Whether you’re retired, cocooning, or avoiding getting sick, many of us are spending more time at home. Technology has provided us with video streaming, home deliveries, online gaming and dozens more reasons to stay in. Sometimes, however, we still run out of things to do. Some of us kill time with our phones and other toys, while others struggle to fill their days productively. Research has repeatedly shown that an active mind is a healthy mind, so perhaps we could use a few suggestions to keep ourselves busy, without feeling like we’re wasting time.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
As mentioned earlier, technology has made staying at home easier than at any time in history. More and more companies, especially recently, have begun to use their online presence to allow us to interact, learn, and work from home. Why not use technology to stay in touch with friends and family when you’re stuck inside and can’t be together? Dozens of companies have mobile applications that provide contact with friends and loved ones and many are free to use. Skype and WhatsApp are among the most popular.
And, how about improving your home by automating it with the plethora of wireless, smart home systems available now? Most are designed to be installed, programmed, and operated by the homeowner. You might give yourself some added security, save some serious money, and best of all come away with a new skill. Or, take it a step further and research your next big home improvement project. Remodeling Magazine recently published the 2020 Cost vs Value study results showing the top home improvement projects for return on investment.
Do Something You’ve Always Wanted to Do
Having the extra time we would ordinarily waste commuting provides us with opportunities to explore the things that make us happy. Cocooning often lets us be more introspective since the side effect is usually less in contact with others. Unsurprisingly, we can easily spend more time with ourselves than we do with other people. Why not use the chance to get to know yourself better? With fewer outside distractions and influences we can get a better sense of who we are and what makes us happy. Years of research have shown that any intellectual activity that stimulates your brain can postpone, or even prevent cognitive decline. If you’re stuck at home anyway, check out the many online streaming services and see if you can learn something. YouTube is by far the largest service with the most content. You can learn the basics of nearly any new interest just by searching.
Get Things Done Around the House
We all have our list of household chores, but when we spend much of our time at home we tend to procrastinate. We reason that since we spend so much time at home, we can just put things off till tomorrow when we might have more time or motivation. The reality is that we often put our most valuable asset, our homes, on the back burner. As homeowners, we tend to neglect parts of our home we don’t interact with every day. Without realizing it we could be spending our time at home making our most valuable asset more valuable.
One of the best ways to stay busy and make good use of your time is to make a list of everything that needs attention. Getting things done around the house has many benefits, but the satisfaction of checking something off the list has to be near the top. Do a simple inspection of things like gutters, roof stains, and most importantly, your windows. Vinyl windows, like the ones made by Soft-Lite, are specifically designed to maximize everything you like about light and function. Older window technologies like wood and aluminum simply can’t compete with the design of custom-made vinyl windows.
Technology has advanced exponentially in recent decades, so if your home is older, just replacing your windows can be the most important and valuable upgrade you can make. We can usually see when and where our roof is leaking, or our pipes, but we rarely find out our windows are leaking air or water until the situation gets dire. By then, how much have we lost in wasted heating and cooling? Do yourself a favor. Take the time to resolve any problems now and avoid headaches later.
Remember, just because we’re stuck at home it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take a couple of these suggestions and try them out. For that matter, try them all! The worst thing that can happen is you’ll have a little fun, maybe check something off your list, and give yourself something new to pursue tomorrow.