Am I the only one who thought that I was going to have tons of free time during quarantine only to realize that once online classes started, they can be just as much, if not more, time-consuming than in-person school? During the first week back in classes I was overwhelmed, lost track of time, and felt like due dates were coming out of nowhere.

With thinking about school, I realize one of the things I miss most is my daily walks to class. They were a time to clear my head and take a breath of fresh air. In the pockets of my day that I would be walking to class, I’ve tried to “reinvent” my walk to regain that stress-relieving time. These first couple of weeks were a lot of trial and error but I’ve learned to build in some fun, short activities to make living in the same place where I work, eat, rest, and exercise interesting from time to time.

Here’s a brief list:

Most of us have seen a Tasty video or cooking show competition. And, we all have to eat. Since being home I’ve had a series of mini cook-offs with my sister where we limit our time and ingredients and see what comes out of it. Here’s our take on avocado toasts:

And for the days where you aren’t feeling like cooking, treat yo’ self to your favorite restaurant’s takeout. It’s a good change for you and supporting our local businesses at this time goes a long way.

Journaling is something we hear is a good habit to develop time and time again. I’ve tried my hand at it a few times but never consistently. With that said, we are living through history – a crazy time, and we may never see anything like it again. Looking back at notes on what you’re feeling now or what the news of the day may have been will be insane. If you’re still not convinced to try it, do it just once by sending your future self an email through this link. Earlier this year, I received an email from my fourteen-year-old self, and it was pretty wild to see how much has changed.

Something I’ve loved during all of this is trying out tons of fitness apps that have provided free access or extended trials. Some of my favorites have been Centr (Chris Hemsworth’s app), Peloton (especially the running workouts), Sculpt Society (for when you need a good dance session), and Orange Theory (daily 40-minute workouts). And for the days that I’m not in the mood for more screen time, a walk outside when the sun comes out has been the best.

When you’re missing your friends and the plain video calls aren’t doing it, combining a Zoom call with some quick online games makes for a fun time! Already, Cohort 29 has joined together to play jackbox, Codenames, and other online card games. When we’ve wanted a break from that, Sasha Miller (from Cohort 29) has coordinated some group TikToks. Check out our most recent one: