"Hobbies man. Before quarantine, I was basically in quarantine already. My job gives me few hours and I don’t have the money to leave my house much so I got used to the isolation. What I’ve learned from this though: Have a hobby and a project going in that hobby. You don’t have to finish the project in a day, learn to enjoy the process and be okay with unfinished work, you’ll get here."
1
"I mean, ideally you take some time to learn a new skill or something, and read books about new things. But realistically, sometimes you just have to sneak some education into your quarantine coping. We’ve thrown some more educational shows into our Netflix binging. Travel shows, etc."
2
"Listen to audiobooks, think out loud (sounds weird I know but it helps), follow a consistent daily regimen, spend a little time alone with my thoughts and away from distractions."
3
"Listen to podcasts – History, politics, current events, daily news. I’ve learned so many cool things this past year. Also, you can listen and learn while you are doing chores around the house."
4
"Bought a guitar and began learning how to play it from Justin Guitar."
5
"Read. Additionally, crosswords, word search, brain games. Anything which requires critical thinking."
6
"The “don’t touch your phone/email / social media for at least X hours after you wake up” approach does wonders for helping you point your mornings in a more productive direction."
7
"Medium Level Sudoku!"
8
"I joined the app Hello Talk. It’s a way to chat with people and learn a new language. I really like it for three main reasons: I want to learn French, so I’m staying sharp by learning a new skill. I’m lonely AF and it’s fun to talk to people. It’s a way to practice social skills with new people (you can send voice notes and things like that)."
9
"Play portal 2 or games like it."
10
"Chess – I always knew how to play, but challenged myself to really learn the game and get “good”. I have a friend who I used to think was unbeatable. I’ve beat him twice now!"
11
"Beating one out every night."
12
"Excel / Sheets! Seriously. Quantify your life, man. Learn the numbers and the formulas. Learn yourself and your world in a new way. Get control of things. It’s a big ol’ puzzle for your brain and you can go as deep as you want. Bonus points to integrate iOS shortcuts and Jailbreak’s Activator. I could go on for days…"
13
"I’d say putting together a puzzle is a good and easy way to start to feel better. challenges your mind while entertaining."
14
"Try gardening. Get some biggish containers and try lettuce and herbs. I work in a garden center, and one silver lining to Covid has been a renaissance in vegetable gardening."
15
"Take care of yourself physically and mentally. It has an impact on your cognitive ability. Also, take some time to do leisure activities you enjoy. Exercise – I lift weights and go out mountain biking frequently. For me, this is the easiest way to get out of a moody brain fog."