Many people struggle with staying motivated and keeping their spirits up when they’re stuck at home in quarantine. This video is based on a viewer question from Kelly. She asked how should she deal with fluctuating mood and energy levels in this time of being quarantined at home?
Here are some suggestions
Set a routine each day to bring back some structure to you days. It doesn’t have to be the same set of activities, but you should aim for as regular a schedule as possible.
Have a reserve list of activities that you will force yourself to do. We call this behavioral activation. Behavioral activation is a therapy used for depression to pull people out of the downward spiral of inactivity. Getting up and getting moving actually improves your mood. Even if the activity something small.
Create a list of small, completable activities that you can fall back on when you feel low on motivation. Sometimes your mind can go blank when you start thinking about what you can do. So you want to have a list ready for those days. Plan to do at least 1-2 on the list to get you moving.
Example activities
- Doing a jigsaw puzzle
- Do something self-care related like give yourself a pedicure
- Take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian online
- Explore the planets and constellations on the stellarium website or app.
- Do something good for someone else like tell someone you know how much they mean to you or call and check in on someone
The idea is that you get moving doing something that gives your pleasure, as a way to keep active. Activity begets more activity. Mental activity like a virtual trip to the museum counts as activity.
In this time of threat and fear, showing love or kindness to others is another way to give yourself a mental boost while making someone else feel good too.
Fun Activities for Adults
- Read a great book. Choose a fantastic book and read it from cover to cover.
- Create your own film festival. Create a list of related films to watch and start making your way through that list.
- Take an online class. Dive deep into a subject by taking an online course.
- Plan a trip. Map out the places you’ll go on your next big trip.
- Take a virtual field trip. Virtually explore great locations around the world, like museums, national parks, and even the Great Wonders of the World.
- Connect with family and friends. Catch up with those who matter most to you, either on the phone or through an app.
- Practice meditation. Learn to calm your mind, relax your body, and focus entirely on the present.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Increase your happiness by writing down things for which you’re grateful.
- Get some exercise. Get your body moving and blood pumping with an indoor workout.
- Watch a TED talk. Listen to experts deliver inspiring talks on a variety of subjects.
- Declutter your closets. Get rid of all the things you don’t need that are cluttering your closets.
- Take a nap. Rest and recharge with a lengthy nap or a much shorter power nap.
- Explore Reddit. Make your way through thousands of online forums on every subject imaginable.
- Learn to play an instrument. Finally learn how to play that instrument you’ve always wanted to play.
- Take up a new hobby. Follow your interests and start a new hobby.
Fun Activities For Familes
- Play a game. Enjoy a classic like Monopoly or find a new game your family will love.
- Read a book together. Introduce your kids to great books and foster in them a love of reading.
- Clean and declutter. Work with your family to tidy up all those spaces that are out of order.
- Build a fort. Use cushions, chairs, and blankets to build a fort for you and your kids.
- Learn how to code. Introduce your kids to coding apps, websites, and games.
- Create a family website. Use a simple website builder to create a family website.
- Make a movie. Use your smartphone to film and edit a movie starring your family.
- Have a dance party. Create a playlist of your favorite dance tunes and get everybody on the dance floor.
- Play indoor sports. Create competition and burn off energy with indoor sports.
- Make a sensory table. Let your kids feel and try to identify a variety of textured objects.
- Write letters to loved ones. Have every family member write a letter by hand to someone they love.
- Play word games. Increase everyone’s vocabulary and have fun with classic word games like Mad Libs, crossword puzzles, and word searches.
- Have a pizza party. Give everyone their own dough and let them make creative pizzas.
- Do an indoor campout. Create an indoor “campsite” and sleep there instead of in bedrooms.
- Put on a puppet show. Help your kids make puppets and then put on entertaining shows.
- Learn about new locations. Choose a location, print out pictures of it, and learn interesting facts with your family.
- Go on a treasure hunt. Create a series of clues that will eventually lead your kids to a prize.
- Do a challenge. Turn a normal activity into a “challenge” which everyone can perform.
What more ideas of what you can do and specific resources (like virtual stargazing in your home?) Download this Free activity guide.
Click the image to download
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Thank you! I’ve been trying to find ideas for rewards and my ADHD