free things to do while self-isolating during the coronavirus…

I hope wherever you are in the world, you are healthy and safe during this crazy time. To try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Governor of my state (California) has ordered us to stay at home for an indefinite amount of time. We are still permitted to leave home for essentials, such as to go to the supermarket, bank, pharmacy, doctor’s office, or to pick up take-out from a restaurant, but cannot leave our neighborhood for any other reason. Walks with our dog are still permitted.

Fortunately, I can do some work from home and am able to continue to earn a living, but with most businesses closed, my services as a business lawyer aren’t really needed right now. It’s going to be slow, and before this whole thing is over, I will be out of work (hopefully temporarily). I want to remain mentally and physically productive, so I’m sharing some ideas of things to do if you’re stuck at home, especially if you’re on a budget during this uncertain time.  Now is a great time to try something new.

SEE

Lots of museums have free virtual tours so you can view exhibits in your undies at 2:00 a.m. Some of the museums are:

• American Museum of Natural History
• The British Museum
• Georgia O’Keefe Museum
• Getty Museum
• The Louvre

There are hundreds more. For a list of easily accessible online museum tours, visit Google Arts and Culture or search online for free virtual museum tours. This site lists 12 museums around the world that you can visit online.

You can visit the Great Wall of China from your couch.

You can take virtual tours of 5 of the U.S. National Parks.

I thought this one was particularly cool – you can do a virtual tour of different cities’ graffiti art.

Take a field trip to Oklahoma.

Go on a virtual dive in the Florida Keys,

Check out the adorable penguins at the Shedd Aquarium or see other animals at the Houston zoo  or check out the animals at my local zoo.

READ

I always have books on loan from the library, but with my local library closed due to the virus, I am unable to borrow books. However, some libraries allow you to borrow eBooks using your regular library card. Check out Open Library to see if your library participates. This is only for U.S. libraries, sorry international friends.

Project Gutenberg has over 33,000 free books available in many languages. Because they are all books in the public domain (meaning the copyright protection has expired), they tend to be older books.

Learn

If you’re bored, why not learn something new? Numerous online learning platforms provide a great selection of classes for free. Check out:

• Coursera – huge variety of classes, from learning to speak Chinese, Buddhism, graphic design, or business negotiation. They even have a COVID19 class.
• Khan Academy – many of their classes are aimed at school-aged kids, but why not refresh what you learned about biology, history, or math so many years ago
• Class Central groups free classes available from other platforms in a single website.
• National Geographic Kids has a lot of good information, games, science experiments, and videos. I’m obviously not a kid, but I have really enjoyed it.
• Learn a new language.

DO 

• If you have kids, or if you’re an adult that likes to color, Crayola has free pages you can print and color.
• If you own a camera, there are tons of free YouTube videos to learn how to take better photos.
• You can play games online with friends for free, including Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Cards Against Humanity and other games listed here. I love games and, if anyone is interested, I’m up for a game or two!

WATCH

• Netflix – if you already have a subscription, Netflix added a new feature where a group of people can watch the same movie, in real time, from their respective homes. It includes a chat feature so you can discuss the movie while you watch.
• Sling tv is offering free select programming to encourage people to stay at home.
• The Kansas City Zoo is offering a free 24-hour live stream of their penguin exhibit (perfect for when you feel overwhelmed and need to smile).

MOVE

There are tons of free workouts online. If you just search on YouTube for whatever type of exercise you want to do – yoga, cardio, tai chi, and weightlifting – you will find hundreds of videos. Here are just a few:

• The YMCA has posted workouts for yoga, bootcamp, barre, and tai chi. No membership required.
• I love Yoga with Adriene. Her website features tons of free yoga videos.
• Crossfit offers free online workouts.
• Planet Fitness is offering free 30 minute workouts on their YouTube channel.
• CorePower Yoga

This whole situation is surreal, and I don’t want to downplay that. But we can get through this. I have found that regularly taking walks with my dog to get some fresh air is doing a lot for my stress level right now. There are plenty of people out walking/biking in my neighborhood – never closer than 30-40 feet – so tomorrow afternoon/evening husband and I might take folding chairs out to our driveway and say hi to the neighbors as they walk by while listening to music and enjoying a beer. Do you what you can to keep a somewhat normal life while obeying your local orders and staying safe.

If you have any additions to the above list – especially if you have any great suggestions for kids – please send and I will add them.

I’d like to share with you a quote that my aunt sent:

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth full, and they had been healed.”
– Kitty O’Meara

Stay safe and healthy, friends.
– Linds