80 Things to Do During Self Isolation

I think we’re all at that point of self isolation where we’re running out of things to do. Unlike many, I don’t have kids, but like so many my age and I’ve moved into my parent’s house rather than stay on my own.

As such, I thought I would create a list of 80 things you can do during self isolation to keep boredom at bay.

80 things to do during self isolation

Some are silly, some are serious. But all of them are optional and easy to do. I’ve split them into ten categories to make them easier to choose from.

Use your books

• Read books you’ve been meaning to for ages
• Reorganise your bookshelves
• Start an online book club via Facebook, Twitter, or with friends and family
• Write a list of every book you’ve ever read or film you’ve ever seen
• Write a list of every book you want to read or film you want to see

Learn something new

• Bake a new cake
• Try a new recipe online or with what you can find in your cupboards
• Download DuoLingo and attempt to learn a language
• Join Skillshare and learn a new skill
• Create a class on Skillshare or via YouTube

Self-isolation & self-care

• Have a luxurious bath or shower with all the skin products you can find
• Have a nap
• Burn some candles and create ambience
• Paint your toenails and fingernails in extreme colours
• Give yourself a new haircut or colour
• Have a decent stretch
• Stand in the fresh air, or by your open window, and have a five-minute deep breathing session

Re-decorate your house

• Spring clean your entire house
• Re-arrange your furniture
• Change the photos in your photo frames to freshen up the house
• Colour coordinate your wardrobe or bookshelves
• Attempt a Home DIY – see these channels for inspiration
• Do basic DIY on the house like tightening screws on furniture, greasing doors, filling in holes, etc
• Deep clean your bathroom
• Wash your curtains or other household linens
• Put all of your food into glass mason jars and create a Pinterest kitchen

Get fit

• Take a Joe Wicks PE class
• Find an online yoga class or free Instagram session to take up Yoga, Pilates, or Meditation
• Start meditating
• Try to hit a minimum of 5,000 steps a day – download an app or use a step tracker to count
• Try being vegetarian for a day

Use self-isolation to be creative

• Start or develop a YouTube Channel
• Start or develop a blog
• Write poetry, short stories, a novella, or begin a novel
• Curate your Spotify playlist
• Order photos via FreePrint and start an album
• Create a vision board or vision book with newspapers, magazines, and images around the house
• Start a daily diary
• Curate some Pinterest boards
• Start taking photographs for Instagram
• Start a capsule wardrobe – or research how to
• Use your daily walk to take photos of the outdoors and share them online
• Submit a piece of writing to an online website, or pitch an idea to a magazine, newspaper, or website
• Try something new – like listening to audiobooks, doing pilates, or singing in the shower

Entertain yourself

• Buy a Disney+ subscription and watch Disney movies from your childhood
• Have a movie marathon of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or some other film series
• Have a dance to your favourite song
• If you have a games console, play a game
• Re-watch a favourite TV series

Use self-isolation to get organised

• Find new podcasts to listen to and delete old ones you no longer like
• Cull your social media followers lists on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc
• Update your address book on your phone
• Reorganise your kitchen cupboards
• Go through junk drawers, your loft, or storage boxes and have a clear-out
• Go through your wardrobe and linen cupboards and bag things up for charity you no longer need
• Write a meal plan for the week
• Write a to-do list or a 7-day challenge list for the week
• Transfer the photos on your phone to the cloud or to your computer to clear space on your phone
• Water all of your plants and make sure they’re healthy
• Plan a vacation for 2021
• Create a list on List Challenges
• Edit your CV
• Look through old photos and organise them into themes or by year
• Curate your Netflix and Amazon Prime watch lists
• Do your tax return
• Go through your bank accounts to make sure that you’re not paying old Direct Debits or losing money in any way
• Create a list of birthdays for all of your friends and family and set reminders
• Think of Christmas presents for everyone
• Separate your recycling from your waste

How to stay social

• Phone a friend or family member
• Organise an online quiz via Zoom or HouseParty with friends and family
• Begin daily vlogging via Instagram stories to stay socially active
• Organise a dinner with friends over Zoom/House Party and have a catch-up
• Have after-work drinks with your colleagues via Zoom

Give back where you can

• Put reviews on Amazon, Waterstones, and other online stores you use
• Paint a picture of a rainbow and put it on your window
• Volunteer with your local food bank or for the NHS – if you’re able to
• Raise awareness for small businesses and freelancers online
• Look into fostering or adopting a pet post-Corona
• Stay safe, stay home

Can you recommend anything else to do while in self-isolation? Let me know in the comments below.

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