The Corona Virus is on every body's mind and during this scary time it's good to take a break from the news and indulge in some you time. Here's how I'm keeping sane !
The Coronavirus seems to be at the forefront of everyone's minds these days. You overhear a news report about the number of cases on your kitchen tv, hand sanitizer is a must if you're brave enough to go out, groceries stores are scattered with empty shelves and suddenly everyone is going on family walks. “It feels like the apocalypse,” my dad told me just the other day. Public schools in my hometown of New York City are closed for the rest of the school year similar to many schools all over the country. In times like these, anxiety, fear and boredom can easily get the best of you. So in hopes of helping, I have created a “Coronation” ( Corona + Vacation ) guide with activities to ease such scary and difficult times!
#1 MOVIES !!
I am an absolute sucker for a good movie. My local movie theater is closed until further notice due to the Coronavirus, but I substitute my go-to of mozzarella sticks at the movies for a coke and microwavable popcorn. Currently, I have made a challenge for myself to watch every single Oscar Best Picture winner from the 1980s (I’ll be making a post about this journey soon!) I have watched 25 so far, wish me luck! But some great movies I’d recommend on Netflix right now would be The Social Network, Goodfellas, Hush, Moonlight, To all the boys I’ve Loved Before Part 2, The Shawshank Redemption and What’s eating Gilbert Grape. Some other favorites that you could rent on Itunes would be Four Weddings and a Funerals, Ratatouille (on Disney Plus as well), The Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction or Boyz n the Hood.
#2 BAKING !!
I love to bake but never find myself having much time for it. Now with school being closed and I have all the time in the world, baking is a great activity to get your hands and mind working. The first creation that I baked was a lemon-blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting from https://bit.ly/2XihbSQ . This cake came out so good! My dad and I could not stop eating it. One thing I will say is that this is more of a summer type cake but I would not mind making this all year round. During this time you could bake loaves of bread, cakes, cupcakes, cookies and so much more. All you have to do is google up a recipe online and bam three to four hours of your day are occupied!
#3 PAINTING !!
I am by no means the best artist but painting calms me and is something I enjoy doing. I went to Michaels with my mom and siblings the other day and bought a wooden shaped house. I have always wanted to take a spin on a fairy garden ever since I watched Tinkerbell when I was eight and Coroncation gave me the chance. So instead of doing a traditional fairy garden, where people set up a makeshift house in their garden outside, I did something a little different. I started to paint the wooden house, throw on glitter and I bought a miniature fairy. I am going to put a bunch of miniature things that I think a mini Sanai would like, and pretend as if this were my home if I were a 3 cm tall being! So you can do something like what I am doing or simply grab a canvas and some paints and paint what inspires you.
#4 WRITE SOMETHING !!
Writing is my favorite activity in the world and is one of the purest forms of self-expression. Over Coronacation by no means do you have to write the next best-selling novel or Pulitzer prize winner, putting too much pressure on yourself leads to unoriginal writing. Instead, take this time to write about what's going on in the world. A diary would be a great way to capture your feelings during this weary time and you could look back on your thoughts in the future. Start writing letters! Snail mail has a very personal touch to it and this would be a great time to whip up some letters for friends, your grandma who you haven't talked to in a while and anyone who's on your mind. Poetry is also a great and short form of writing that’s fun to do. It doesn't matter if your poem isn't amazing, you don't have to be the next Langston Hughes! The hardest part of writing is simply starting. Pick up the pen and go for it.
#5 CALL PEOPLE !!
Lastly, it can get very easy to let your phone consume your life during Coronacation. Scrolling on Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok or other sites can take up the entire day. But one positive thing about your phone is that it can connect you to so many people. Remember that grandma you haven't talked to in a while that I mentioned earlier? If you don't want to send her a letter you can call her! In times like these, it can get very lonely and isolated. I have been FaceTiming my friends a lot because I miss being with them in school and miss having a face to face connection with them. Use your phone to catch up with people that you haven't spoken to in a while and a great conversation starter is talking about how you feel about the Coronavirus and how it has impacted your life.
Overall, this is a really scary time to be living in and I hope the activities I listed above can distract you and bring happiness in your life at this time. It is so important that we check up on one another and our mental health is something to constantly be aware of as well. Along with these activities consider delivering groceries to your older neighbors, check up on the nurses in your life who still have to work and take time for yourself as well. So whether you watch a movie, bake a lemon - blueberry cake, paint a fairy house, start a diary or FaceTime friends during Coronacation stay safe !!
Xo Sanai Rashid