Regardless of online learning or working from home, being quarantined has given everyone more time during the day to get things done. One of the best things to do while practicing social distancing is to pick up new hobbies. Here are just a few:

Take up bullet journaling

Instead of scribbling things down in multiple journals or keeping various different calendars, try bullet journaling. To bullet journal, all you need to do is get a blank journal, number your pages, and create an index at the back so that you can locate the variety of things that you keep in your journal. Whether it be lists, diary entries, sketches or a day-to-day itinerary, a bullet journal keeps it all. 

Pick up baking

In the course of daily life, we are often too busy to stop and make dinner or bake for our neighbors. Now, none of us are too busy to learn how to bake. From cookies and cakes to homemade ice cream and macaroons, we all have the time on our hands to perfect our baking skills. Just don’t take them to your neighbors in the spirit of social distancing.

Learn to play an instrument

You know that piano that is sitting in your house for decoration but never gets played? Or the guitar that you were given when you were younger in hopes that you’d learn to play it? Now is the perfect time to give those instruments attention. Find a Youtube video or an online program that teaches you how to play, and be patient. 

Become an artist

Even if you’ve never had a knack for art, now is the perfect time to practice creative expression because no one will see your art. You can learn to draw, paint, craft or any of the million other forms of art that you’ve always yearned to be able to do but never had the time to pick up. 

Yoga

Quarantining is turning out to be stressful for people because of the lack of social interaction, so getting in touch with yourself should help that cause. One way to do that is through mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation. You don’t even have to go out and buy a yoga mat because all you need is a soft surface to stretch out and a Youtube tutorial.

Become a documentary guru

Documentaries are usually long and slow, so we tend to steer clear of them in our busy lives. However, there are multiple documentaries on Netflix, YouTube, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+, and many of them have won awards. Plus, it’s a good way to pass two or three hours of your day.

Learn sign language

This goes for any language, but especially sign language because it’s the easiest to learn while social distancing. There are plenty of tutorials and apps online that will help you learn new ways to communicate. Plus, maybe you can use your new line of communication when you’re trying to talk to someone who is six feet away. 

Features reporter Julianna Lowe can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow Julianna on social media at @juliannalowe.