Guest Post with Luke Pfleiderer: 20 Tips to Curb Cabin Fever During Coronavirus Self-Quarantine

Hey KP readers! Luke here, Kel’s husband. I work full time as a Captain down here in The Florida Keys. For the safety of Kel and our growing baby boy, I have spent the last week joining them at home.Not being able to work from home, I found myself making a list of things I could do to keep busy. While doing so, I have noticed many people posting on social media about how bored and stir crazy they are while being self quarantined in their own homes. In facing our own concerns in the wake of this pandemic, Kel and I are constantly wondering how we can help those around us. She’s been encouraging me for quite awhile to join her here for a guest post. With some free time I now have, I figured now was a good a time as any to hop on and share some of the things that have helped us ward off cabin fever! I’ve put together a list of 20 things you can do to help pass the time and also possibly improve your health, well-being, and family life.  Hope you all enjoy!

1. Do an at home workout

Think air squats, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping-jacks, lunges, planks, etc. Even better, dust off that old treadmill, bowflex, or bike that has been collecting dust. Having trouble staying focused? There are plenty of trainers on YouTube who can walk you through an at home workout.

2. Read a book

I know this one sounds obvious, but think of reading the books you’ll actually enjoy. Maybe take up a novel. E-books work well if you don’t feel comfortable having one shipped. Self help and non-fiction books are wonderful too, but don’t feel like everything you read has to challenge you. However, if you are yearning for some education in the non-fiction field, I recommend Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Principles by Ray Dalio, 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson, and Tools Of Titans by Tim Ferriss. In the fiction field,  I recommend anything by Ernest Hemingway or Thomas Merton, and Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.

3. Take up a yoga routine

YouTube is a great resource for at home yoga. Yoga with Adriene is a great place to start. Not only will it keep your flexibility and fitness up, but it will help relieve stress and calm your mind. Kel and I are on day 12 of the 30 day HOME challenge and loving it!

4. Wash your vehicles

Chances are your car could use some cleaning. Don’t forget to do the things you wouldn’t normally have time for like vacuuming, washing out the floor mats, conditioning the leather seats, or scrubbing any stains on cloth seats. If you’re thinking about selling your vehicle anytime soon, pop that hood and give the engine compartment a good scrub. Chances are when you go to sell, the buyer will want you to pop the hood, even though most people have zero clue what they’re looking at. A shiny engine is better than a dust covered one.

5. Catch up on landscaping

Landscaping is one of the first things people put on the back burner when life gets busy. You finally have more time for those neglected chores like pulling weeds, pressure washing patios, trimming trees, trimming hedges, etc. If you’re really ambitious, spray for bugs and fertilize the yard. As a bonus, you’ll get some fresh air and sun which your body will be thankful for.

6. Spring cleaning

I’m sure most people are clean freaks about the counters, floors, sinks and toilets by this point, but if you haven’t already, now is a great time to deep clean. Think vacuuming under your couches and beds, cleaning out your microwave and oven, wiping down the baseboards, shampooing the rugs or carpet, etc.

7. Write that business plan and get it started

This one can seem like a bit of a stretch, but the number one excuse I hear from people on putting off pursuing their business ideas is that they don’t have enough free time to get it planned out and started. Second excuse is money. Well, investors want to see a business plan, so take some time to get after it! For many of you, now is one of the only guilt free periods in your life where you literally are forced to slow down and give your dream a shot.

8. Catch up on your continuing education

Many professionals such as Mortgage Brokers, Realtors and other professionals are required to do periodic continuing education in order to keep their license. What a great time to get ahead on this.

9. Renew your licenses

Instead of waiting until the last minute, check the expiration dates on your licenses; professional licenses, of course, but especially the easy to forget ones like: Concealed Weapons Permits, fishing & hunting licenses, driver’s licenses, etc.

10. File your taxes

This will be a painful one, but you gotta do it eventually.

11. Learn a new skill

This is a fun one. Try to take up a new instrument like guitar. Learn a new language. Apps like Duolingo make this surprisingly fun! Learn to juggle, sew, cook a new meal, etc.

12. Teach a new skill

This directly relates to learning a new skill. Know how to do something someone else in your family doesn’t? Offer to teach them. Haven’t had enough time to teach your kids how to ride a bike, cook the family recipe, skateboard? Hammer a nail? Mow the lawn? Bake a cake? Recite the ABC’s? Play guitar? Write a guest blog post on your wife’s website? The list is endless.

13. Organize

This may be a no-brainer and most people probably think they are already organized. Try to organize those places you may willfully forget. Clean our your “Junk Drawer”. Y’all know what I’m talking about; that one drawer in the house that serves no purpose except to stuff things in that you have no place for?! Organize your closet by color and type. Put items in the donation box. Bathroom drawers, cabinets, and linen closets collect clutter quickly. Pantries and spice drawers as well. Clean out the garage, which many of us turn into our personal hoarding/storage room.

14. Implement a new diet

Chances are you’ll be inside for over two weeks. Start the habit of eating well and try to turn that habit into a new lifestyle. I realize this might be hard because your local grocery store might not have had everything you need; which leads me to my next point.

15. Try fasting

Everyone at Walmart hoard all the food? Good news is you might be better off without it for a few days! Research has shown that fasting can actually be therapeutic and improve overall health and well being. Think 48-72 hours for first timers or up to a week if this isn’t your first time. Don’t forget to hydrate! Fasting has even been proven to help people be more resilient to cancer and cancer treatments. It can even be a great preventative measure for other diseases and health conditions. Don’t believe me? Do a quick search for “fasting and cancer” on Pubmed and read a few of the medical studies there. It’s essential to do some research on a fasting protocol before giving it a try, that way you can hydrate and know what signs to expect and lookout for.  I’m not a doctor. Clearly. So do your research.

16. Get some sun ☀️

Most people know that sun is wonderful for vitamin D levels. But as a bonus, it also contains UV rays which are thought to potentially kill viruses and bacteria.

17. Clean out your computer and cellphone data.

Most of us have cluttered home screens and unorganized files across our entire computer. This is a great time to get everything organized in files and will save you time in the future when you’re looking for that one file that would normally be near impossible to locate.

Most of us also have hundreds, if not thousands of photos and screenshots saved on our phones that we only needed to use once and will never need again. Take your time to go through and delete these photos. Not only will this de-clutter your photos but will also free up space so that your storage capacity is larger.

18. Start a puzzle

Many people like to start puzzles around Christmas time, especially Kel, but now is also a great time to start one. This brings everyone out of their rooms and creates natural, unforced, quality family time. I recommend one with 1,000 pieces. Just don’t lose any!

19. Meditate

Feeling stressed about this whole thing? Everyone else is too. There are countless YouTube videos and apps which will provide guided meditation to bring you to the present and calm your panicked mind. Not sold on traditional meditation? Give Wim Hof Method a try. I’ll give you a heads up, he is an interesting character, but has some amazing information to share. His breathing techniques have been shown to boost the immune system and as a bonus you’ll get some laughs and a good bit of motivation.

20. Pray

Saved the best for last. Not saying that everyone who reads this is religious, but for those of you who are, now is a good time to pray, study some scriptures and maybe even have a family bible study. If you’re feeling anxious, imagine how they’re feeling. Some reassurance and guidance will be beneficial for everyone.

Cheers,

Luke Pfleiderer