Quarantine: Ways to Kill Time
The highly contagious virus known as the coronavirus, or COVID-19, has sent many states and countries into total lockdown— Wisconsin is no exception. With the start of Hamilton High School’s spring break, many students have canceled their plans and are quarantined in their homes. As boredom creeps into the air and settles in people everywhere, here is a quick list of things to do while under quarantine.
Write for the Charger Press!
You know we at the Charger Press can't resist a little bit of self-promotion. Your options for publication are limitless: news, essays, drawings, photography, short film, poetry, creative writing, tutorials, recipes, and so much more can be submitted as an article or for the Creative Corner! With only a piece and a submission, you can become a published creator! Certainly, an impressive feat for any high schooler to put on their resume.
Explore a topic you didn’t have time for before
“I don't have enough time” is no longer a valid excuse--go and learn. The internet is a vast place you can use to learn just about anything! You can learn a foreign language, coding, medieval history, conspiracy theories, architecture, law, psychology, and so much more!
Buy gift cards for your favorite local businesses
Times are hard, especially for small businesses that can't close down and aren't getting any customers. Support these businesses by buying gift cards to give them some income now!
Switch up your hairstyle
Really, has there ever been a better time to dye your hair? Get bangs? Curl/ straighten your hair? Try something new! Maybe you will really like it--and if you hate it, practically nobody will see it!
Watch Netflix
Honestly, everyone watches Netflix… or Disney Plus, or Amazon, or something. Pick out a new show to binge to make your days and nights a bit less boring when you’re quarantined at home. Or, rewatch your old favorite shows and bring back some nostalgia!
Learn to do magic
Really, the most that you need to do some slight-of-hand is a deck of cards! Use this time to dig up a tutorial and practice. In the words of author Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket), “Everyone should be able to do one card trick, tell two jokes, and recite three poems, in case they are ever trapped in an elevator.”
Learn all the lyrics to a song… or a lot of songs
What better way to impress a future date than being able to recite all the words to Lewis Capaldi’s “Before you Go”? Just kidding. But it would still be fun to learn.
Use your non-dominant hand
Since you have more time for menial tasks, start off with something boring like eating your cereal with your non-dominant hand each morning. Then try to draw with it! Although you probably won’t become completely ambidextrous after these activities, it’s always fun to give it a try! Then when normal life resumes, you can impress all your friends by writing your name with your non-dominant hand.
Do yoga
Honestly, this is probably one of the most common things that everyone wants to try but no one has the time for it. But now, you have all the time you need to practice mindfulness and meditation through yoga. Look up some online tutorials, give it a try, and have fun with it! And hopefully, make yourself healthier in the process!
Learn to speak pig-latin
Isthay illskay isyay ompletelycay uselessyay, utbay ayay eatgray ayway otay illfay upyay imetay! ayay otlay ofyay uselessyay ingsthay areyay upersay unfay . ywhay otnay earnlay ayay ewnay illskay atthay won’t everyay enefitbay ouyay inyay anyyay ayway asyay onglay asyay ouyay avehay ethay imetay otay oday osay?
Create a Rube Goldberg Machine!
Charger Press is hosting a Rube Goldberg Machine competition and accepting submissions for the rest of the month! What is a Rube Goldberg Machine? How do I enter? Read our “Rube Goldberg Machine Contest” article to find out!
Practice self-care
This is preached about constantly all over social media, and at a certain point, buying a million new bath bombs isn’t going to improve your mental health all that much. However, being able to take more time to yourself to do things that you truly enjoy, destress, and take a step back actually might. So, pay more attention to what might make you happy, whether it’s creating a new piece of art or reading a really good book, and take care of yourself during this time!
Figure out all the different ways you can wear a scarf
Whether it’s creating a headband out of it or making a TikTok on every way to put on a scarf, this is a super random idea that you can have a lot of fun with! Winter scarf, fashion scarf, it doesn't matter. We all have the opportunity to grow and come back to school wearing the most fabulous expressions of an underloved garment--the scarf!
Study a dictionary
There are a lot of words in the English language, and you probably know that because you probably have a dictionary at your house that you haven’t looked at in years because Google is way easier to use. However, I have a challenge: flip to random pages in the dictionary, point to a word, and learn it. Believe me, there are going to be quite a few words you have never heard before, and this is super fun to do with your family or friends— and it’s even, to a certain degree, productive! Yay! Learning!
How many words per minute can you type?
I’ve done these tests all the time since middle school… during classes, after classes, by myself, with my friends. And they’re honestly kind of addictive. And also, getting better at typing is actually pretty helpful since we use computers constantly (especially if you’re taking an AP test this year, since they’re going to be online, so you better not be a slow typer)!
Dance!
Dancing is so much fun, even if you’re as horrible at dancing as I am. So, go learn a TikTok dance and post it or leave it in drafts if it’s too embarrassing, and go dance in your room at two in the morning because you don’t have to wake up early anymore for school, and go play Just Dance. But no matter how you do it, dance!
Clean your house
Cleaning is something that many usually don’t have time for, especially during busy weeks. But having a clean room is super satisfying and feels amazing, and now you have time to clean it. And after you clean it, rearrange it. And redecorate it. And then go clean the rest of your house, too. And maybe paint a wall if you feel like it. Do you know why? Because you have time.
Build a fort
When I was a little kid I always took the chairs from my kitchen and stuck them together, and then put sheets over them and ate brownies in my fort. And even just thinking about that brings back some hardcore nostalgia. Pillow forts are absolutely not just for children--so use this time to make something awesome! Maybe put up some fairy lights. Make it cozy. Do some work there. Have fun with it.
Read!
Reading is awesome… if you have nothing to do, you can spend a whole day reading, and you’ll feel so much more accomplished than if you watched TV all day. And even if you hate reading, you could always just read some books that you liked during your childhood that you know won’t require any brainpower. But either way, I highly suggest reading to remedy your boredom.
Make a list of things you are thankful for
Having everything that you were involved in or spent most of your time doing stop and get canceled can really hurt a lot, especially with things that you were looking forward to for a long time. However, having so much time to yourself can also be a really eye-opening thing, and can give you a lot of time to explore the things that you enjoy. Different people have been affected differently by the outbreak, and some families have been hurt a lot more than others, but I know that there are still things that you can be grateful for, like the people that you have in your life right now. Spending time appreciating what you have and creating a positive mindset for yourself is going to be super helpful in this time when so many people are facing different problems!
Try to reproduce something you see on Pinterest
Pinterest has so many good ideas, and whether you want to bake a new dessert, cook a meal for your family, make some type of craft, or build yourself a chair, there are lots of things for you to discover! Scroll through your feed and check out different things… whatever you make might not look quite as perfect as its Pinterest counterpart, but I can guarantee that it will be a lot of fun!
Video Chat friends or family
Keeping in touch with people is still important during this time, even if you are stuck at home, and it’s also a great time to keep in touch with your loved ones because most other people are in the same boat as well. Talk to your grandma that you haven’t spent time with in a while, talk to your friend who moved away last year, or talk to the people that are already in your life on a daily basis but you can’t see face-to-face anymore. Connecting is still super important!
Remember to use your extra time to the max. According to the Washington Post, in 1665, the Great Plague of London hit and all of the students from Cambridge University were sent home to try and prevent the spread of disease. One of these students included Sir Issac Newton. It was during this time at home that he theorized gravity! So use this time to the max! Most of all, don't forget about your friendly High School Newspaper. Let us know what you are up to on Twitter with our handle @Charger_Press!
