As of late, most of us have been doing a lot of sitting around the house. Even during a lockdown, though, you can make your time productive. In fact, a lockdown where you have nothing but free time is the best time to work on personal development and self-improvement.
Here are 10 productive things you can do with your lockdown time that will make a new and improved you for whenever this lockdown is over.
RELATED: 6 At-Home Workouts to Be Stronger
Read


Read a good book! Finding good authors is difficult for those who don’t read a lot, but you’ve got all the time in the world to explore if you’re stuck at home right now!
A good way to “preview” an author is by reading the first 25 pages of a few of their most popular books and deciding if teir style appeals to you.
Alternatively, get started with our choices for 13 inspirational books you must read!
Work Out


There are lots of home workouts that are just as healthy as almost anything you can do at the gym. To read up on some of our recommendations, head over to our article on the topic.
Learn New Recipes


Many people like to cook but don’t really know what to make when faced with the task. Well, now’s your chance to learn some delicious new recipes.
You could take a page from Julie and Julia and go through an entire cookbook one recipe at a time, or you could just surf the internet every time you’re hungry and find something that looks good to make! Either way, try to keep it healthy.
Redecorate


Now’s the time to make simple alterations to your home that will make your living space more beautiful long after this quarantine is over.
For some tips on what you can do to “renovate” your living space cheaply and simply, read up on our recommendations. By the way, these tips can also be applied to rentals!
Meditate


Meditation has a huge variety of positive health effects. It controls anxiety, generates good will, eliminates stress, promotes self-reflection, boosts energy levels, and so much more.
Unfortunately, shutting our minds off for a while (which is what meditation requires) does not come naturally and can be quite difficult if you’ve never done it before. Here is a guide on how to meditate for beginners.
Play Board Games


There are a lot of modern board games that help stimulate your mind in ways that the familiar classics like Monopoly, Risk, and even Clue! do not.
Board games are also a great way to bond more closely with your loved ones, and seeing how they react when faced with unfamiliar situations is a lot of fun.
Stockpile Healthy Snacks


Now is a good opportunity to make some non-perishable healthy snacks for later.
After social distancing is behind us, you’ll be busy with work again. Which means most days, you won’t have time to cook yourself nutritious meals.
Go over this list of healthy snacks for the workday, and use them as building blocks to concoct your own non-perishable recipes. Make a few batches of healthy snacks you can keep in your pantry or freezer to break out once work starts up again.
Build Bonds with Friends


Regularly, it’s hard to keep up correspondence with all the people you’d like to. You get busy and you just forget.
But nowadays, you’ve got plenty of time! So boot up your social media and get in touch with some people you haven’t talked to in a while!
Find Some Good Podcasts


Having a bunch of entertaining and educational podcasts on deck is a great thing. You can listen to them while doing other tasks — commuting, walking the dog, doing household chores, etc. Which will be a huge plus when you go back to having busy days.
There are literally thousands of great podcasts out there on every topic you could want. So go out (or stay in) and find some that you really enjoy. A great podcast is a gift that keeps on giving for a long, long time.
Bring Joy to the World


Bring some light to the world, and let other people feel it. Because the world (and especially the U.S. is not the happiest or most harmonious place right now, and every bit of positivity helps.
You’ve probably heard inspiring stories about people having impromptu social distancing dance parties with their neighbors, or making face masks to support local healthcare workers. Things like that bring joy to the world, which is something we can all use.
Instead of being lazy and binging Days of Our Lives online, try some of these productive activities. We think you’ll find doing valuable things with your time is as addictive as it is rewarding.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH YOUR TIME AT HOME DURING THE QUARANTINE? DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!
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