For many people right now, going out to see friends and family isn’t an option. Government and health officials all across the globe have advised the public to stay inside and to avoid large crowds.
While people are settling into new indoor routines, there remains a common aimlessness shared amongst most individuals. Even if you live with your family, partner, or roommates, there’s only so much you can do at home. People are slowly adapting to living and working at home and discovering new ways to engage with loved ones. And people are spending a lot more time online!
People are using social media and platforms such as Zoom to stay in touch with the outside world. However, if you’re running out of things to do on the internet and are tiring of reloading your Instagram feed every five minutes, then look no further.
Read on to discover the best online activities that will add some excitement to your quarantine.
Enter Online Contests and Giveaways
Online shopping offers its customers a myriad of benefits: it’s convenient, you don’t have to try anything on, and items are delivered right to your front door. However, do you know what’s even better than ordering things online? We’ll tell you: winning free stuff online!
Check out www.contestscoop.com — it’s an incredible source for some of the best online contests and giveaways, and it’s updated daily. Internet giveaways are a fantastic way to pass the time because they take no effort whatsoever.
You probably didn’t know how easy it was to win gifts online from your favourite brands. And sometimes, you can win prizes for a good cause, in addition to your personal needs.
Online giveaways also allow people to give back to the community when perhaps they’re unable to do so on their own accord. For example, a classical music radio station ran a contest this month to win a $500 gift card of groceries and vitamin supplements, and all of it went to charity.
Interested contestants completed a quick and easy entry form on the station’s website and then nominated a charity of their choice. The charity then graciously accepted the $500 gift card in the contestant’s name.
You can also find giveaways that will brighten up your time in self-isolation. Last month, French beauty brand Lancôme gave away a bottle of their perfume, La Vie est Belle, to one lucky winner via their Facebook page.
Check your online contest site every day to find out how you can win exciting prizes for yourself or the community — with just the tap of your mouse.
Start a Blog
If you haven’t started a blog before, now is the perfect time to do it. Are you an amazing writer? No? It doesn’t matter! What matters is that you probably have more time on your hands than ever before, and you have a chance to let your creative side soar!
Journaling has been a way to pass the time and record daily activities for centuries. There’s no better way to organize your thoughts and to keep track of your goals.
You can start a blog or an online journal about any subject that fancies you. Do you love dogs? Are you interested in astrology? Have you been following the COVID-19 journey very carefully, and think you should start your personal news blog about the situation? Go for it!
Websites such as WordPress or Squarespace offer free options for users to create a blog or journal. You can customize the layout of your site with different design templates depending on your aesthetic and your angle.
Learn a New Skill Over YouTube
Ok, so there’s no denying that there’s a lot of fluff posted on the internet. At this point, the number of celebrity selfies that exist could probably wrap around the earth ten times over.
However, there are also really informative and practical tutorial videos from interesting people that genuinely know what they’re doing.
Have you ever explored the world of makeup tutorials on YouTube? There are so many talented, legitimate makeup artists on there that will show you how to do everything from a proper cat-eye to the scariest zombie face.
There’s also an abundance of fix-it videos from skilled carpenters and tradespeople. Have you ever been dying to know how to take care of an over-flowing toilet properly? Well, now’s your chance to learn before it happens again!
Or, perhaps you’d like to improve your Adobe skills for work. You’ve always wanted to take a closer look at In Design but never had the time. Find an excellent online tutorial and crack open that Adobe Suite, because in a couple of weeks you’ll be a design master!
Whatever you’re interested in learning about, there’s probably a tutorial video online somewhere.
Find Easy Recipes
Although ordering in is convenient, there’s nothing quite like a home-cooked meal. And since you’re spending so much time at home these days, what better time to try new recipes than right now?
There are thousands of recipes online — some good, some not-so-good, and some terrible. The trick is to find one or two cooking sites that you like and to stick with them. A great place to start is the online New York Times Cooking section. However, you do need to pay for a subscription to experience the site in its entirety.
If you don’t want to spend money, there are countless other cooking sites and blogs full of delicious and easy meal ideas. Just Google what you’re hungry for, and go from there! There are also food blogs meant for people on a budget. Times are tough right now, due to the economic setbacks caused by COVID-19, so keep your eye out for sites that provide affordable and healthy recipes.
The world is at a standstill, and everyone is slowly navigating daily life from home. Luckily, the internet provides endless entertainment so open up your browser and get busy!
Nina Smith