Humans are social beings who need to be surrounded by other people, so the feeling of being isolated does not seem natural. But there are times when you are forced to be stuck indoors.
Maybe you need some time alone after a traumatic event; maybe you’re recovering from an injury or illness. And maybe you’re simply staying home to avoid the pandemic situation outside. Whatever the reason, it’s normal to feel lonely and bored. But recent research shows that this can lead to unhealthy habits.
Your routine doesn’t have to be boring. Here are six perfect hobbies to always have something to do inside.
1. Paint the Time Away
Painting is a worthwhile hobby because it can be practiced with materials that aren’t so expensive, and it just requires you to exercise your creativity. While indoors, your mind can travel far and wide.
Here are some tips to start on the right foot:
- Decide what you want to paint before choosing your materials. While an abstract drawing can be done with whatever you have on hand, painting a particular landscape may require specific colors and paints.
- Instead of choosing a single medium, try to vary and experiment with acrylics, oils or watercolors, and materials like charcoal sticks or pastel pencils.
- You can also choose different types of canvas and brushes. Over time you will understand the need to have the right materials.
- If it’s just a hobby, your creativity is the limit. But if you want to put your heart into it, try to study different painting styles or the work of an artist you like a lot, to understand the use of colors, the choice of themes, etc.
2. Grab a Book
You know that book you bought months ago, or received as a gift, and left it closed since then? Well, this is the right time to read it. Reading is a worthwhile hobby to spend time on while indoors, especially if you live alone and have no distractions.
Search for deals in bookstores (physical or virtual) to ensure a good supply of titles. You can stave off boredom by varying your choices: if you usually read self-help books, challenge yourself to read a good love story or thriller, and vice versa.
Don’t forget to wear proper glasses when reading. Glasses frames for any activity are the ones to aim for in terms of versatility between other activities or tasks.
If you’re not in the habit of reading, try listening to an audiobook instead.
3. Workout
You can take advantage of the time stuck at home to stay in shape. This tip also goes for when winter starts and brings that natural laziness to go to the gym.
Here are some ways to exercise inside:
- Adopt reduced mini-workout programs, with exercises for multiple muscle groups at once (such as squats or push-ups), in smaller sessions of 15-20 minutes.
- Always warm-up before exercising. Take advantage of being at home and put on that song you like to dance and jump around.
- Without the variety of machines at the gym, use whatever is within your reach: do heavy cleaning, walk up and down the steps, etc.
4. Get Social
Technology has helped reduce the feeling of loneliness by connecting us remotely through social media and video conferencing apps. But spending too much time in virtual environments can become an unhealthy habit.
Instead of arguing and wasting time on social media, use your free time to volunteer online and help with charity campaigns. You can also participate in other interactions remotely, such as games and quizzes. Joining virtual groups to talk about music and films can be fun, but always check if it’s taking more of your time (and patience) than it should.
5. Spend Quality Time
If you already spend too much time online, it might be the right moment to spend some quality time with family members or other residents.
Take advantage of the time spent at home to pay more attention to your partner or children that you don’t normally see because you are away working. Or gather the whole family for indoor activities, such as a board game.
In case you’re still remotely committed to home office or studies, take advantage of certain moments of the day, such as meals, to “disconnect” and talk to the people who live with you.
6. Start a Side Business
How about turning your hobby into a side business and earning some money while indoors?
Take a look at some of these quick and simple ways to make money from home:
- Sell ??items you no longer need on eBay or Craigslist. With more people indoors, more potential consumers are looking for things to buy on these sites.
- Rent out some unused space in your home, such as a bedroom or garage.
- If you spend a lot of time on Facebook or Instagram, try working on managing social media for small businesses.
- Start a blog on paywalled platforms and produce quality content to generate engagement (and income).
- Take advantage of the free time to get that book idea out of the drawer and then sell it as an e-book instead of publishing traditionally.
- Offer your skills in writing, photography, video editing, and other things you can do remotely on freelance platforms.
- Take up a hobby like sewing to become a local designer
Your Life Doesn’t Have to Get Stuck
Just because you are stuck indoors doesn’t mean you have to stop living. Your routine doesn’t have to be stuck with you. By taking up one of these hobbies, you’ll find that the time spent in isolation will become even more productive.
The important thing is to stay active, and not just physically. Feelings of loneliness and isolation can lead to unhealthy practices, such as overeating, spending the whole time on social media, or developing symptoms of depression.
