Coronavirus outbreak has the world locked down for a while. As per the recommended protective measure pushed forward by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the local government, we are practicing self-quarantine for a few days to protect ourselves from the corona pandemic.
Since we are exercising social distancing by locking ourselves into our home until the outbreak is controlled, some of you might feel bored or lonely or even scared. But, our health and safety are the first and utmost priority so do not refuse to obey the urge. Stay at home until it is safe to go outside.
Just because you cannot go outside to your work or your school does not mean your time will be wasted at home. Staying at home can be useful and productive if we know how to utilize this moment. Some might have started binge-watching Netflix shows. It’s one way of entertaining yourself but after some time you’re certain to get fed up and truth to be told, it’s not even productive.
READ: How Nepali companies are tackling the Covid-19 situation?
Why not take advantage of this homestay situation rather than wasting it for nothing? Many of us don’t know how to deal with so much time in our hands. Let us not waste our valuable time on useless things while you are stuck at home.
If you’re thinking about what to do at home while quarantined then you have landed on the right page. Here are some productive ways to utilize your isolation period that will enhance your knowledge and skill without having to leave your home.
Here are the top 10 best use of the internet during coronavirus self-quarantine:
1. Reading books for free
Reading books is a great way of getting inspired, motivated, and increasing your knowledge. One such means that provides access to free books during the corona outbreak is Scribd. It is an e-book, audiobook, and magazine subscription service provider. There are an enormous amount of books available in the Scribd both in the form of e-book and audiobook. Scribd is an Android, iOS, and web application.
During such times of crisis, the owner of Scribd has made the subscription process free for a month. To get 30 days free access to Scribd, you still need to provide your credit card or PayPal info. But if you want to know how to get a free Scribd subscription without providing any payment details for a month, then there is an alternative way. With the help of BitCard, an online service provider, you can skip the payment step and have free Scribd access.
For students, the best way to utilize your free time is by reading books. Some various apps and websites provide unlimited access to coursebooks online. You can find online Health & Medicine, Business, Data Science, Computer Science, Programming, Mathematics, Humanities, Education & Teaching, Personal Development, Social Sciences, Engineering, Art & Design courses in the class central website. This website provides a list of about 600 online courses made accessible by around 190 universities around the world.
You can also check e-pustakalaya which is a free and open digital library.
2. Video conferencing with Webex
When we say work from home, we literally mean, work from home. Get yourself connected to your team from WebEx and keep your work going from home. Webex is a web application introduced by a software company named Cisco in 1995.
Webex can be an effective way of video conferencing that has some impressive features such as file sharing, application sharing, messaging options, and video calling amid an online chat. It is gaining a lot of popularity because it can be a video conferencing platform for up to 200 participants at a time. Everyone in the meeting can share screens with the help of the camera at once and this application also has a feature of meeting recording that can be stored in the cloud.
You can simply sign up Webex for free and enjoy its features from home. Other similar types of video conferencing apps are Skype, Zoom, GoToMeeting, U Meeting, etc but these applications can be accessed by a limited number of participants for the meeting.
For online meetings and file sharing to work from home, you can also use slack that can be used freely for small businesses or offices.
3. Listen to podcast
In this difficult situation, while we only hear overwhelming news from around the world, give your stressed mood a small break and revive your energy by listening to a podcast. Our daily life is greatly affected by our thoughts. You can listen to inspiring, motivating, entertaining and various types of podcasts available on the Internet. Podcasts are fun to listen to.
There are various benefits of listening to a podcast. Give a listen to podcasts of successful and inspiring people. They make you smarter since you will gain new knowledge. It will also make you view things from different perspectives. Try listening to podcasts then you will realize how useful it is in our lives.
There are various YouTube channels and apps that provide podcasts. You can listen to a podcast on your favorite topics whenever you are busy with activities like cleaning, cooking, gardening, exercising, etc. Jay Shetty’s On Purpose, Something was wrong, The school of greatness by Lewis Howes, Family secrets, Talk Therapy, are some of the podcasts you would love to listen to in 2020. You don’t necessarily have to sit back and listen to a podcast.
You can even start your own podcast and share your precious knowledge and experience with the world. Use the power of voice to bring change in people’s life.
4. Learn another language
Another great way to utilize your valuable time is by learning a new language. Learning a new language is not a difficult job. It just needs consistency. There are lots of benefits to learning a new language. It improves our brainpower enhancing our memorizing skills. It expands your network web as it encourages better communication ability. Being a multilingual personality can open doors to better career choices.
Learning a foreign language can be expensive but not with these free apps. HelloTalk, Mango Languages, Rosetta Stone, Anki, Drops, Memrise, Duolingo, are some of the user-friendly foreign language learning apps.
A new discovery this year is Netflix for language learning. Now you can watch your favorite shows on Netflix and improve your language skills at the same time. For that, you have to install an additional feature for language learning while enjoying movies and videos on Netflix.
We came across a banner of Altavista, a popular Spanish school in Kathmandu which is providing online classes for the Spanish language.
READ: How to connect the internet at home?
5. Develop programming skill
There is a high probability that you are bored because you have nothing to do. You can deal with this issue by simply developing a new skill. If there’s something that you wanted to do for a long time then, this is the time to do it.
If you ever wanted to learn to code but never actually got around to do, then go for it. There are massive options while you choose a programming language such as HTML, PHP, C++, javascript, Ruby, Python, etc. Some Programming learning apps suitable for beginners as well as experienced are PlayGround, Grasshopper, SoloLearn, Lightbot, Dcoder, and many more.
Various websites give lessons on computer programming languages such as freecodecamp, Upskill, w3schools, Khan Academy, SoloLearn, edX, Udemy and so on. We also recommend you to follow Programiz, to learn programming skills for free.
If you are tech-savvy, learning a programming language is fun and this skill also widens your career opportunities. The best thing about learning programming via the internet is that it is free of cost. Developing a new skill will kill your boredom and bring new excitement to your life.
7. Start a Blog
Blogging is an interesting way of killing time. Pouring your thoughts and imaginations into convincing words is challenging yet fun.
Choose your topic of interest and simply start blogging. Writing a blog has various benefits. You will have a passive income stream. Blogging can enhance your thinking ability. It sharpens your mind and increases self-confidence.
What if you are great at blogging? Blogging can even be a full-time job. So do not limit yourself. Try your hands on writing blogs while you have spare time.
Find the best blogging platform for your blog at Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Squarespace, Ghost, Weebly, and many more. These are free blogging platforms that are easily accessible.
If you prefer WordPress, then we recommend you go through how to start a blog in 7 easy steps.
7. Make money online
What if you can utilize your spare time to make money? Isn’t it an exciting idea? With the use of the internet and technology, we can now start something online and make money out of it. Making money online requires small to no investment.
You can start the website that earns you passive income. You can work as a freelancer or part-time employee. You can drop your CV at various companies online for online jobs.
If you some skills that you can do online, we recommend you check Fiverr, create an account and start creating a profile to get some job. For the payment, you can ask your friends or family to integrate international cards.
You can start your youtube channel and for that, what you need is a cam and your talent. Showcase your talent to the world with the help of the internet. Create your own content, monetize your youtube channel and if it gets bigger, you can even work as a full-time YouTuber.
8. Learn Animation and photo editing
You can utilize your free time by editing your photos or developing logos for your social media. Some easy to use apps for photo editing are Snapseed, Facetune, Adobe Lightroom, Pixaloop, Picstart, Pixlr, Photoscape, etc. These are Android, iOS and web applications with great user-interface.
Another exciting way to kill time is to learn video editing and animation. Some free video editors that are free to download and easy to use are Shortcut, Magisto, Viva cut, Filmmaker, blender, Olive, etc. Use some user-friendly apps like Pencil2D, Sozi, Blender, Krita, OpenToonz, etc to start the animation.
9. Exercise and meditate
While you stay home all day, you tend to become lazy. The habit of procrastination can make a mess of your daily routine. Don’t let your staying home period ruin your living manner.
The use of the internet and technology can be fruitful to your spare time but do not make it your life. Staring your phone or laptop for a long time can harm your body and mind. Give your body and mind some relaxation time.
US-based meditation app Headspace now offers free service to help people reduce stress for several professionals.
It is important to be mentally and physically fit. If you feel lazy, there are numerous online workouts that you can watch and exercise.
These are some fitness studios that are hosting live workout sessions during the corona outbreak for free: Blink Fitness, Orangetheory, Peloton, 305 fitness, Crunch Fitness, YMCA, CorePower Yoga, and many more.
Actor Chris Hemsworth releases a free fitness app to help people stay at home and be healthy.
Practice exercise and meditation every morning. It may sound boring but once you obtain a habit of it, you will start sensing its benefits. Meditation helps you enhance your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Practice mindfulness to reduce negative mood, stress, and anxiety. Here, find ways to stay calm during self-quarantine.
So don’t be a couch potato and obtain a healthy lifestyle.
10. Stay Updated
When you’re confined inside your home, do not get detached from the outside world. Stay updated with the latest news and media. We suggest you follow official channels, portals for the news and updates. Do not believe in fake news and rumors. Only trust the news by official portals and an authorized body. Do not boost fake news by sharing them on social media, as you need to break the chain of such hoaxes. Do not create fake news otherwise strict legal actions can be taken against you. Find how to identify fake news over the internet.
Use the internet smartly as it may trouble network providers or others due to congestion. Read why the Internet is slow now.
Commit to your own well-being and stay safe!
Conclusion
While you’re at home, you don’t have to necessarily spend all day in bed. Make the smart use of the internet and technology. In this way, you will keep yourself engaged in some activities while improving skills.
Tell us which of these top 10 best use of the internet during coronavirus self-quarantine tips helped you become productive at home in the comment section below.
