It’s only been 8 days since the governor sent down the order to close all bars and restaurants, and the shelter-in-place order takes effect tonight at midnight…so why does it already feel like I’m climbing the walls and running out of things to do?

Part of it is simply a state of mind–the psychology of being told I HAVE to stay home messes with my head. In general, as a Cancer baby I have no problem being at home and I genuinely enjoy hanging out in my nest. I’ve put a lot of energy and intentionality into making my home an extremely comfortable place full of light, open space, and minimal clutter. But when it becomes the only place to be, that, my friends, is a different story.

Now, I realize this executive order is extremely critical to the public welfare and we all need to do our part to “flatten the curve,” so if that means we are indefinitely (temporarily) being quarantined, so be it. But some of you, like me, might be grappling with having this much time within your own four walls, not to mention this much constant contact with your loved ones. Or maybe you live alone and are feeling extra lonely.

Facing a global pandemic of this nature, it’s easy for feelings of vulnerability, helplessness, or depression to creep in. This is a scary, tenuous time, unlike anything most of us have ever lived through, and we’re navigating all of these unprecedented emotions and strange social protocols together for the first time.

So, how do we best handle this new world we find ourselves in? How do we keep from climbing the walls and sniping at our kids or our spouse when we’re cooped up with them 24/7? How do we maintain focus and motivation within our professional lives when instructed to work from home, likely in a much less structured environment that is ripe with distractions? How do we stay fit and healthy when the gyms are closed? How do we keep our friendships strong when we’re supposed to keep 6 feet of social distance at all times?

Here are a few ideas…feel free to take them, leave them, or add to them (yes, please!). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we’re all in this together…even when we’re six feet apart.

Stuff to do when there’s “nothing to do”:

Cook together. Just because we’re all stocking up on canned goods doesn’t mean we have to stop eating well. You can still buy fresh produce, just make sure you wash it well. Dig out one of those cookbooks you’ve had forever and make something new for dinner now that you have more time to spend preparing it.

Bake some bread. I’m not much of a baker, and having been on the keto diet for several months I’ve been in the habit of avoiding carbs like the plague, but something about the process of baking fresh bread and how it makes the house smell is comforting on a very basic level. On the advice of my mother, I dug out my lonely, neglected bread machine, and so far this week I’ve made a mozzarella salami bread, followed by an Italian herb and parmesan loaf, and finally a fresh blueberry sweetbread. Ryan, my carb lover, has been in bread heaven.

Structure your time if you’re working from home. Don’t spend all day off and on working– try to schedule it in chunks around your most productive times of day or around any conference calls you might need to participate in. But create a firm stopping point for yourself when you close the laptop or step away from your desk, so you can be fully engaged with your family during your “off” hours.

Get lost in a book. To all of you out there who say you don’t have time to read, now’s your big chance. I’ve unearthed several books I forgot I had lying around (Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is next on my list). Reading passes hours at a time and is relaxing to boot. Have “family reading time” where you each grab a book and cozy up on couches or chairs in the same room. If you have an iPad or an e-reader there are digital libraries with thousands of free books available to check out; all you need to access them is a library card and an internet connection.

Make a new playlist. Do a deep dive into Spotify and compile a playlist that inspires you or comforts you. Make a playlist to put on when you’re cooking dinner or playing cards in the evening. Make another one to play when you’re cleaning or organizing. Put together some relaxing music as a background soundtrack when you’re working or reading.

Learn a new language with an app like Duolingo. I switch back and forth between Spanish and French, but there are 30+ languages available and it’s a great way to pass the time and exercise your brain. Plus, it’ll give you an excuse to plan a trip and try out your skills when travel is on the table again.

Put together a puzzle. If you don’t have one, order one online. My brother just sent me a few and I can’t wait to set one up on our table in the family room and work on it whenever I’m passing by. It’s a low-intensity activity that doesn’t involve a lot of deep thinking, but it passes the time and might even inspire some good conversation with anyone who sits down to work on it with you for a few minutes.

Clean out your closet. Now is the perfect time to do some spring cleaning and ditch the clothes you never wear, the shoes that have seen better days, and the extra kitchen gadgets that might be worn out or duplicates. Make a pile of stuff to donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army once we’re given the all clear to do that again. There will be even more people at that point who could use a helping hand and will greatly appreciate your donation.

Play cards or board games. A favorite in our house is Rummy 500; Paul usually beats the pants off me, but I’m on a hot streak lately and have won the last two games pretty handily. We’ve made it an ongoing competition and tend to pair it with “happy hour at home” as cards go pretty well with cheese and crackers and a nice cold beer.

Pamper yourself a little. Tend to the things you typically neglect… spend some time soaking your feet, moisturizing your dry winter skin, filing your nails, shaving your legs… whatever personal grooming makes you feel more like your best self, but that maybe gets neglected during the dizzying pace of normal life. This is also a great way to show some love to your partner or spouse– offer up a foot or back rub, manicure or pedicure. We all need to feel taken care of and loved, and what better way to connect with the people we’re actually allowed to be close to at the moment than to spend a little extra time pampering each other.

Get outside! Take a walk, go for a run (if you like that sort of thing), do some yard work. This time of year is when I start to notice all the dead leaves I missed in the flower beds, and the plants I forgot to cut back. Just breathing fresh air for a few minutes and moving around a bit helps keep the blood flowing and my mood from sinking. If you have a camera, take it with you. You never know when you might see something inspiring to capture.

Sort through and organize old papers, photos, and cards. Recycle or shred anything you don’t need anymore. Make a memories box for special cards and photos. Plus, just looking through some old mementos, photos, or letters is a wonderfully nostalgic mood booster.

Keep in touch with an app like Marco Polo and stay connected with people, even if you can’t see them in person. An old friend from college sent me an invite to Marco Polo and we’ve been sending snippets of video chat back and forth– it’s more than we’ve talked in the last couple of years! I’ve also started a family chat with my Texas-based brother and our mom who lives in Cleveland. Last night, the three of us all uncorked some wine and chatted with each other for about an hour, and it was lovely. Check on a neighbor, reconnect with an old college friend, or get your long distance family members together–just being able to see each others’ faces helps us feel more connected and less isolated.

If your job is stable and you have the means, try to give some much-needed business to the people who depend on it. Make a point to order carryout from your favorite independent restaurants, go fill up a growler from a tap house or brewery…maintain appropriate social distance, but do what you can to support people in your community and give those businesses their best chance at survival.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably surprised I haven’t mentioned this one yet, but it’s probably out of personal guilt because it’s largely what I’ve been passing my time doing: find a series to binge watch on Netflix or Hulu. Netflix just added a ton of new shows and movies to its database so it’s worth another look if you think you’ve seen it all. My current personal favorites are some of the Netflix true crime documentaries and an older BBC series on Hulu called Scott & Bailey.

Take a virtual tour of a museum or a zoo. Museums such as the Guggenheim and Musee d’Orsay are offering free virtual tours, and certain zoos are holding daily sessions using Facebook Live during which they highlight one particular habitat or animal and viewers can tune in to watch free.

And last, but not least, don’t stay in bed all day. Try to set a routine for yourself and your family that works for all of you without adding more stress or anxiety to an already tough situation. Focus on the beautiful upside of being together–and pay attention to the things you always wish you had more time for.

This way of living won’t last forever. And I have a hunch that when we’re back to business as usual, we might on some level wish for a simpler time at home with our loved ones again.