Previously I mentioned how it was like living in Europe (specifically Spain) during the Coronavirus 2019 outbreak. The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a pandemic that is the talk all around the world. It’d be a challenge to turn on the TV or open up social media without hearing about it. The state of this situation literally changes everyday. But as I’m writing this, I am at home as with the majority of the country for at least two weeks. The Coronavirus quarantine situation is different in every country.
Countries around the world are taking similar precautions, or already have. In Italy, where the outbreak first peaked in Europe, had a quarantine even stricter than that of Spain’s. Whether you’re in a quarantine, lockdown or just suggested to stay home, I thought I’d share what I am doing with this downtime. If you’re interested in how to keep busy during this time, keep on reading.
Check out my previous post on what life was like during the start of all the Coronavirus hysteria.
Sleep
So the first way I’ve been keeping busy during the Coronavirus quarantine is catching up on sleep. This may not be the most “productive” but it’s definitely needed. I definitely took advantage of not having to wake up early for work and to be able to take my siestas during the day. What can I say? I love my naps. Plus, getting good sleep is vital to keep your immune system healthy, which is essential during these times. My biggest struggles during the first couple of days though was getting myself out of bed and not to spend too much time lazing around.
Studying Languages
If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you’d know that I really love languages and hope to be able to speak several of them. However, for the past several months I have been slacking on my language journey. So when thinking of ways to keep busy during the Coronavirus quarantine and lockdowns, language lessons popped in my mind. I use iTalki to find teachers and take lessons, it’s really cheap and they have a lot of teachers available. I have a review of iTalki that you can read here. While Spanish is my main focus right now, I also took a couple Portuguese lessons.
Writing
A major goal of mine is to publish a book. I’ve been making serious headway on my latest WIP, editing and seeking out beta readers and critique partners. Plus, I’d recently started a new story. I’ve been making small progress on these, but some progress is better than no progress. As this lockdown continues and I continue to spend more time indoors, I want to dedicate more time to both of these projects, as well as my blog!
Reading
Related to the previous point. To be a good author you have to be an avid reader. I consider it to be research. But even without the benefits it can provide me as a writer, I just enjoy reading. Within the first four days of the Coronavirus lockdown, I finished two monsters of books (Skyward by Brandon Sanderson and A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir) and promptly started new ones. Reading is an escape, which is exactly what I need during this time when everything around us is so negative. It’s great to be aware, but if it’s driving you crazy or giving you anxiety, it’s okay to seek a distraction.
If you’re a reader also, check out my non-spoiler reading wrap-up from February 2020.
Watching Youtube
Not productive at all. This isn’t helping me necessarily with anything. But not every second has to be spent doing some educational or business related! So I’ve definitely been spending time on Youtube. And while I do think maybe I can cutback some of my time here to dedicate more to writing, I have really enjoyed discovering new channels and videos. Currently I’ve been obsessed with watching home related videos. From house tours to organization videos. It’s not something I talk about a lot on my blog, but I love organization videos and looking at homes. But my Youtube tastes vary greatly!
Channels I’m currently watching:
*Although I’ve been watching a ton of home-related videos, I haven’t been watching one channel in particular. It’s been a lot of one-offs!