Getting stuck at home can be challenging. If you are tired of your own Groundhog Day, it’s probably time to introduce some changes into your life. How about planning your days with the help of a DIY stay-at-home calendar? Think of activities that you wish to do regularly and assign a special weekday for each of them. It can be recreations that you miss during lockdown restrictions or some healthy habits you’d like to introduce.
That’s exactly what we did to shake up our lockdown routine. First, we made up a list of activities we’d like to engage in. After a heated discussion, the final list was finally approved. Then we downloaded calendar creator software and made our Week Planner: now it’s hanging in our living room to remind us about what’s coming next! By the way, the whole process of calendar making was quite enjoyable: we had a lot of fun selecting photos and inventing hilarious captions. Here’s our stay-at-home calendar for your inspiration (you can invent your own activities).
SUNDAY: CLEANING
When all your family is staying at home, it’s rather difficult to keep your abode perfectly clean. To make this task easier, I decided to assign a special day for cleaning and decluttering. Apart from regular tidying-up, on Sundays I also sort out old and unused clothes, organize my closet, delete unnecessary files and photos on my smartphone and computer — in short, I do all things that are usually put off and never done.
MONDAY: NEW FITNESS ACTIVITY
Everyday exercises are essential during the lockdown since we move less when staying at home. But regular sit-ups or push-ups can get quite boring. That’s why on Monday we look up apps or online lessons on something new and refreshing. It can be whatever you haven’t tried before: yoga, zumba, balance board, slackline, etc.
TUESDAY: VIRTUAL TOUR
While traveling opportunities are limited, we still can use virtual tours to visit famous museums, national parks, and other places of interest. Many online tours include live commentary from a local tour guide. You can take a nostalgic tour to a place where you’ve already been to revive old memories. It’s also good to “visit” your future destination: you will get some useful knowledge that will help you during real travels.
WEDNESDAY: NEW RECIPE DAY
Eating out is not an option during the lockdown, so we decided to add some homemade exotic dishes to our diet. Every Wednesday I try different cuisine: Arab, Thai, Italian… Thankfully, almost any ingredient and virtually any recipe are available on the Internet. When all coronavirus restrictions are over, I plan to hold a big party and surprise my friends with the coolest recipes I’ve mastered!
THURSDAY: BOARD GAMES
Board games are fun indeed, but we often forget to play them because of remote work, housework, homeschooling, and whatnot. To fix this terrible mistake, we’ve made Thursday our special Board Game Day. If you aren’t a big fan of such games, replace them with whatever competitive activity your family enjoys: video games, multiplayer smartphone games, etc.
FRIDAY: MEDITATION DAY
Mental health is just as important as physical fitness. If you feel overstressed (and who isn’t today?) during these complicated times, maybe meditation and other relaxation techniques are exactly what you need. Who knows, it can become your new healthy habit! As for our family, we find guided meditations online and dedicate some time to deep relaxation before sleep. You can also use any meditation & relaxation app, there are plenty of them on App Store and Google Play.
SATURDAY: IMPROVISATION
In our calendar, this day is meant for doing whatever occurs to us spontaneously. It can be anything that doesn’t ruin our health: binge-watching a TV series, renovating, building a castle of cardboard boxes, filming a DIY movie on a smartphone. Even if we decide to practice total laziness, Saturday gives us that opportunity.
I believe that every family enduring yet another lockdown should try this stay-at-home calendar. It doesn’t make your life easier, but it fills your heart with joy and anticipation. Print it at home or in the nearest print shop, so that you won’t forget the special “treat of the day”!
