Self-isolating at Your Apartments in Barnegat? Nurture Yourself and Stay Connected
Self-isolating and quarantine can be tough. It can be lonely and as the days drag on, cabin fever can set in. Spending spring indoors certainly isnʼt the usual state of affairs, to say the least. Here are some ideas to keep you nurtured, connected, and entertained while at home at your apartments in Barnegat during these trying times.
This is a wonderful time to get creative about how we spend our time, and nurture the connections that are important to us. Wherever there is a challenge, there is also great opportunity.
Write a Letter
A wonderful way to connect with old friends and family is to sit down and write a long letter. Letters have sadly gone out of style, but both the act of composing a letter and the act of reading a letter are beautiful, soul-nourishing activities. A letter is intrinsically personal and thoughtful. It can be therapeutic to write AND it brings so much joy to the person receiving it on the other end.
Write: A Story, A Memoir About Your Life, or Poetry
Writing a letter is wonderful but maybe you feel inspired to write more creatively. Writing is a wonderful pastime that awakens the creative mind and inspires memories, dreams, and art.
Writing about your childhood can be both incredibly therapeutic and also wonderfully entertaining for family and friends. Put down on paper some of your favorite stories and anecdotes. Your descendants will appreciate the opportunity to read your words and learn about your life.
Have an idea for a story? Take a stab at it. You could also write poetry. Challenge yourself to write a villanelle or a sonnet. Or simply write freeform.
Donʼt know what to write about but feel curious? Try freewriting. Simply put pen to paper and donʼt lift the pen for 20 minutes. Just write whatever comes to mind, including the words, “I donʼt know what to write,” if thatʼs all you can think of. This exercise can be both very meditative, and can also unjam any creative blocks.
Plant Seeds
Many studies have highlighted the benefits of gardening. Better Health Channel suggests that gardening is a form of exercise which can help reduce stress, and therefore is beneficial for the wellbeing of seniors. Usually, spring brings opportunities to join a gardening club or community garden. While this may not be the right time for social gardening, it is a wonderful time to bring some plants into your home.
Plants not only clean the air of your apartments in Barnegat, they also bring a bit of nature inside, which can be incredibly comforting during these times of limited outdoor access. Plants also provide an opportunity to nurture another living thing, which is a form of connection. People develop real friendships with their plants!
Plant some rosemary, thyme and oregano seeds and raise them in your window for fresh herbs in your meals. Or get a succulent for the geometric beauty they provide. Read our article on great indoor plants for some ideas or pay a visit to your local nursery to select from a wide variety of indoor plants.
Spring Cleaning
Spring is a traditionally inspiring time to throw out the old and make way for the new. As winter lifts and fresh sprouts push their heads above earth, itʼs intuitive to want to clear out the stagnant so new things can come through. And what better time than when we are all in quarantine or self- isolation?
If you are stuck at your apartments in Barnegat, you may as well sort, order, and throw out. The fact is, living in a cluttered space is not appealing. Besides, it can increase your stress level. Spring cleaning brings a feeling of newness and new beginnings. Moreover, having a clean, organized home can improve your overall wellbeing. While going through your personal belongings, you will be able to identify things you donʼt need, while revisiting old memories along the way.
Take the opportunity to declutter your home. Throw out the junk and excess furniture and home appliances, and re-organize your space. Open the windows and allow the fresh spring air to come in. Spring cleaning can provide an opportunity to bond over old memories—if you canʼt see family in person, you can always use Skype or Zoom to reminisce. Besides, the activity can help increase mobility—something we all need right about now!
Engage in Activities You Loved as a Kid
It might sound silly, but pretending to be a kid again is a lot of fun! Engage your imagination to feel the wonder of your child self and you may be surprised how nourishing it is to be in the child mind.
While you may not be able to go out and fly a kite right now, try to remember other activities that brought you a lot of joy as a child. For example, coloring is a fantastic pastime. Get out the crayons and some paper and draw!
Do you like being read to? Audible and Scribd are two excellent streaming platforms for audio books. Put on a favorite book and color while you get lost in the story! Play dress-up, dance, get silly. Give yourself the freedom to embrace any “childish” activity.
Make a Gift for Someone
While youʼre in the child mind, consider making a gift for someone. A homemade gift has a different feel to it than a store-bought gift. It feels very personal and is a wonderful way to express love and nurture connection.
Consider crafting something at home, whether itʼs bath salts, candles, or something else. If you like to knit, you could make a hat for someone special. Whittle a spoon or make paper from scratch for home-made notepads. You can always order the necessary supplies you donʼt have at home.
Learn a New Skill or Take a Class
While quarantining at your apartments in Barnegat, you may as well learn a new skill. Learn a language on DuoLingo or learn how to make sourdough bread. Take virtual cooking classes. There are loads of free classes being offered online.
Even Harvard, Yale, and other Ivy League institutions are offering free courses to the public during this pandemic. You could take a history class, an intro to photography or a psychology course. Pick up a musical instrument for some online music studies or break out the paints.
With the internet at our fingertips, the sky is really the limit. Learn something youʼve always been curious about and who knows where the journey will lead you— you may just discover your next greatest passion!
Engage with Friends Online or Join in a Virtual Community
While it can feel lonely at home in the current social distancing culture, there are lots of ways to engage with others online.
Youʼve probably heard of Zoom by now—itʼs a great way to gather the whole family together for a birthday or just a Sunday chat. Have an evening cocktail with a friend and share a moment of connection.
You could even get together to do some virtual crafting or painting. Itʼs a great way to stay motivated and be part of a group. Just set up your computer in front of your easel so you can paint and chat at the same time.
There are also opportunities to join online chatrooms and conversation threads where you can engage with people who have similar interests. Reddit has conversation threads on just about any topic in the world. Quora is another great place to engage.
Enjoy a Virtual Experience
The cool thing about being home bound in the modern era is the incredible technology that not only allows us to connect with loved ones through videos but also gives us a thousand other online experiences. There are lots of free and paid virtual experiences available.
For example, Broadway is streaming free shows as is the Metropolitan Opera House. If you love going to the theater or opera, make a to-do about watching the streamed event. Make snacks—or a full-blown dinner—and get dressed up, just for fun.
There are also plenty of museums, zoos, and aquariums offering virtual tours of their artwork or live streams of their wildlife, which is a pretty cool way to get a cultural infusion from your couch. For example, the
National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC is offering tours where you can learn all about the history of the world.
Craving nature? National Parks around the US are also hopping aboard the virtual tour train. Take a journey down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, or to see the bison herds of Yellowstone.
You could also engage in a more interactive virtual experience, such as a live mixology or cooking class through AirBnb. They even have experiences like conversations with a shark scientist or meditation with a Japanese Buddhist monk. If you can imagine it, you can find it online.
Making the Most of Quarantine
Spending quarantine at your apartments in Barnegat doesnʼt need to be boring or lonely. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented experimentation and creativity. Enjoy trying something new! But donʼt feel like you have to accomplish anything.
If you just want to cozy up and read in your Barnegat 67 home, that is simply wonderful too. This can be a very nourishing time of deep rest. Do what feels good and follow your inspiration.