50 Socially Distant Things to Do Right Now and Not Go Crazy

V1 Staff |

A lot of us are self-quarantining right now to keep ourselves safe in a time where public gatherings, restaurants, movie theaters, and more are shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chances are you’re at home with a whole lot of time on your hands, so to help you get through it, here’s a huge list of stuff to do while social distancing. Get creative, come together, do good things, and have some fun!

1. Cook a recipe you’ve never tried before

2. Take virtual guitar lessons

3. Check out a local band (online) you haven’t heard. Here's a great place to start!

4. Read a book by a local author, or start a virtual book club 

5. Do a puzzle - by yourself or with roommates/family (you probably have a dusty ol’ puzzle in the house)

6. Skype with friends in other cities, share a meal together (just don’t chew too close to the mic)

7. Organize/clean that room you’ve been putting off

8. Read this

9. Start some seeds for a vegetable garden

10. Get outside for a walk/bike/jog around the neighborhood and wave at people

11. Start a journal

12. Get Duolingo and start learning another language like Hmong or Spanish LINK

13. Buy a gift online from a local retailer and send it to someone you love

14. Build a freakin’ fort (it’s harder than it looks)

15. Go on a solo hike

16. Buy a piece of art from a local artist

17. Take a scenic drive outside the city

18. Meditate with an app or do breathing exercises

19. Practice some good skincare (with local products!)

20. Make some art or do a collage

21. Buy online an gift card from a local restaurant

22. Start a screenplay or collection of poems

23. Be penpals, even if it’s just with your neighbors

24. Donate to a crowdfunding campaign for a local artist or business

25. Try on clothes and downsize what doesn’t fit or, you know, spark joy



26. Surf around local bands’ Bandcamp pages and buy some music

27. Watch this

28. Take a virtual yoga class from a local studio

29. Walk around the Valley and take some pictures for a photo book or web gallery

30. Watch a YouTube video on origami and get folding

31. Start a group chat and let the memes fly

32. If you don’t yet, do the Snapchat (another avenue to stay connected)

33. Order delivery from your favorite restaurant if you can

34. Make a wacky Rube Goldberg machine (or just watch these videos and think about it)

35. Write a tight five to try at a future comedy open mic

36. Send a care package to family with cool local stuff in it

37. Do some financial planning, budgeting, and find more ways to save

38. Record yourself painting and do a time lapse

39. Watch a YouTube video on fixing that thing you haven’t fixed

40. Grab local beer/food from small businesses offering to-go and have a six-feet-apart happy hour with 10 or fewer of your neighbors in the front yard

41. Give your pet all the snuggles

42. Offer to run errands for elderly and/or immunocompromised folks

43. Call your local assisted living or nursing home, and offer to chat with residents 

44. Play board games because they’re awesome

45. Let yourself be silly – dance around the kitchen with your family, send goofy selfies to pals, play hide and seek

46. Put together a virtual trivia game for friends

47. Start a Facebook group to share personal stories (200 words or less) – pick a new theme every few days

48. Realize that your pride is a small price to pay for mental peace, then call/text/message/email someone and apologize for that thing you did

49. Walk by the river and take five deep breaths and just, like, be

50. Probably take a shower?