9 Ways to Thrive While Stuck at Home

Stuck at home? You don’t have to be bored and feel like you are in prison.

There are ways to thrive when stuck at home, whether it is because you are sick, caring for someone sick, need to save money, or are stuck in your house for social distancing.

Things to do when stuck at home

1 – Get outside!

If you have a way to get outside, the sunshine will do your mind and body wonders.  It doesn’t matter if you have acres and acres to play on or just a tiny little patio or balcony. 

Get outside your front or back door, and soak in the sunshine. 

Cold outside? Dress appropriately. 

I have been known to grab a camping chair and book and read while it is super cold outside.  I’ll wear my hat, ski coat, and multiple layers.  An hour later, I’ll feel incredibly refreshed, even with the crisp air.

Activities you can do outside, even if you are stuck at home:

• Play games in your yard.
• Put up a slackline.
• Create an obstacle course.  Let your imagination run wild!
• Have races with your family members (or your dog).
• Use sidewalk chalk in your driveway or on your sidewalk.

2 – Craft time / house project time

Often times, life doesn’t allow us the freedom to sit and do crafts we enjoy or start projects that have been our to-do lists forever.  If you are stuck at home, use this opportunity to make something special.

You can even get ahead on homemade gifts for kids for birthdays or Christmas or homemade gifts for family and friends. 

Crafts not your thing? Do a home repair or project that has been hanging over you for a while. 

Now is the perfect time to catch up, especially if you feel well and already have the supplies on hand.

Need ideas? Crafts and projects you can do when stuck at home:

• Make a board game
• Do a daily craft challenge
• Finish a big project
• Create puppets and then do a puppet show
• Look up random national holidays and make a craft around it
• Make a nature craft
• Make any clothing repairs
• Learn a new skill like sewing, crochet, knitting, etc.
• Make a scrapbook

Related post: Organize your craft room

3 – Family time

If you are stuck at home, chances are you have a lot more opportunities for family time.  Take advantage of this time.  Relish in it.  Don’t fight it.

I don’t particularly love getting on the floor and just playing with my kids, but I do love doing actual activities with them (hey, don’t judge me). 

One of my favorite things to do is have designated family time nights. 

For example, we do a family movie night with homemade pizzas every Friday and like to do board games or Wii games on Saturday nights.  These ideas are generally free activities, and even making the pizzas gets the whole family involved!

Other family activities you can do when stuck at home:

• Board games
• Card games
• Find a series to watch together. (Our family LOVES Master Chef Jr.)
• Read a book out loud (We like to read books that are movies and then watch the movie when done.)
• Take advantage of free online culture options (virtual museum tours, etc.)
• Make a craft together
• Have a picnic together
• Set up a tent in the back yard

4 – Solitary time

If you are stuck at home and live with other people, it will be important to incorporate some solitary time into your schedule.   

It’s OK to give yourself some self-care and don’t feel guilty for taking it!

Go to another part of the house, if at all possible.  If that’s not possible, declare you are taking some time to yourself.  Go ahead and pop in headphones with some relaxing music, so you aren’t distracted by everything around you.

Activities you can do for some alone time when stuck at home:

• Write a letter
• Read a book
• Join an online book club
• Take a nap
• Call a friend
• Finish a project
• Journal (traditional journal or video journal)
• Organize your photos (either physical or on your phone)

5 – Declutter your home

If you are stuck at home with a lot of time on your hands, this may be the perfect time to finally declutter your home. 

A cleaner, clutter-free home will make you feel more relaxed and calmer inside your home, even in the craziest of times!

Not sure where to start?

• Check out this decluttering workbook with over 60 pages of information and 20+ checklists for all the rooms in your home

6 – Learning time

There may become a time when you are stuck at home that you start to feel like your brain is melting from boredom! If this is the case, work a little learning time into your day. 

Learning will awaken your mind and give you something to focus on for a while. 

Here are a few ideas for learning when stuck at home:

• Real-life learning activities you can do with kids (cooking, meal planning, budgeting, laundry, gardening, counting money, etc.)
• Learn about single-use plastics and make an effort to reduce them in your home (Check out this get started guide)
• Watch tutorials for a topic of choice on YouTube
• Take an online course. 

7 – Cook

A lot of people didn’t learn how to cook when growing up.  That can make heading off to college or adulthood a very scary thing. 

Take the time from being stuck at home to teach your kids how to cook.  Teach them how to plan a meal, make substitutions, measure out ingredients, chop vegetables, cut meats and cook properly. 

No kids? Teach yourself how to cook!

Watch a YouTube cooking show, get a new cookbook from the library, or look up a new recipe online.  The more you practice, the better you will get.

Fun cooking activities when stuck at home:

• Play a cooking game with a mystery box.  Make a new recipe with the ingredients available.
• Learn common ingredient substitutions and tweak a recipe
• Have kids practice looking up recipes in an index, getting all the ingredients out and putting together a simple meal
• Take an online cooking or baking course

8 – Exercise

You don’t need an expensive gym to get regular exercise.  There are many ways to exercise at home for cheap or free.  

Exercise is great for the mind and body too.  If you are feeling stir-crazy, it can greatly change your mood.  Use this time of being stuck at home to finally get in shape!

Fun activities for exercise when stuck at home:

• Go for a run (outside or on a home treadmill, if you have one)
• Jump rope
• Get an adult-sized hula-hoop, they are soooo much fun!
• Download an online program like Beachbody on Demand (I love the 21-day fix) or Barre Online
• Go for a hike (if you can leave the house but want a free activity)
• Lookup a free exercise routine on YouTube that you can do in your home with no equipment
• Do a workout challenge (like a push-up challenge or an ab challenge)

9 – Play!

Finally, if you feeling bored and stuck at home, go play!  You can play with your kids, your dog, or your whoever. 

Here are some fun activities:

• Have a Lego building competition
• Play store and practice counting money
• Have a jump rope competition
• Play any kind of ball
• Teach your kids your favorite childhood game
• Create a skit and then perform it for family or friends via Facetime or Skype

If you are stuck at home, it doesn’t have to feel like a prison.  You have so many options to keep yourself and your family busy and still thrive!

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