Quarantine can be an exhausting time when you have nothing to do besides sleep and eat. It’s a difficult time to be a high school student who only wants to hang out with friends and be around people.  If you have been struggling to find things to do over your time in quarantine, you are not alone. Here are some ideas of what you can do to keep yourself busy, other than doing something you’re going to regret to your hair or posting random things on your Instagram story. 

1. Read a book. Find a book you bought from Barnes and Noble a few months ago and said “I’m totally going to read this!” and then proceeded to forget about its existence until now.  Or return to a world you discovered when you were younger, such as the Wizarding World or Camp Half-Blood for a day or so. Pull a book back off the shelf and curl up on your bed or favorite chair and just let yourself go somewhere else for a few hours. 
2. Get crafty. While this is difficult to do during a time when you cannot leave your house to run to Michaels and buy supplies, it’s highly likely you have some old arts and crafts supplies laying around your house. Even if it’s an old set of watercolors, paint a pretty picture and listen to some music that gives you good vibes. 
3. Clean. Naturally not everyone’s favorite activity, but it feels good once it’s done. Go through your closet and find some clothes you completely forgot you had. Throw away that coke bottle sitting on your dresser. Take all the dishes you have sitting in your room downstairs. Consider a deep clean of your floor, wash your bed sheets and comforter. 
4. Write. The world is a bit of a mess right now (in case you haven’t noticed). What’s happening right now is something extremely stressful and you probably have a lot of thoughts going through your head right now. Write those thoughts down. In the future, people are going to want to know what people were thinking during the Coronavirus™. 
5. Watch something. Ah yes, everyone’s favorite suggestion. Watch something you’ve been wanting to watch for a while and that has been sitting on your Netflix list for a long time. Try not to rewatch anything you’ve watched over 20 times in the past month (I may or may not be guilty of this). Some suggestions and where to find them: Sex Education (Netflix), Schitts Creek (Netflix), Hot Rod (Netflix), Billy on the Street (Netflix),  Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Hulu), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Hulu), Say Yes to the Dress (Hulu), Booksmart (Hulu). 
6. Exercise. Not the easiest right now, but still very important. Search YouTube for 30 minute exercise videos. It doesn’t have to be anything super intense, even if you just search for a beginner yoga tutorial you’re taking care of your body. Also consider going for a walk outside (around your neighborhood) on a nice day. There are lots of hiking trails to go on in Happy Valley, so take a parent or sibling with you and venture into the wilderness. 
7. Organize. Online school has begun. Create a schedule for yourself and try your best to stick to it. Decide whether you would like to use a notebook or a daily planner and then take a look at your workload for the week. Assign yourself a few assignments a day, making sure you give yourself breaks and aren’t overwhelming yourself. 
8. Go for a drive. Obviously only if you have your license. Just drive around for a bit and explore the roads less traveled. Don’t stop anywhere unless you need to go to the grocery store. Make yourself a driving playlist or listen to the radio for a bit (try the station 103.1 for some good tunes). Only go out long enough to remind yourself there’s a world outside of your house. 
9. FaceTime/ Zoom with friends. Not being able to be around/ see friends is extremely difficult. Find a way to see your friends. FaceTime and Zoom are probably most accessible, but there are ways to video call with people on both Snapchat and Instagram. There are also ways to play games with friends online (try out skribbl.io).  
10. Practice self-care. Treat yourself in some way everyday. Whether that’s giving yourself a manicure, taking a bath, doing a face mask, or finding a way to make iced coffee at home, find a way to relax and make yourself happy once a day. Try to get on a good sleep schedule so that you feel energized and ready for each day.

This is genuinely a stressful time for everyone around the world. If you have been feeling unmotivated or exhausted everyday, you are not alone. Trying to find ways to keep yourself busy can be challenging, but doing something little everyday to attempt to retain your sanity is important.