If you are like a lot of people, you are locked at home and might be getting cabin fever right about now. We do sincerely hope you are staying safe and finding ways to keep yourself connected to your friends and family. Here are a few things to consider while staying home that might help keep you from totally losing your mind.

Online ordering – There is a good chance that you live in a place that won’t let you go out for anything other than necessities. There are a lot of businesses that are still delivering and there are companies who specialize in delivery. For example, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, UberEats, and Instacart are delivering (you order online and they pick it up and drop it off at your home). If there is something you are looking for, or just miss, but can’t get out of the house to pick up. Try checking in with your favorite restaurant or store to see if they are still offering delivery through one of these companies.

Connecting with family – Virtual meetings have been on the fringes of the business world for some time now and growing in popularity. This year, they have become the center of the business world as the companies, that can, have shifted to a work-from-home approach. Here are a few companies offering virtual meetings; GoToMeeting, Zoom, FaceTime (requires Apple device), ReadyTalk, Join.me, and LifeSize to name just a few. Virtual meetings are also a great option for personal use as well. They allow you to get together with a group of friends or family to play games, catch up, and hear familiar voices and see familiar faces.

Staying active at home – Finally, finding a way to stay active at home is a tough one. Gyms are temporarily shutting down and group activities are supposed to be avoided. So that leaves us to our own devices to figure out how to stay active at home. If you don’t have a home gym, then here are some recommendations from the World Health Organization about how to stay physically active at home.

  • Take short active breaks during the day – do chores, garden, clean, or dance!
  • Follow an online exercise class – virtual classes make it feel as close to the real thing as possible
  • Walk – even if it’s just around your home
  • Stand up – get up every 30 minutes
  • Relax – mediate and practice deep breathing techniques

We, like you, hope this passes quickly. We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and following the recommendations of health officials to stay protected.