19 Ways To Stay Busy And Calm While Under Self-Quarantine

Is your job asking you to work from home this month? Feeling a little cooped up? Don't worry, we got you.

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us some tips on how to stay home for a long stretch of time without getting cabin fever. Here are the results:

1. Set up a designated workspace that is for work time only. Make sure your family, roommates, and pets know not to bother you while you're in work mode.

FX

"Set aside a designated workspace. Don’t sit in your kitchen or bedroom or living room. Isolate a corner dedicated to work and ONLY work. SET. BOUNDARIES. If you have kids or a partner, be FIRM that your work time is your WORK TIME and just because you’re home right now doesn’t mean you’re available. —sarahs4b6b11299

2. Keep to a strict sleep schedule that works for you. It's really easy to lose track of time when you're in one place all the time.

CBS

"If that means setting an alarm, do it. If it means going to bed early, do it. But don't fall into the trap of waking up and going to sleep whenever. That's how you accidentally stay awake for three days." —christineharber

3. Watch yoga videos on YouTube to help you stay active and flexible.

youtube.com

"Work-from-homer here! I do yoga via YouTube. I also have a box for jumps in my garage, exercise bands, and a full weight rack in there." —sarahs4b6b11299

Adriene Mishler is one of the most-followed yoga teachers on YouTube, with more than 1.6 million subscribers. Fans like that she has lots of specialized classes, like "Yoga for Anxiety." She also has more basic videos for beginners. Learn about more yoga YouTube channels here.

4. Prepare yourself for alone time by stocking up on entertainment and comfort. That means lots of blankets!

Anthropologie

"The day before, I plan everything out. I’ll stock up on books, DVDs, FOOD, and blankets. Also, DARKNESS. I’ll be cuddled up watching a rom-com, eating junk food, with like 100,000 blankets on me!" —gabbyisawizard

Get the fuzzy blanket pictured above from Anthropologie for $98 (available in four colors).

5. Use a grocery delivery service like Instacart to make sure you still have access to all the food you need.

instagram.com

—Jennifer Tonti

Instacart just announced a new feature called "Leave at My Door Delivery” that is exactly as it sounds. You’ll receive a photo confirmation once your groceries make it to your front door.

6. Start your morning routine like normal. That means showering, getting dressed, putting on makeup (if you do that sort of thing), and attending to any other Outdoor Person needs.

Universal Pictures

"I'm here in China (in Beijing) and have been mostly indoors since late January due to coronavirus. Some people who felt they were falling into depression being alone all day found it worked for them to dress up, put makeup on like usual, etc., just like they were going to the office." —smogmonster

7. Grab a really good book that catches your attention immediately. Nothing passes the time quite like a really engrossing story.

Tor

"Really immersive books are always my go-to!! What is immersive really varies for everyone, but I always find a series more so than a standalone because it allows you to follow characters as they grow and develop. I personally recommend the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy but there are tons out there!" —kyliea46da8fc4c

IMO, the best books for passing time are mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, or any narrative-driven stories. If you need a good page-turner fantasy series, I recommend the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab. It has magic, amazing world-building, and pirates!

8. If you really hate cooking, lean on your microwave to do all the heavy lifting. There are a surprising amount of things you can make with that thing!

theviewfromgreatisland.com

—Samantha Wieder

Get the recipe for that mug mac 'n' cheese here. A check out some recipes you can just make in the microwave.

9. Don't forget you're not a vampire: Try to get as much sunshine as possible. Open curtains, take a short walk, or head up to your roof if you have access to one.

Hemdale Film Corporation

"I've found that getting sun exposure is really important. I open all the curtains and get as much sun as possible, or walk outside for a while if I can." —smogmonster

Psst! If you find yourself really lacking in the sunlight category, try this clock ($46.99) that simulates sunrises.

10. Stay connected with your friends via calls, texts, Slack, Skype, or any other mode of communication. It helps a lot, even if you're just swapping pictures of cool chihuahuas back and forth with friends on Instagram.

Comedy Central

"Stay active on social media. This is imperative when you’re all alone. It’s easy to lose your social skills." —misspsychoscorpio

11. Spread out your chores so that you can designate one important task per day. It'll give each day some structure, and it'll be easier for you to tell the days apart.

Nickelodeon

"I’m in the middle of the lockdown in Rome and we can only (or are supposed to) just leave home for work. At night I work in the city and in the day I work from home (I hand-paint leather purses). In between painting/waiting for it to dry, I like to dedicate each day to doing one thing. Like, today I’m going to meal-prep, cutting vegetables, making soups and meatballs to freeze. Tomorrow I’ll do laundry and clean a little and organize. And I definitely wear my comfy house clothes and slippers and watch Netflix while doing all of this!" —pandabear14

12. If you can't go into nature, bring it home with you! Having a houseplant will freshen the air and brighten your day.

Rebecca O'Connell / BuzzFeed

"Get yourself a plant friend (or three). They will help to clean the air and brighten the mood! Make sure you have everything plant babies need (good soil, soil amendments, etc.) to give them the best chance to thrive." —hamkatgreenthumb

Check out the best places to buy a plant online.

13. Use a website like Fitness Blender and watch workout videos to help you keep up your fitness routine. Plus, having some people on the screen can help you feel less isolated.

youtube.com

"Fitness Blender is the best for at-home workouts. Over 600 free videos, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and a half, plenty with no equipment but usually nothing more than an optional set of dumbbells and a mat. Plus, the instructors are a totally relatable, lovely couple you don’t mind working out with." —aviliokatherine

14. Learn a skill or hobby, like coding or a new language. It'll fill the time and make you feel more productive.

instagram.com

"Try Duolingo and compete with friends and family to learn the most German during your two-week quarantine, or get one of those free coding apps and learn Python. You'll feel a little less listless and come out of it with something worthwhile." —pks0

15. Make your home feel like a luxurious and comforting oasis that you never want to leave. Hard to feel trapped when you're loving your location so much!

HBO

"Make your home a place you don’t want to leave. As for WFH, it works for me because I am a private, introverted person, but it also works because I designated a room as the office, have sufficient supplies, and adequate equipment with fast Wi-Fi. I also like to keep a show like The Office on the background to fill the silence. I also make a point to step away from my desk for lunch and get a coffee treat either for breakfast or afternoon at least once a week (the coffee, not the lunch)." —andsoitis000

Read more on how to make every room in your home more comfortable.

16. Keep a rigid schedule. Maybe now is the time to get super organized and try out bullet journaling?

Rachel W. Miller / Ellie Sunakawa / BuzzFeed

"Have a daily routine, like get up, get dressed, and then proceed with the day. Make up the bed. Have a schedule of days you do certain things, too. Like Friday night is movie night, or on Thursdays you sweep, mop, and vacuum. Set aside self-care time every day: working out, writing, taking a long bath. Plan for your leisure. Like, 'I am done with work at such and such, so I can sit down and do desirable activity X.' Designate spaces for different activities, so your work and your leisure time are separate in your mind. Try new things if you can: a craft, a recipe, a sex position... It is really easy to just slip into stir-crazy, pajama-clad sloth, so try to be mindful while allowing yourself to refresh." —mrskte1

"I love being home as much as possible! I think the biggest thing is to have some structure. Get up and wash your face, put on real clothes, have real meals at set times. Going on walks is a good idea too; it’s a good way to get fresh air and break up your day but still avoid germs (since we are all trying to do that right now). Set up a cozy spot in the sun to read a good book with a cup of tea. Make a schedule to call an old friend or family member a different day of every week. Being home is the best!" —halliecolegrovem

If this sounds like a lot of work, maybe a planner could help! Buy a bullet planner here ($8.64) and learn how to start the process here.

17. Meditate! There are a lot of apps out there like Calm and Headspace ready to help you get started.

instagram.com

—grant101010

Studies have shown that meditation can help with learning, memory, and emotion regulation. It's also linked to brain cell growth in your prefrontal cortex (the decision-making part of the brain). So in other words, your brain is totally gonna thank you for meditating every day. Learn more about what happens to your brain when you meditate.

18. Play a video game that simply insists that you keep playing it. RPGs and open-world sandbox games are generally good options because they tend to be sliiightly life-consuming. Speaking as someone who has put 100-plus hours into Stardew Valley...you should play Stardew Valley.

stardewvalley.net

—giuliettadec

Other games that completely consumed my life are: My Time at Portia, Breath of the Wild, and Dragon Quest Builders 2.

19. And most importantly: Stay positive! Sometimes just having a good outlook on the situation is all you need.

Cartoon Network

"I started working remotely (from home) last fall. Being someone who is very social and who enjoys being around people/going into an office every day, I was very nervous to make the change. I did it, though, because I wanted the chance to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams, which was to move to NYC. So not only do I work from home, but I do it in a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan!

A large part of anything in life is the way in which you choose to view it. I could choose to view working from home as stifling, and look at the negative aspects of it. However, I instead choose to look at it for the positives that it brings. For example, if I am not busy I can work out in the middle of the day. I can cook all of my meals and not spend as much money buying lunch at the office every day. I can do things like my laundry and food shopping during the day, when it is less busy because everyone else is at work. If you look at working from home for the positive things you get out of it, it makes it all seem that much more worth it." —mackattack1010

Want to be featured in similar BuzzFeed posts? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter!