10 Ways to Stay Productive During Home Quarantine

This is such an interesting time. With all of the stay at home orders and social distancing, it is easy to feel stuck and unproductive. As a stay at home mom, I am no stranger to cabin fever. I have gone through my fair share of times where I get tired of being home and just feel lazy.

Don’t let this time get you down. Even with the schedule change-ups, you can still find ways to get stuff done. Even when you can’t get out, you can still feel accomplished. Here are my top tips for staying productive while staying at home.

1. Tackle Home Projects

What better time to work on some projects that you have around the house then when you’re quarantined at home? Life gets busy and when you’re running to and from home projects often get overlooked. When you’re home you want to just relax and not work on the house. Get the best of both worlds by tackling home projects now that you’re stuck at home. Not only will you feel productive but you’ll also shorten your to-do list and get your home how you’re wanting it as well.

2. Spring Clean

What better task than spring cleaning while it’s spring? Take advantage of your extra time at home by doing some deeper cleaning then you do on a regular basis. Tackle one room or closet a day to spread it out and not get so overwhelmed.

3. Declutter & Downsize

Clean out that junk drawer, organize your pantry, go through your closest and downsize. Do you have duplicate books or movies? Do your kids have toys they’ve outgrown for their age? Make a pile of things to get rid of that you don’t use so that you can resell or donate them. You could make a little, give back and make more space in your closest. Triple win.

4. Learn Something New

Is there a new skill or hobby that you’ve been wanting to learn? No better time than the present. I know it can be hard to find the time to take up a new hobby during your normal day to day life. Count this extra time at home a blessing and just go for it now! The beauty of the internet is that you can find blogs and videos to teach you how to learn pretty much everything. I taught myself to sew by watching YouTube videos and to this day it’s still one of my favorite hobbies.

5. Focus on a Dream You’ve Been Putting Off

Life gets busy and things get put on the backburner regularly. Believe me, I get it. But there really is no better time than now. Nothing will change for the future if you don’t start today. Do you have a dream venture you’ve been putting off? Start focusing your extra time on it now. Research and learn all that you can about it now.

I have quite a few dreams and goals that I want to really start going after. I have really been cracking down on what I can do today to get there. For me, that means doing my research and learning as much as I can now. With so much seemingly on hold, these days now is the perfect time to get things in motion for what you want for your future.

6. Make Sure Kids are Still Learning

With so many schools closed (some with virtual learning and some without) now is not the time to let your kids’ learning suffer. There are amazing free resources and other homeschooling moms online that can help give you ideas. Make it fun and keep your kids intrigued by learning.

Make cookies with them for some math and measurements, do a fun home experiment for science, read books to contribute to English, do some sensory play for younger kids, etc. Is there anything they have been asking to learn or a hobby they want to try? Help them start learning it now.

7. Do Yard Work

Getting outside with the sunshine and fresh air does so much good for the body. You may not be able to go out and venture far but you can still get out in your own yard. Springtime is the best time to get your yard work done and prepare for the warmer months ahead. Plant a garden, redo your flower beds, or simply do some regular yard maintenance like raking and mowing.

8. Keep Exercising

Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you need to let your exercise and workout routines suffer. Exercising is not only good for your body and physical health but it’s also huge for your mental health and energy. So get up and move. As long as it’s safe to do so you can walk around the neighborhood or go on a hike. If you’re at home you can still do at-home workouts, yoga or a yard workout.

I for one, have never been a fan of gym workouts. I’ve always preferred to work out at home so this is great for me. There are a lot of great options to do home workouts with minimal to no exercise equipment. You also don’t have to do a big dramatic workout, the most important thing is to simply move.

9. Focus on Your Self-Care

During this stressful time make sure to still take time for yourself so that you stay sane. Your mental health is important. With so many schedule changes you need to make sure to still take care of yourself. You can do a simple spa day at home, take some time to meditate or simply do something that you love.

Some of the biggest self-care for me is just taking time for myself to write or do yoga. Just taking some time for myself to focus on what I love helps keep me feeling productive and in a better mood. When your cup is full you will be able to better take care of others that count on you.

10. Plan for the Future

Without finalizing dates go ahead and plan your next family vacation. This too shall pass and life will get back to normal again. Making plans for the future gives you hope for the end of this and something to look forward to without getting stuck in the scary unknowns of right now.

It’s hard not to be in control and not knowing when things will go back to normal. If you focus on that too much it will bring you down. Instead, I choose to look forward to the future. I’m already mentally planning for future trips and things I want to do with my family. It makes me excited about the future again. Don’t get too caught up in the here and now. Continue to dream and look ahead.

Whether you’re quarantined or just staying home by choice, cabin fever is a reality. Staying busy and productive really helps to combat that feeling. You don’t have to stop checking things off of your to-do list just because you are at home. How do you like to stay productive while at home? Let me know in the comments below!