I must admit, I’ve spent the last few days in a happy daze. Chicago (now referred to as ‘Chiberia’ due to the cold weather) basically closed down for a few days, and this means that I was able to work from home in peace. No putting on real clothes, no going outside, no commuting, no buying lunches… it was wonderful.
But it has come to my attention that not everyone enjoys this extra time at home. People are complaining of boredom and cabin fever and all sorts of other things.
People, I just don’t understand this. It’s like a four day weekend!
I mean, if you need suggestions on how to entertain yourself for a few days, I have suggestions!
// Bother your significant other. A lot. Nothing says”I love spending time with you” quite like demanding undivided attention at all times. I prefer to do this while the Husband is trying to work, because if I can distract him from nerd stuff, it’s a real win for me! Of course, the intention is for the other person to forget they’re supposed to be doing something productive so they can entertain you instead. This can also work on roommates or anyone in close proximity to you, really. I mean, it’s hard to be bored if there’s someone else around to have fun with!
// Watch Season 5 of Breaking Bad. Obviously watch the other four seasons first, but season five is especially gripping. Honestly, if you take this one suggestion, you won’t need any others, because you will be entertained for at least 16 hours straight.
// Clean the house. This only works if you’re one of those ‘productive’ people. Personally, I prefer not to clean on days off granted to me by luck and climate change. But, to each their own, and I hear that cleaning and reorganizing and decorating is quite the thing to do on days off! If someone would like to come over and do all of these things for me, I certainly wouldn’t object.
// Bake cookies. Assuming you have all of the ingredients and don’t need to venture out into the cold to get to the grocery store, baking cookies or cupcakes or something fatty and gooey is probably one of the happiest ways to spend a day, especially a chilly one! Of course, then you’ll have to eat at least half the batch… because, obviously.
// Take a nap. Cold outside? Warm inside? Pajamas on? Nap time!
// Read a great book. “Great” can be trashy or happy or educational or thought-provoking… but nothing says ‘happiness’ quite like a couch and a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. If you need a suggestion, read this book
// Journal. This is another relaxing indoor activity. There’s no better time for self-reflection than on days you are stuck inside for hours on end. Personally, I’ve been spending time on a pregnancy journal and also on this journal
// Workout. Heat up on a cold day, it just makes sense, right?! (Granted, I haven’t done this the past few days, but I would still encourage you to! Do as I say, not as I do… right?!) If trekking to the gym in the cold isn’t your thing, watch a workout video or look at the Instant Videos on Amazon Prime for some workouts you can do from the comfort of your home.
// Watch daytime TV. Can I recommend Jeopardy, Ellen, and Judge Judy?! Love these shows. But obviously, watch whatever you’d like. A day at home is a rare gift in which you are to watch shows you never normally have the opportunity to watch.
// G-chat with friends. Just because it’s cold outside does not mean you need to be a hermit! You can still be social indoors. Utilize G-chat, Twitter, Facebook, the phone (so old-fashioned, right?!) to reach out to the outside world and stay entertained for hours upon hours.
// Blog. Read other blogs. Take additional time to write comments. Network. Re-design. Bloggers always have things to do, right?! Cross things off your to-do list.
// Play outside. If it isn’t too cold outside and it really is a true ‘snow day’ and not a ‘freeze your booty off day’, get outside and enjoy the powder! Go sledding if you’re near hills, go to a dog park with your dog, go to a regular park if you’re with other humans, walk to grab a coffee (or a doughnut, as I did), take some pretty pictures of your neighborhood, just enjoy some outdoor time in the winter any way you can while you have the chance.
I’m sure there are countless other things you could do with a day or two off, but that about covers what I thought about doing the past few days. Of course I only did about half of these, but I had loftier goals.
To quickly recap: Snuggle up in pajamas and a blanket (preferably with a loved one or furry friend), surround yourself by hot beverages and good reading material, turn on your TV, and enjoy yourself!
There, I’ve solved the entire cabin fever crisis.
You’re very welcome.
Cheers!
