By now, the extended spring break due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is probably driving you insane from boredom. Health officials and news reports continue to tell us to either “self-quarantine” or participate in “social distancing.” With Seward County Community College moving classes online and telling students to stay home, that feeling of boredom or isolation is likely to grow.

Let’s face it, now is not an ideal time to go to the club or that Saturday night party your friend is having or even to the grocery store. It will definitely be tempting to break the isolation.

I know being home gets super boring and forcing yourself to stay home sucks, but try your best to stay away from populated places with more than 50 people around, where you will be at least six-feet away. If you think you are less susceptible to it, please be aware that quarantining serves to stop the virus from spreading.

So what can you do during a quarantine? Here are some ideas:

1.Binge movies or shows

The most obvious thing to do is binge watch that TV show you’re always talking about watching once you have time. Guess what? You have time. If you don’t have to work and you’re bored, go for it.

2. Try something new

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to do anything such as sewing, embroidery, crafting, painting or even playing an instrument, do it now. Youtube is rich with how-to videos. A little google search might even reveal some free online lessons as people all over the world pull together to pass the time.

Maybe it’s time to discover some new things to watch. Experiment a little, maybe even try an opera. The famous New York Metropolitan Opera is offering nightly opera streams for free. See the schedule here. Some artists are even doing mini-concerts on their social media accounts. Have a favorite artist? Follow them and enjoy the show.

3. Make some food from scratch

If you have all the ingredients in your kitchen to bake cookies, do it! You could go to Walmart to pick up extra things but it is not recommended, unless you like to live on the edge. If you do go, make sure you stay at least six-feet apart from others and disinfect your hands often.

4. Read a couple books

If you’re like me and buy books that end up on the shelf, then now is the perfect time to read. It doesn’t hurt to lose yourself in a fictional story for a couple hours and forget about the pandemic.

The good news is some publishers and libraries are offering e-books free for a limited time to check out. The New York City library just released an app called SimplyE. The Kansas State Library also allows you to borrow e-books, even audio books.

5. Scroll Tik Tok for hours

Ok, so let’s admit that we do this everyday but now it’s possible to do it for even LONGER. This could be a bit toxic, though. There are thousands of Tik Toks about the virus now so it might not be much of a distraction.

6. Start (and finish) a new video game

If you’re into video games and have a console at home, there’s a good chance you could catch up on levels and finish it out.

7. Facetime your friends

If you’re staying in and you start to miss your friends, Facetime them! It’s not the same as hanging out in person but it works during this time of “self-quarantine” and “social distancing.”

8. Organize or clean your room

Now that you might have more time on your hands, cleaning and doing chores more often can be an option! (not very fun, I know) Staying home will make your area a bit more messy so why not organize that messy drawer or pick up a few things around your house? A clean room is essential during your self-quarantine.

9. Stay updated

Make sure you keep yourself updated on what is happening around you. It’s important to be self-aware. Checking canvas and your school email is also very important. It’s a way to stay in touch with teachers and your classes.

10. Self care

Hearing about the virus and the negativity surrounding recent events might get to be too much for your mental health. Make sure you put your phone down for a couple hours, take a hot bath and try out a homemade face mask or whatever eases your mood. Need more than that? No worries. SCCC has someone you can talk to: Annette Hackbarth-Onson, dean of students, or Celeste Donovan, vice-president of student affairs.