For the most part, the majority of us have been dealing with the new shift in our lifestyles for a few weeks now. During this time, several of us have already found new ways to reconnect with our families, occupy ourselves and stay organized with our school work. Following up on my last blog post, I’m going to be sharing with you some of the ways I’ve been spending my free time all while maintaining my course loads, and perhaps inspire readers to try something new!

One of the most helpful ways I’ve found to keep myself organized with school is to create a college workspace at home. This is an area at my desk that I’ve created where I only do school work. By keeping the activities in this area strictly school-related, it’s easier for me to sit down and complete work at my desk. This also helps me get into the “mindset” of school, rather than just sitting at home and completing work, which definitely helps me complete assignments on time. However, the workspace area you choose doesn’t have to be a desk or even in your own room. Perhaps you would find it more helpful to do your homework in the kitchen, at the dining room table, or even in a spot in your basement. Regardless, the area you choose should only be used for school work. This way, when you sit down in this space, you are immediately in the mindset to complete work. 

Aside from school work, however, our new situations have definitely provided us with ample free time. Throughout this time, I’ve been able to reconnect with a few of my old hobbies as well as find some new and fun pastimes! I used to love drawing, but I became extremely busy once I went to college and stopped creating art. Now that I have more free time, I’ve been able to spend more time rediscovering this old hobby of mine. I also used to enjoy running and ran competitively throughout high school. Now that I have more time, I’ve been trying to regain my endurance by running more. However, if running isn’t your forte, I definitely encourage everyone to find a physical activity that they enjoy to take part in during this time. Physical activity is not only beneficial for your overall physical wellbeing, but it’s extremely important for your mental health as well, which is essential to maintain during times like these. Riding a bike, taking your dog for a walk and even fun things like rollerblading or jumping on a trampoline are all different ways to incorporate some exercise into your day all while improving your mental health. Something else I’ve been enjoying to occupy my time is driving around in my car and listening to music. Although I have no place to go, driving around is a great way to get out of your house and be by yourself for a short while. This may sound silly, but it really is a good way to have some alone time and venture away from your home for a while. 

Now that I’ve shared some of the ways I’ve been spending my time during quarantine, I encourage readers to rediscover old interests and try their best to maintain their course schedules. However, no one should feel pressured to be as productive as possible during new and confusing times like these. Although it’s beneficial to occupy your time, remember that it is just as useful to give yourself a break and focus on your own well-being!