By Estefania Magdalena | Staff Writer

Social distancing is a way to slow down the spread of the Covid-19 virus on the Hawaiʻi islands and around the world. During moments like these, many people now have a lot more free time and do not know what to do at home.

Here are 10 things to do during the hours of boredom and introspection, in which you do not need to leave the house, nor do you need to interact with other people:

Read all the books you have pending: We all know about that book we started reading , but for some reason (usually lack of time), we only read half of it and left it leaning on some shelf. This is the ideal time to spend time with ourselves and delight in the readings that we could never finish.

Start writing: Be it a novel, a diary, a letter, or whatever helps you express yourself, writing is a way to communicate with ourselves and clarify our minds. In addition to the above, writing activates various brain areas and their coordination.

Arrange your furniture: Changing the furniture of place brings positive energy. It is beneficial to often modify the environment, to renew the gaze and broaden our perspectives. If there is a situation in your head that is not very clear right now, moving the furniture around may help you clarify your vision.

Remodel and personalize your house: Take advantage of these moments of solitude to make your personal spaces places that make you feel good. Arrange the pictures on the wall, change the old photographs of the photo frames, and make all the changes you have been putting off. 

Paint or draw: This type of activity develops our creativity and connects with our emotions. When we carry them out, the stress dissolves, we have pleasant sensations, and they improve our ability to communicate. Sometimes, it is possible to express through painting or drawing those emotions that we are not able to express verbally.

Fix all those broken things you never repaired … the leg of a table, the back of a chair, the water dripping from the tap, a tile that came out of your garden, or the lamp in your room that does not work. You can also vacuum the house rugs, clean the floors and walls, and wash the car. You probably have been postponing these for a long time.

Check old boxes, old drawers, old notebooks: Usually we tend to store unnecessary things in our house that we no longer pay attention to. It is a good time for you to examine what you are accumulating that are no longer necessary to conserve. The only way for new things to come is to let go of the old.

Cooking: It is a good time to try new recipes and be open to creativity. There are millions of recipes on the internet for you to try and entertain yourself. If sustainable living is what you’re interested in, there are many simple vegan recipe options at itdoesnttastelikechicken.com.

Meditate: We almost always complain about our routines and not having time to rest. Meditation is a moment of self-love in which we listen to and communicate with ourselves. Just sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and connect with the present moment without thinking about the past or the future. 

Take the opportunity to wash all the clothes: Check in your closet all the clothes and shoes you have stored, then divide into what you wear and what you no longer wear. Wash all those clothes that need it, and fix those that need a button, a zipper, or a coffee stain that you could never remove.

Discard, recycle, or donate: Clothes you no longer use can be separated and donated to people who need them. Separate and recycle items that you no longer need and are made of plastic or aluminum. Finally, get rid of everything that no longer serves you and has accumulated in your home.