We’re living in an unfamiliar time. As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, many governments have imposed lockdowns forcing citizens to stay in the safety of their own homes rather than risk contributing to the growth of the virus outside. 

Even in countries that aren’t officially in lockdown, many residents are being advised to stay indoors where possible. 

The severity of Coronavirus is becoming clearer each day as more of us are tasked with transitioining our working life and free time from offices and parks respectively to the confines of our own homes. 

But life indoors doesn’t have to be dull, and there are plenty of opportunities that the lockdown presents to many of us. Let’s take a look at 10 excellent ways to boost your productivity and happiness while staying safe indoors. 

Start a blog

(Image: Three Girls Media)

Everyone has a story, or so they say. Or at least we all have a few hobbies that we could no doubt rabbit on about for hours on end. 

While we may have less people to talk to in person about our theories over the latest serial crime drama, or who the greatest footballer of all time actually is, we could use our spare time to tap into a wide world of writers and readers by starting a blog. 

Perhaps you want to talk about all the different places you’ve visited in previous holidays, or even keep a self-isolation diary. Our newfound time at home could be the perfect place to record your thoughts and really connect with millions of likeminded people online. Just because we’re cooped up indoors, it doesn’t mean we have to constrain our creativity too.

One of the most ideal places to get your blog up and running is Bluehost, which currently allows users to set up their own WordPress domain from a miniscule £2.30 per month

Create your own podcast

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Perhaps you’re more comfortable talking than writing. If so, you could be finding the task of staying home and messaging friends on apps like WhatsApp particularly difficult when you’d prefer to verbally communicate. 

Luckily your newfound downtime could be perfect for getting started on your very own podcast! 

The beauty of podcasts is that you can weigh in on conversations being had all around the world. There’s bound to be a subject that you’re comfortable talking about and are able to approach from different angles. The beauty of podcasts is that you can even remotely call on your friends to join you and wade in on certain topics. 

Whether you’re wanting a platform to talk about how you’re coping with homeschooling your children, or rather looking for a chance to discuss the mest live music gigs you’ve ever seen, podcasting can be fun and free - and an excellent use of your time at home. 

Platforms like Buzzsprout not only offer a free podcast hosting service, but also comes with a variety of tutorials and tricks of the trade to get you going. 

Watch a series or movie

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We’ve all had moments where we see an advert for a new series or trailer for a movie and think ‘I’ll have to watch that’, only to then forget about it completely and never make time to sit down and view it. 

If there’s one thing that a lockdown is good for, it’s the fact that many of us have much more open schedules at home. Take the time to think about the times where you’ve intended to watch a new series and failed to get started. Whether you never got round to seeing Game of Thrones, or Breaking Bad, or never managed to watch Pulp Fiction, now’s the perfect time. 

Hosting services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are great premium platforms for catching up on TV and movies, although if you have a smart TV you’ll likely have access to a range of free catchup services. Even YouTube features some great classic episodes of older TV shows. 

Take care of your health and fitness using online fitness apps

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In mid-March, a man run a marathon on his 7 metre balcony in France. Equipped with just a GPS tracker and a limited amount of space, Elisha Nochomovitz paved the way in showing that it’s still possible to to exercise in a limited amount of space. 

Of course, we wouldn’t sugest that you attempt a marathon inside your house unless you were super-bored. But there are plenty of apps out there to help us keep fit despite having limited resources available. 

ClassPass is proving to be an excellent app when it comes to bringing users access to a range of workouts and video tutorials. There are also plenty of ways to keep active indoors by playing games that kids can enjoy too, and the Instagram account, Brilliant Boredom Busters, built by teachers, has plenty of activities to keep everybody fit and healthy under the same roof. 

Keep connected with friends and family using online video conferencing

At a time where we’re all expected to stay indoors, it’s more vital than ever that we keep in contact with our loved ones and remember to talk to those around us who may not have anybody to chat to at home. 

Video conferencing apps like Zoom work wonders in helping us to stay connected to one and other in a way that’s healthy for us - in both a physical sense and a psychological one. 

Fortunately, we’re living in an age where it’s much easier to video call our loved ones and friends. While it’s not quite the same as meeting up in person, being able to see their faces and share jokes can be especially valuable at this difficult time. 

Listen to audiobooks

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On the topic of filling our homes with much needed voices, why not use your free time to take on a 30 day trial listening to audiobooks from Audible? 

While many of us still prefer to read physical copies of our favourity books, sometimes having a new voice in the house running through narratives can be refreshingly welcome during times of isolation. What’s more is that reading can be a wholly valuable and enlightening experience for many of us. There’s bound to be a few titles that have caught your eye in recent years but time has never quite allowed you to indulge. Audiobooks can be a great way to turn your time alone into an opportunity for self-growth. 

Do online courses

(Image: Learn To Code In 30 Days)

On the topic of self growth, there could be no more valuable way of investing your downtime than turning it into a recognised qualification. 

Online educational courses like SkillShare, Masterclass and Udemy are great resources for continuing our education. Ever wanted to learn more about coding? Tempted to gain a recognised qualification in creative writing? There’s no time like the present - especially when the present has given us so much spare time. 

Online games

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For many younger generations, the closure of schools, collages and universities couldn’t be timed any better due to the arrival of the hotly anticipated Call of Duty Warzone - a game available on a variety of platforms as a free download. 

There may have never been a better time to try your hand at video games, with many developers offering titles as a free download. PC gaming giants Sports Interactive have struck a deal with Steam to make their Football Manager 2020 title available for free for a limited time too. 

For PC gamers, there’s a wide range of free titles to choose from, and with a little bit of extra time on your hands, it could be worth developing a gaming addiction or two. 

Read

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Reading is a wholly rewarding experience that very few of us can effectively make time for between commutes and getting to sleep in the evenings. However, reading can work wonders in boosting our literacy levels and broadening our minds. 

While the act of going out and purchasing our own books may be off the table, many publications are now fully available online, or can be delivered to your home within days. 

If you’ve ever had a specific title on your mind that you’ve never gotten round to reading, now could be the perfect time. 

Yoga

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Of course, championing the fact that there’s so much to do in our newfound free time at home doesn’t entirely make up for the fact that we’re in a very difficult era of human history. The emergence of Coronavirus can cause plenty of psychological damage to us as we come to terms with isolation and act of regularly ready bad news. 

Yoga can be a great form of mindfulness in the face of widespread negativity, and can really help to relieve us of underlying anxiety. 

Fundamentally, at a time when we need to look out for those around us and avoid the spread of the virus, it’s also important that we lookout for ourselves while we’re stuck at home. We hope this list can go some way towards bringing some fun back into what has been a difficult year so far.