifestyle usually means that things in the garden do not get done but now you don’t have that excuse. I had to face up to this reality, but once I had started doing some basic work in the garden I actually started to enjoy it. Tidying up your garden, repainting your fences and any other jobs that need doing in your garden can be done over a period of time when you feel like it and when the weather is good.

11. START A DIY PROJECT

If gardening in your free time sounds appealing, go one step further and start a DIY project. Just fixing (or learning how to fix) general things around the house may be enough for you. After. it will become apparent that it’s more than just the light bulb that needs fixing… the more time you spend at home, the more you’ll realise how much work there is to be done! With all the spare time on your hands, there’s no better time to start filtering through those odd jobs that you just never got around to. If this is how you’d like to spend your time, enrol in a DIY-related course to tackle even bigger projects in and around your home.

12. GET ARTISTIC

DIY and gardening not quite right for you, but you’d like to do something creative? Art and crafts is a great way to express yourself, learn a new skill, and help you see ordinary things in a whole new way and channel your creativity. You can paint canvasses, doodle on a sketchpad or draw in adult colouring books. Go a step further in this respect and take up knitting, candle-making and jewellery-making. Explore the various websites that offer starter kits and ideas on arts and crafts activities you can undertake during this period of increased downtime.

13. EXPERIMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Sure, you use Facebook to connect with your friends and family and use LinkedIn for your professional profile to keep track of your professional network. You also might use Twitter and Instagram occasionally. But you can do so much more and experiment with the platforms available to you as well as connect with like-minded people on those platforms.

Why not sign up to Pinterest (active monthly users 322 million) which is a sharing platform with some of the most popular content including fashion, food, decor, wedding, workout and DIY-related pins. On the other hand, Reddit (430 active monthly users) might be better suited for you, which consists of discussion communities for you to discover and discuss new content. Or you might want something a little more fun and feel Snapchat (360 active monthly users) is worthy of experimenting on and accessing user-generated content, behind-the-scenes videos, exclusive offers and influencer takeovers, as well as connecting to other friends on the platform.

14. LISTEN TO MORE MUSIC

In your normal office environments, it’s likely that you would listen to radio channels or no music at all. When working from home or in quarantine, you don’t have this restriction and can listen to anything you want. Why not spend time working through music albums, listening to new and potentially undiscovered music? You can listen to new music from your favourite genres or find a list of best albums for the genre and listen to them all, or even work your way through Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. You could even rate all of the albums in a spreadsheet (or social media) as you go along as well as create your own Spotify playlists. I’d also consider listening to more podcasts or audiobooks from #1.

15. MEMORISE THE PERIODIC TABLE

(Another one from my own list.) Set yourself a challenge and memorise the periodic table of elements. This is the tabular display of the chemical elements, which are arranged by atomic number, electron configuration and recurring chemical properties, which together in the table show periodic trends. There’s a lot to learn and to memorise here… perfect!

16. VOLUNTEER

With many furloughed or having limited hours of work, volunteering might be the most productive and rewarding route for you. But with the restrictions currently in place, you cannot go far and come into contact with people and you might feel that your options are limited. Perhaps so. This doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t any volunteering opportunities available to you.

The NHS is currently taking on volunteer staff. You can also look out for your neighbours and offer your help with shopping and other errands, or even look to do errands for those in the NHS who are working extremely hard to keep us all safe. Charities are also working with governments and local authorities to create ways for people to get involved. If you feel this is the route for you, speak to your local health board or council to understand what your options are - and let me personally say thank you for considering doing so!

Alternatively, you can consider freelancing online, using your skills to make a little bit of money on the side.

17. GO WALKING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE (IF YOU CAN)

Take advantage of the countryside that might surround you. Daily exercise and sunshine are two of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health and providing that you are not breaking self-quarantining rules - such as walking in groups and not staying two meters away from others - you should set aside this as one of your primary routines. Doing so amongst nature will really make you a happier person, which will also help you boost your immune system, reduce anxiety as well as improve your athletic performance.

18. LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

How many times have you said that you’d like to learn a new language? I’m sure you have many times over the years. Well, now you have time to do so. With apps like Memrise and Duolingo, you can do so easily and at no cost or you can consider hiring a private tutor on a platform like Preply.

19. CATCH UP ON YOUR SLEEP

Those early mornings and late nights that make up our usual routines sometimes take their toll on us. During this period own increased downtime, be sure to sleep enough. Undertaking some of the activities on this list will help you sleep naturally, but ensure that you are going to bed at a reasonable time (and not binge-watching on Netflix as mentioned in #2). This is the time to ensure you are getting 8 hours of sleep per night and you’ll feel invigorated because of it.

20. REVIEW OR CREATE YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Much of the above focus on non-professional and work-related activities that you can do, and still be productive. However, from a long-term perspective, it makes sense to also work on your professional capabilities and skills that you can offer your employer and future employers. We don’t know how long the lockdown period, or even the pandemic, will last in its current state. Working environments might look very different when this does happen, therefore, it is important that your skills and abilities fit the market and role you operate within. Always keep your personal development plan near and work to improve your personal and professional situation. Reading books and enrolling on a course might be enough… either way, always keep this in mind in case there are surprises later on.

21. FORM A ROUTINE FOR YOUR NEW ACTIVITIES

Finally, and perhaps most importantly… be sure to write down a routine (with timescales) of the activities which you will be doing and trying for the first time on a weekly basis. Stick to your routine and form the habits to keep you working and keep you productive during this lockdown.

DON’T STOP THERE…

This post features a list of productive things to do whilst being stuck at home and in quarantine for anyone in any industry. Get started with some of these activities right away.

Orientation Marketing Insights is a blog for pharmaceutical and life science marketing and sales professionals, and we’ve eluded from listing productive things to do in your professional lives. But there are lots of things you can also do…

Such as sign up to relevant industry blogs and newsletters, access other e-books and webinar content as well as fine-tune your marketing plan or your brand proposition. Use this time wisely, and also, acknowledge the people around us who are working to keep everything as normal as possible.