Millennials have spent their formative years reading self-help books and binge-watching lifestyle video blogs. We are students of the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and DiSC personality tests. Our knowledge of essential oils and mindfulness techniques is second to none.
Long story short, we millennials have all the tools we need to thrive while social distancing.
I get it. Staying home day after day is exhausting, mentally and emotionally. But if we can save the lives of our parents and grandparents by staying home for a few weeks or months, that’s a sacrifice I’m more than happy to make.
We also need to remember that young people are not immune to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, but can get seriously sick ourselves.
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Protection study released March 18, fully 29% of COVID-19 cases in America were diagnosed in patients ages 20 to 44. Out of 508 known patients to be hospitalized at the time of the study’s completion, 20% were in that age cohort.
It is critical that young people stay home to protect their own health and the health of their community.
But just because we are home doesn’t mean that we have to stop being productive or accomplishing goals. Here are eight ideas for ways to keep thriving while safely practicing social distancing.
1. ‘Marie Kondo’ Your Home
If you have not heard of Marie Kondo and her ability to bring order out of complete chaos, let me fill you in before a co-worker asks you if you’ve been living under a rock.
An organizational expert and author, Kondo became internationally known through her Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” Each episode features a family living in mild to extreme chaos amid piles of books, clothes, and other stuff they don’t need or that no longer “sparks joy.”
The Japanese celebrity’s method of cleaning and sorting has so affected the American home that the Urban Dictionary has defined “kondo” as a verb for “purging things in your life if they do not spark joy in you.”
Now is the perfect time to purge!
Watch a few episodes of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” for a little inspiration and then head to your closet. Set a goal of working through your entire house, condo, or apartment in a week, and then kick back and enjoy social distancing in a peaceful and orderly home.
2. Stay Connected With Friends
Social media are great tools for seeing what friends are up to, but often fall short of facilitating true connection. But right now, it’s challenging to know how to foster community apart from text messages and the occasional phone or Zoom call.
Fortunately, modern technology makes it possible to host movie and game nights while practicing social distancing.
Netflix Party is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to watch a movie with a group of friends. You can pause or playback the film in sync with everyone else in your party. There is even a live-chat section so you and your friends can comment on the film while you watch. Follow the instructions here to install the Netflix Chrome extension on your computer.
Game nights are a hallmark of my friend group, so I was excited to learn about Jackbox Games. Jackbox is a website that sells games you can play online with your friends. Most of the games require everyone to see the same screen and use their cellphones to interact with that game.
To play while social distancing, simply share your screen with your friends using Zoom, Google Hangout, or any other such platform, and everyone can interact using their computers and smartphones.
You also can download the app House Party, which allows you to chat and play interactive games, such as trivia, with up to eight friends.
3. Communicate, Throwback-Style
Remember when you had to call your friends on their home phones for them to know what was going on in your life? With so many different ways to direct-message others now, it feels like a really big deal to actually pick up the phone and call.
Let’s face it: We all have a lot of time on our hands right now, and so do most of our friends. Pick up the phone and call your friends or family. It’s important for our mental and emotional health that we continue to have meaningful conversations while we are social distancing.
And why not go a little Jane Austen and write a snail-mail letter to your grandmother, best friend, or older sister?
Receiving handwritten notes is such a rarity, but maybe the most sincere way you can communicate your love and care to friends and family in this season. You can order stamps online through the Postal Service at USPS.
4. Save Your Coffee Money
It’s impossible to know right now how long we will be social distancing, but it’s safe to say that you probably will be saving some money on coffee, lunches out, gas, movies, shows, etc. So, what do you do with that extra cash?
If you do not have work right now, save as much as you can. Cut out the nonessentials, such as monthly subscriptions you no longer use. Review your budget to see how little you can live on for how long, and if you find yourself in a tight spot, don’t hesitate to ask your friends for help. Remember, we are all going through this together.
If you’re healthy and in need of work, many grocery stores need help restocking shelves at night, and Amazon is hiring more employees to help with the uptick in online orders.
If you’re blessed enough to have a job that allows you to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic, you have a financial opportunity in front of you.
Make sure you have enough in savings to last you three to six months if anything should happen to your job. If you have that in place, consider talking with someone who understands investments and put that extra money you’re not using to work.
The Penny Hoarder offers several good suggestions for easy-to-use investment apps. Just as importantly, consider helping those around you who are struggling financially.
5. Learn Something
Beyond just reading more books, there are great online resources to expand your historical and scientific knowledge.
The Smithsonian offers virtual tours of the National Museum of Natural History. You can view dinosaur bones, precious gems, or myriad African animals. Other Smithsonian virtual tours take you through the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden and the Smithsonian Castle.
The Metropolitan Opera is streaming a different performance on its website free every night. You can stream Broadway shows on Amazon Prime, including “Hamilton.”
If you are really eager to educate yourself while you shelter in place, you can select an online course from a list of 450 classes offered by eight different Ivy League colleges. Or brush up on those high school Spanish skills using Duolingo, Babbel, or Rosetta Stone.
6. Return to Your New Year’s Resolutions
If you’re anything like me, you already have forgotten half of the New Year’s resolutions you made Jan. 1. Now is the perfect time to look back at those goals and see what you can accomplish right now.
If getting more exercise was one of those resolutions, you can join a free online workout class, such as Trillfit or Pvolve.
Consider asking a friend to hold you accountable as you work on one of your resolutions this week. Don’t try to do them all at once; instead, pick one you are excited about and make the decision that you will achieve that goal by the time you are allowed to sit down at a restaurant again.
7. Stay in Routine
Health sciences professor Jagdish Khubchandani of Ball State University in Indiana lists maintaining a routine as the first priority to stay sane while social distancing, according to Safety+Health magazine.
“As much as possible, social distancing should not disrupt your sleep-wake cycle, working hours, and daily activities,” Khubchandani said.
8. Take Care of Others
Take a moment to think about those in your life who you know struggle with anxiety or depression. Pick up the phone and give them a call. Send them a funny video or meme. In other words, let them know you are thinking of them.
Make a list of everyone in your life who is over the age of 60—neighbors, relatives, and co-workers—and ask them if they need groceries or vitamins or anything else from the drugstore.
My prayer in this season is that we will stand united as one nation. We have been deeply divided for far too long. It’s a really good time to simply show up with a kind word, a bag of groceries, or simply a wave and a smile.
In the words of Vice President Mike Pence: “We will do whatever it takes. We are all in this together.”
