7 Ways to De-Stress: How to Stay Home Without Getting Bored During COVID-19!

With the COVID-19 situation being so unkind, lots of people have had to change how they live their daily lives. Many have had to quarantine at home or work from home to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19 or catching it outside. I have to say, it's been an incredibly boring time, and everyone has their own different ways of de-stressing. So today, fatgirlguides would like to share 7 ways to relieve stress during COVID-19. Which activities will you like? Let's take a look!

1. Read books

Those books you bought but never had time to read: you turn around and suddenly the shelf is full of books you never finished, just sitting there in a growing backlog. Now that you have so much free time, it's a great chance to pick those books up and finally finish what you left hanging, hahaha. I'm someone who's crazy about buying books too. If any of you have read a book that really stayed with you, come and tell me about it!

2. Take online courses

Signing up for online courses could be another great way to de-stress. Not only will you feel more relaxed, you might also pick up new knowledge that you can apply to your studies, or build on to come up with new ideas for your work. And best of all, in this internet age it's easier than ever to find courses online, and there are loads of them you can take completely free of charge, like Chula MOOC, which has courses in foreign languages, business, law and much more, so you can choose to study whatever interests you...

3. Exercise

Exercise is another activity I'd love to recommend, because not only will it help you relieve stress, you'll also get healthier. It strengthens your immune system so it can fight off germs that might get into your body. There are lots of exercises you can do at home without much equipment, like yoga, skipping rope, aerobic dance, or bodyweight training. We should exercise at least 3 days a week, for at least 30 minutes a day, to keep our bodies strong and healthy.

4. Watch movies and series

Besides the books many of us have been putting off, series and movies are another backlog lots of us have piled up, because the timing was never right. Has this ever happened to you? Every time it's exam season or you're swamped with work, a really fun new series pops up. Well, now is the time to relax with the series you've been wanting to watch for ages. Let's binge until our eyes water! But don't forget to look after your health, okay? No watching through the night, and make sure you set aside time to sleep and rest. In our next article, we'll recommend some fun movies and series for everyone.

5. Cook

Because of the pandemic, many cities and provinces have had to go into lockdown, closing shopping malls and restaurants, so you can only buy food as takeaway or delivery. That has pushed food prices up, because of the cost of delivery. So cooking for yourself is another good option for many people right now. These days, learning to cook isn't hard anymore, because there are tons of cooking shows online you can follow to sharpen your skills, whether on YouTube channels or various pages, with so many to choose from. I really believe that once we get through this crisis, many of you might just discover your path to becoming a chef, hahaha.

6. Decorate your home and garden

If you love plants and want a pretty garden around your home, try finding some time to get up and do a little rearranging around the house. It can lift your mood and make your home look nicer too. You could bring more nature into your home, whether by planting trees and flowers around the house or arranging a vase of flowers on the table, which will make your home look brighter and more lively. Putting the furniture in its proper place and tidying up will also make your home feel cleaner and more pleasant to look at.

7. DIY

Following on from the last tip, decorating your home with handmade pieces you DIY yourself can make it look cuter and brighter. There are loads of cute DIY projects you can learn how to make from the internet, like pretty mirrors, bookshelves and picture frames. Not only do you get lovely things to decorate your home, you'll also feel proud, and the things you make yourself carry a lot of sentimental value. Once your home or your favourite corner looks pretty and cute, don't forget to send us photos to show off!