70 Ideas for Beating Homebound Boredom Between Trips
Updated: Apr 5, 2021
What if one good thing about being quarantined is that it offers opportunities to try new ideas and enjoy hobbies and causes we feel passionate about, but don’t typically make time for in our normallhy hectic life?
I’m as stressed as everyone else over COVID-19 and with the added issues of how it affects those of us with travel industry careers. But I’ve learned that I’m at my best and am the most empowered when I look for some benefits in a bad situation. It doesn’t mean I want this problem. Just that I want to see some good out of it.
From March 23rd through April 5th, we posted five daily ideas on our Facebook page to beat the boredom of being fully or partially (for those working essential jobs) isolated at home. Whether you are reading this blog during the isolation of "spacial distancing" or at some other time, perhaps you'll want to try someting new. Here's the accumulated list from our page:
3/23/20
1. Learn a new word each day. Try using it in a conversation.
2. Start a goal list (mental, physical, spiritual, educational, home. Break it down to major and short term. Add action steps and timetables.
3. Get in touch with a family member you don’t get to talk to regularly.
4. Teach your dog a new trick.
5. Change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries if you didn’t on Daylight Savings.
3/24/20
6. Cook a big pot of stew, soup or sauce so you can share or freeze the leftovers.
7. Fix something that’s broken
8. Phone a friend
9. Take a walk and listen out for what you can hear.
10. Enjoy taking a virtual tour of five U.S. national parks.
3/25/20
11. Check on a neighbor
12. Join a virtual book club
13. Clean your email inbox- purge outdated mail, unsubscribe, set up spam filters
14. Multi-task exercise with doing your spring yard cleanup
Bonus: Now is a good time to book your fall foliage tour. This Classic Fall Foliage by Globus is one example of what we can look at for you.
3/26/20
16. Clean out your phone by removing apps you don’t use
17. Read a book you’ve wanted to get to
18. Start learning Tai Chi
19. Do some adult coloring
20. Handwrite an actual letter or thank you note to someone
3/27/20
21. Enjoy a long bath
22. Learn to crochet or knit on YouTube
23. Binge watch your favorite TV series
24. Memorize a quote, scripture or poem that is meaningful to you
25. Dance to favorite tunes from when you were a teenager
Bonus: If you’ve been interested in channeling your inner Mark Twain, talk to us about a Mississippi River Cruise on an American Cruise Lines’ ship.
3/28/20
26. Re-arrange a room
28. Write a “cookbook” of your favorite recipes and cooking tips to pass down in your family
29. Start a daily devotional routine. They are available online free for all major religions.
30. Give your dog a bath
3/29/20
31. Set up a phone, Facetime or Zoom “wine & chat” date with a friend (substitute wine with your favorite beverage)
32. Find positive groups to join on FB to build a more uplifting news feed
33. Learn at least five words or phrases in multiple languages
34. Write a list of what you would do if you won a million dollars
35. Start a daily balance exercise routine
3/30/20
36. Write a Haiku poem. It’s three lines. First line has 5 syllables, 2nd line has 7 syllables, 3rd line has 5 syllables.
37. Try a science experiment (let your inner child out if there’s no kids at home… who’s around to judge?)
38. Organize your music playlists
39. Unjoin Facebook groups that don’t benefit you
40. Organize those packets of old printed photos
Bonus: Some of our clients have said planning a future trip right now gives them something fun to work on during this stressful time. What dream trip for this fall or next summer do you want to look forward to?
3/31/20
41. Learn a line dance to Uptown Funk
42. Start or get back to journaling
43. Make a homemade gift for someone
44. Grab an instructional book you’ve had at home or a YouTube video to learn something new
45. Sing along with your favorite songs
4/1/20
46. Play a (nice) April Fool's prank on someone in your home.
47. Organize your digital photos
48. Learn the KonMari Method of decluttering
49. Learn a new way to play Solitaire
50. Clean out your wardrobe
4/2/20
51. Write down positive-reinforcing scriptures and quotes to post around your home where you can see them and a few where you’ll only come across them occasionally as a pleasant surprise.
52. Unfriend or unfollow “friends” who bring too much negativity to your Facebook news feed
53. Clean out your closets- toss / donate / keep & organize
54. Build or update your LinkedIn profile
55. Watch a Ted Talk
4/3/20
56. Write at least three affirmations that you say regularly
57. Start or work on a blog for your job, hobby or cause you are passionate about
58. Exercise with a live-stream workout
59. Do something on your “To Do List” so you can check it off.
60. Be kind to your houseplants- repot & prune
4/4/20
61. Learn and practice Creative Visualization
62. Be creative – do an art project
64. Practice mindfulness
65. Try a new recipe
4/5/20
66. Create a vision board
67. Meditate
68. Give yourself a mani/pedi
69. Enjoy a warm bath with your favorite beverage and book/music
70. Connect with a past teacher, mentor or leader with a card, letter or email to thank them for how they affected you
Bonus: When you feel the time is right to plan your next tour or cruise, we’re here for you. Meanwhile, think about what you would like to do. Look at the destination on the internet. Dream. And when you are ready to turn that dream into a goal, contact us.
Feel free to share on our Facebook page any of your experiences with any of these tasks.
Happy Traveling.... because we ARE going to get through all of this with a "new normal" that will be good which includes traveling! Remember #TravelWillBeBack
Happy Traveling!
- Connie
P.S. If you found any ideas in this article to be fun to try, feel free to click on the ♥ below and share the page with a friend who may enjoy a new idea, hobby, or class.