How to (Safely) Keep Yourself Occupied as a Teenager Living Through a Global Pandemic:

By Amelia Hahn

Finding yourself with too much free time and don’t know how to spend it? There are an endless number of things that you can do to keep yourself occupied during this pandemic! 

Although it may not sound like much fun, why not get a head start on “spring cleaning”? Organizing your closet will not only make your parents happy, but you’ll feel productive too! If you find clothing that no longer fits you, load it into a box or storage bin, and the next time you see your friends, give them a chance to look through it. This will be sure to put a smile on your friends’ faces, as it gives them the opportunity to use clothes that you no longer need. If your friends have no need for the items, you can donate them to charity.

Another productive way to keep yourself busy is to bake. Need new recipes? You could call up a family member who loves to cook, go to your local library and find a new cookbook, or simply Google! The best thing about baking is that there are endless recipes to experiment with. From cookies to pies to brownies, your choices are endless. 

While it is often hard to motivate yourself, another good way to stay occupied is to workout. Similar to baking, there are a myriad of workout routines to try. It is always fun to go on a walk or run, find instructional videos on YouTube, or even find your zen by joining a virtual yoga or meditation class! 

Looking for a more creative activity? Why not write a letter to your “future self”? Take out a piece of paper and a pen, and just put your thoughts to paper. These unprecedented times are something that your children, and your future self, will want to hear about. You are living through history! If you want to take this activity above and beyond, you can even purchase a scrapbook and fill it with photos, mementos, and stories that reveal what your life is like right now.

​The trick to keeping yourself occupied in our current world is to find something to do that makes you feel accomplished, even if it is a small, seemingly unimportant task. If your activity has an end result, it is considered productive. Right now you might feel indolent or defeated because all you want to do is go to a concert or see a movie with your friends, but as we all patiently wait for this pandemic to end, try checking something off of this list. All you can do for now is stay proactive, optimistic, and, of course, safe! 

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