By Cecilia Toro
Days are feeling a bit longer so we may feel burdened by a strong desire to be productive. And yet, despite the many things we can do at home, we often struggle to do everything we’d like. (And, psst: it’s ok not to do everything!)
If you’re ever stuck wondering how you can work your way around those nagging feelings of stagnation, try writing little lists of things that are manageable and achievable. No surprise here: to-do-lists are a great way of visualizing our time and how to use our days as productively as we can.
Lists help with breaking up your day into smaller bits because they force you to structure your time well. Plus, physical evidence of what you’ve achieved throughout the day is so satisfying and can bring you great peace of mind.
Should you feel like your creativity or inspiration is lacking, now’s as good a time as ever to reach out to the people nearest you. Building a sense of community and closeness even from home can help us feel more motivated. It helps to know what others are up to and discuss how these things have distracted or calmed us. Talk through ideas, see what works for them, and assess whether or not that’s doable for you.
Having said all this, we want to provide you with a few other ideas for at-home activities that are time-consuming but very easy to accomplish.
Plant an Indoor Garden
Whether it’s out on the balcony, the patio, or in the brightest corner of your house, making a little garden in your home is easy. Of course, you’ll need the veg and fruits before you start, but go ahead and find some pots to set up the garden!
If you don’t have the fancy kind, you can make pots out of almost anything: unused cans, plastic bottles, or jars. If you want to personalize these materials, add an extra task to this activity by painting or decorating your pots.
To best know how to start replanting and regrowing, there are a few videos that can help. One that is really good and easy to follow is Buzzfeed’s video on how you can regrow almost anything in your kitchen or pantry. It really just shows you how much you can grow if you’re willing to dedicate some time to it.
Journal
Journaling is the perfect creative outlet for you just to feel and be present. You can draw, paint, or write down your feelings. These notebooks can also serve as a sort of archive of all you’ve done or wish to do. In other words, these pages are ones you can turn back to often if you ever feel like revisiting a specific moment or tracing just how much you’ve changed.
Admittedly, though helpful to keep wandering thoughts at bay, this task can get tiring as it can often be very emotional, but there’s no one way to journal. Take your time with it. Journaling gives you the absolute freedom to experience whatever it is you’re feeling.
Should this be an entirely new thing for you or you’re simply feeling a bit blocked, Mellowed’s website offers up some helpful tips on how to start journaling.
Join an Online Book Club or Subscribe to an Online Literary Magazine
Joining a book club is an enjoyable and engaging way to discuss ideas and opinions with others. It keeps everything in a constant dialogue, and opens you up to new perspectives! The best part about joining a club is that you get to pace yourself day by day based on how much you’d like to read that day. Seems silly, but it’s a great way of structuring your time. Some books are longer or denser, so making sure you try and separate chapters by day is really useful.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to join an online book club nowadays. Instagram, for example, has so many book clubs for all kinds of genres, and here’s a list of a few of these.
Another option is to subscribe to a literary magazine’s weekly newsletter or any newsletter that interests you. If you’re not sure where to look, subscribe to our newsletter. Just a thought!
Newsletters are ideal for those who like constant updates and varying options. You can start or end your days with a new story every week (and it’s just so exciting to hear that email notification ping!)
Literary Hub, for example, sends an email every single day with so many varieties of fiction and nonfiction texts that you’re bound to find something you love. If you have some time, look through their recent reading lists; they’re a wonderful starting point.
We hope these activities help you feel a bit more grounded and give you the feeling of having something you can look forward to every day – whether it’s watering your plants, writing down your thoughts, or unwinding with a new book.
Cecilia Toro
Recent MA graduate from Durham Uni, focuses on contemporary issues and writes about literature, film, and art. Lover of podcasts, coffee, and gardening.
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