Tyler Stafford 
By Riley Hilbert, Alexandra Margelu, and John Kinney
NOV 16, 2020
With more than 100 countries worldwide instituting either full or partial lockdowns during March 2020, billions of people were unable to take part in their usual daily activities. Many individuals found a multitude of ways to spend all of their newly discovered free time. Quarantine provided them an opportunity to get things done that they never had time for prior to the pandemic. There are many activities that one can partake in while stuck inside the house for extended periods of time. Here are a handful of suggestions:
T.V. Shows/Movies: One popular activity during the quarantine was binge-watching shows and movies. Disney Plus, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and multiple other platforms had a spike in watchers due their ease of access. Whether it be a childhood movie or recently released T.V. show, every single person can say they sat in front of a screen as a form of entertainment.
Video Games: Video game sales increased during the quarantine because of their easy accessibility and their lack of physical contact. By playing video games many were able to establish or maintain connections. Video games also have addiction factors and with all the free time caused by COVID-19, people can’t help but be attracted to games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Exercising: During the quarantine, many people did not want to go outside and risk contracting COVID, causing people to become sedentary and less efficient with their time. The weight gain caused by sedentary lifestyles caused more people to take up exercise. Exercising is a great way to spend leisure time and remain active.
Reorganizing: Before the quarantine, people often avoided certain household tasks, or were too busy to complete them. Quarantine gave people the opportunity to reorganize their living quarters, since they had more time on their hands. Reorganizing clutter can be a beneficial way to spend time.
Accessory Making: Creativity was necessary to assure that people were finding ways to express themselves while being stuck in their homes. Accessory making was a fun and creative way to spend this new time everyone has.
Self Starting: Some individuals harbored a passion for entrepreneurship, but never had the time to pursue it. This pandemic provided them the time that they needed to follow their dreams and launch their own businesses.
Puzzles: With all this time to spare, some people engaged in solving jigsaw puzzles. This activity provided family bonding time while supporting healthy brain activity. While completing puzzles, connections between brain cells are reinforced, mental speed is improved, and short-term memory is improved.
Meditations: The changes in everyday routines due to COVID-19 caused a great deal of stress for people. Incorporating meditation into a daily routine can relieve stress brought on by overwhelming pressure from outside forces.
Gardening: Planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables was another way time was spent during the quarantine. By gardening, edible and healthy substitutes were grown. Additionally, gardening provides an opportunity to spend time outside, allowing exposure to fresh air and sunlight.
Reading: Many individuals decided picking up a good book was the way to spend their quarantine. Books are used as escape methods. Since leaving the house was no longer an option for adults and children, alternate realities were read off the pages as a source of distraction or adventure.
These things made certain that everyone had activities to do during these challenging times in everyone’s lives. Whether it was chores or something enjoyable, there was always something that anyone could do to stay busy. Although quarantine is mostly over, these are still effective ways to spend your time when you’re bored or in need of something to do.
