What to Do When You Want to Get Out (But Are Social Distancing)

The first few days of social distancing went fine, right? I feel like most of us can handle a few days laying low. But I know some folks are starting to go stir crazy and want to get out. Here’s what you can do instead:

DON’T DO IT.

I mean this. Don’t do it! Unless your pantry is bare, you should just stay home. Don’t go see a friend. Don’t snag some food just to get out or because your favorite spot is still doing curbside pickup. Just stay home. Please for the love all good things.

And I know how much it totally blows to be cooped up when all you want to do is get a good coffee and a scone or visit your mom (that’s me). But there are some things you can do in the meantime that’ll help you combat cabin fever and get you through this social distancing phase.

Go for a walk: I’ve been doing this daily, and it’s just what I need. Spending 45 minutes walking through the neighborhood makes me feel less cooped up. Plus, I get to see some cool homes, listen to a podcast and wave to people from a safe distance. This is the number one thing I can recommend to prevent stir-crazy feelings.
Support a local business (from the couch): It’s a huge bummer to see all your favorite spots shuttered and hurting for business. To keep yourself looking forward to better days and business in good shape, keep buying from them! Snag a gift card now that you can use later. Shop their Instagram sales, DM them about a product you love, pay them now and grab it later.
Treat yourself to all the digital goods: Being grounded sucks. Buoy yourself with some new goodies from the internet. Upgrade to Spotify Premium so you can have a commercial-free soundtrack to your workday. Try Luminary for some great podcasts (I recommend Frontier Tween and Spooked). Buy some new audio or ebooks and get serious about a new story or series. BookBub sends out daily emails with great deals on both. Better yet, try Kobo—you’ll get the digital books you want while supporting small businesses.
Reach out: Everyone is craving connection right now. It’s a great time to pick up the phone and call someone. I’ve been setting up virtual happy hours and crafterhours with friends and it’s good to see some faces and shoot the breeze. Maintaining human connections is important right now, even for us introverts. And no one cares what you look like on the video chat.
Move around in your house: Sitting on the couch all day to work and then relaxing on the couch all night feels indulgent at first, but spending all day in one spot starts to make me feel crazy. Change your location throughout the day. It’ll make you feel less tethered and can help you differentiate work time from hobby time from relaxing time. It’s small but this helps me immensely.
Open a window: This is so simple, but it also does wonders. Part of feeling cooped up is literally sealing yourself in. Open a window for a bit, let the fresh air in. It’ll boost your mood, freshen up the house and might even relieve some of those indoor allergies.