Find some projects that you can do at home.

At this point, I have been at home a long time and it is probably going to be a lot longer. Other folks may be thinking about what being stuck at home will be like and planning for potentially being at home for a few weeks or longer.

What you can do at home is going to depend a lot on how much space you have to do things and the materials you have on hand. With an internet connection and the power staying on, there are a lot more opportunities for entertainment.

Quarantine doesn’t mean you are not going to have electricity or the internet. Sure it could happen at some point but in the meantime, you can enjoy the benefits.

Maintaining Morale Under COVID-19 Quarantine

There are a lot of fun hobbies and projects that you can do at home with limited space. At the moment you can still order craft supplies and various tools. You don’t have to spend a lot either. If you like to sew, knit, or crochet for example but never seem to have the time, you might find that you do now.

I remember when I was a kid and my Dad and I were living in a tiny
town called Hamilton, Washington. I spent a good bit of my childhood
living there. There was no internet, we didn’t have a television or
cable, nor a phone. I read a lot of books and I had to make sure to
have some on hand because the nearest library was 10 miles away.
Before I was homeschooled I had the school library and my teachers
would let me borrow books from their private classroom stash. Dad
would let me pick out stacks of used books on our trips to town.

Now we have e-readers and computers that allow access to any
e-book in seconds. Local library systems often have ways for you to
check out ebooks with your library card if you are trying to not
spend money. Amazon has a program called Kindle Unlimited that allows
you to read a lot of different books for around $10 a month. That is
a pretty good deal if you are stuck at home and like to read. You may
be able to get a month for free too. They offer that deal fairly
often to new customers.

I live, write, and think about preparedness all the time. It is very hard for me to distance myself from it. Here lately I have found it is hard to even look away from the news and the events unfolding. Well, yesterday while I was cleaning up the house I put on a show that has offered me a lot of laughs over the years. It is called “Black’s Books” and it was produced in England, maybe by the BBC. After an episode and some laughs, it was amazing how much better I felt.

Some of you may be like me and find modern humor not quite as
funny as the old. Shows like Frazier, Cheers, and King of the Hill,
always make me smile. Oh and the old British Comedy Fawlty Towers!
What shows make you smile?

Board games or simple card games are good for playing in a group. There are a lot of simple video games and more advanced ones available on Steam or other video game sites. I like to play hidden object games sometimes.

Big Fish Games has a lot of inexpensive games that are easier to learn and entertaining. I would recommend Big Fish Games for those that are looking for games for younger kids too. I check the price on Steam and on Big Fish Games because sometimes there is a better sale on one site or the other.

I see a lot of people saying they are watching shows and movies related to pandemics. Maybe you are the type of person that can deal with it but in general, I am going to say that from a morale perspective, now is not the time to watch “Contagion”. That is not going to get your mind off of current events and help your mindset.

I have some writing projects in the fiction genera that I have put on hold for the moment because of what is going on now. A person can only deal with so much TEOTWAWKI.

Gardening helps supplement your food supply and it can be very
relaxing and fulfilling. You can get your whole family involved with
this. If you have the space and it is warm enough, maybe you can do
some outdoor gardening right now too. We have a small cold frame with
some greens that seems to be surviving even though we had a cold
snap.

This is a picture of my great-grandma, Annabelle Parris. I think back to women like her and all they went through and how they came through it. She survived the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, and more. She was also a midwife in the mountains of North Carolina and North Georgia. She also had to deal with the hardships that came from being a lady of mixed heritage and feeling she had to hide that as much as possible.

This picture is me and my Dad. He has always helped me get through the worst times. I remember thinking countless times over my life that if he could get through what he did in Vietnam and raise me by himself then I could get through things too. My problems seemed tiny compared to what he had to deal with.

Even if you are largely stuck inside, it is good to do some exercises to keep up strength and overall health. It is proven that exercise helps people to maintain better mental health. If you want some instruction, check out the many Youtube videos out there.

There are plenty of routines you can do without any weights but if you want to add some weight lifting into the mix you can get a set for a very reasonable cost or use something that you have around the house.

Many people do better with a good routine. Every household is
different so I cannot tell you exactly what to do but think about the
tasks around your home that need to be done and some of the things
you want to do for fun at home as well. Having some structure is
often good for morale.

I wrote an article on maintaining normality during SHTF that offers some tips on keeping up morale during SHTF.

Just to be clear, I am not talking about if you are actually sick or taking care of sick people. Of course, you are not going to be as concerned about your appearance and choice of clothing.

I admit that on snow days and such I don’t always immediately get dressed properly however that is a rare thing. It can be bad for you to let yourself go because you are not going to be at the office or seen in public.

While you don’t need to dress up a bunch like you have to for your job, it may be good for your mindset and morale to get up and shower, put on makeup if you wear it, and throw on some casual clothing. Everyone has the occasional lazy day or lie in but it can go too far and affect you more than you realize it is.

Being stuck together when you are used to having more space can be
difficult. When people are worried and stressed they tend to snap
faster and this can lead to hurt feelings and increased tension.
Setting a good example by trying to be more tolerant and admitting it
when you act poorly will encourage others to do the same and be
better for everyone overall.

Hearing the voices and seeing loved ones can be a major morale
booster. Kids can see and talk to grandparents for example. I chat
with others online a little bit myself. Being stuck at home would be
a bit different without that interaction, especially right now when
we have been at home for so long.

Yes, I realize that I just wrote an article about getting the most out of your food supply and suggested considering just how many calories you are consuming so that you can stretch out your food supply. That doesn’t mean you still cannot eat well.

In fact, you may find that being at home causes you to eat better than you usually do because you are actually cooking and not just eating fast and convenient processed foods. Families may find that setting down to a meal more often instead of eating separately more often than not is actually enjoyable.

If you are not experienced at cooking or have realized that the
ingredients you have put back in your preps are not things you cook
with often, check out my article on cooking with stockpiled foods.
You will find some recipes there to get you started.

I wrote an article about dealing with isolation in town or out in the country. While this was not written with quarantine in mind, there are some tips in there that could help during these trying times.

Isolation takes some getting used to but some people find that
they actually don’t mind it as much as they thought they would. I
have heard some people say that they would like to try being isolated
for awhile just to get away from the maddening world. I am sure that
they would rather it not be because of a pandemic but it leads me to
think that some people will handle isolation much better than others.

Other people are going to have a really hard time with that as
well. Kids and teens that are used to socializing a lot might be
pretty darn sad for awhile. I know that a lot of kids play on sports
teams too and giving that up is going to be hard.

If you have a backyard for kids to play in then that will help.
Try to get out with them if you can and throw a ball around if that
is there thing. Get the family dog out and throw a Frisbee. Encourage
kids and teens to interact with friends online and via phone if they
don’t already do so.

Young kids that are lot allowed to socialize online themselves can be supervised. Perhaps you can call up the parents of your child’s friend and let them have some phone time or do a video call. All of these things may help out more than you might think.

There is some indication that dogs can at least carry COVID-19 on
them or in their nasal cavities. While scientists are still trying to
work out how COVID-19 effects dogs or if they can pass it to humans,
some people are choosing to isolate their pets. This can be difficult
for active dogs. Providing some extra treats to chew on and some
toys can help.

Even if you are not actively trying to keep your dog from other
dogs but are staying at home yourself, your dog can be effected,
especially if they are used to regular walks or going with you on
errands. Try to spend some extra time playing with them and keeping
them busy. This will be good for you and your pooch.

Conclusion: Times are tough and it is important to
take your mind off of the situation. Dwelling on things that are
beyond your control is not good. I am going to try to
take this advice myself but I have to admit I am not doing the best
job of it.

Let’s try to do better at that together. I am going to ask you if you have a moment, to share with me and your fellow Backdoor Survival readers, something positive that is going on in your life or something that you are looking forward to in the near future. Let’s work together to get through this the best we can.

I am looking forward to warmer weather and the first lambs of the Spring. Hard to believe this little guy from last year is going to be a Daddy. We also have some gardening projects going on and I can already taste those first tomatoes.

Updated Mar 10, 2020

Samantha Biggers lives on a mountain in North Carolina with her husband, Matthew, in a house they built. They have a small steep slope vineyard, raise sheep, and grow gourmet mushrooms. Since 2017 she has been proud to write for Backdoor Survival.

I know you may get a lot of inquiries but do you take emails? I’m interested in exploring some ideas.

Thanks,

John Maxwell

Yes. [email protected]

Good stuff. If your following military rule #1 (Always Improve Your Position) you’ll have plenty to do.

Everyone has a list (even if it’s only in your head) about chores around the house that you’d like to get done but never have the time…cleaning the garage or basement, cleaning out the closets, getting rid of things and clothes you no longer need or use, sprucing up the garden, putting together scrap books or photo albums. Make a list and write it down, so if you have to stay home you can actually be productive with your time.

Great post, Samantha!
DH and I can get on each other’s nerves sometimes. But he has his garage he can go tinker in, I can go read a book or work in the garden, well when gardening season begins, LOL. He doesn’t like to read so much, but I have a good store of fiction and non fiction physical books (as well as a ton on my kindle). I’ve put back some board games, trivial pursuit, and decks of cards. Probably ought to look at getting a copy of Hoyles book of card games.
I am looking forward to spring, and getting my seeds started. I already started some lettuce under grow lights, just because I’ve really been craving salads lately (no, not preggers, that ship sailed some time ago, LOL). I am going with container gardening this year, because we know we have to move come April or May. So I got some interesting container tomatoes to try this year.
Should we end up in some type of quarantine situation, that will give me the time to go thru all our stuff in preparation for the upcoming move. It’s hard to go thru 15 years of stuff on 2 days off a week when I have all the other ‘usual’ stuff to get caught up on.
I was off work a little over a month last year when I had my gallbladder out. I really enjoyed that time. We ate well because I was cooking every day, not eating fast/convenience foods. I had plenty of time to keep up with the housework and chores.
Our major problem with potential quarantine is that we both work jobs that aren’t amenable to at home work. If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. I don’t see an easy fix to that.

I hate to admit it, but if I had to be quarantined…or if my work closed for an extended period of time, I would be extremely happy. There are SO MANY things I would like to do in my house that, with working full time, I just never have time to do! I would keep busy with multiple projects, books I want to read…or re-read, letters to write to long-ago friends, gardening, plus basic cleaning…my garage and storage areas really need work! Plus, I would inventory (again) all my prepare supplies, etc. So much to do, I would never get bored!

Great article. I already do much of this and I started at Dollar Tree (they have books including: coloring books, crossword puzzle books, hidden word books, art books, soduku, etc.) They have cards and dice too and storage and art supplies even for scrapbooking and they have jigsaw puzzles ! (along with vitamins and first aid/medical and storage items) Learn to make breads, whatever you can handle: muffins and cupcakes count too. Learn to sew. As a chemotherapy patient I feel like I am under house arrest, especially during flu season or now with measles and the C-virus but my friends and I keep in touch and I am doing genealogy, prepping and artwork and reading more. I would also like to learn to play the piano (buy a keyboard on Craigs list) and to speak a foreign language – all of which you can learn for free on You Tube. Enjoy your “vacation”. Pretend you are out of town if it helps. (I pretended my son was “just really busy” when he spent a year in Iraq with the army and it worked – it kept me calm.) Thanks so much Samantha. It’s hard being the “crazy prepper mom” sometimes. Now that things are starting to look serious, others are beginning to understand that preppers don’t hope for the worst – we just prepare for it so when tough times happen we are prepared so we don’t have to panic. Loved this article.

I really enjoyed this article. I need to relax. Stressing doesn’t help me at all. Today I have not kept up with the news, I have been cleaning the house and listening to my son’s music. If I didn’t have the internet, I would probably be very relaxed. I’d have no idea about the terrible things going on in the world.
However, even though that sounds appealing, I am glad that I know what is going on in the world. I just need a break from it sometimes.
Yesterday, I enjoyed a cup of coffee with my husband and we looked at the stars. It was very enjoyable. I felt refreshed. I also talked to both of my sons and my parents on the phone.

If anyone would like to talk to me I would greatly appreciate it. I’m basically home bound due to my health. I’ve been keeping up with all the news about the virus. I’ve been prepping for a few years now and I’m pretty ok with what I have, I just need someone else to talk to about the current situation, other like-minded people. It would be great to hear from people from all over the country to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods. My email is [email protected] or find me on facebook, my profile pic is of the most beautiful little girl in the world, Molly, (RIP) so you know you have the right person. Thanks! God helps us all during these trying times.

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Find some projects that you can do at home.

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