With so many events canceled due to COVID-19, you may get a bit bored and lonely at times. Social distancing can be stressful and isolating. But you can stay active and connected without setting foot outside your home.

Here are a few suggestions to help you stay in touch with family and friends and stay busy from the comfort of your home:

• Go on virtual lunch and dinner dates. Lunch dates and romantic dinner plans can still happen with the help of a smart phone or laptop video call. Enjoy a meal and relaxing conversation with your friends or special someone right from your device.
• Enjoy virtual museum tours. Travel or tours postponed? No worries. Several museums offer virtual tours you can enjoy. Get comfy in front of your computer or Smart TV and explore. Check out online tours at this site.
• Spend a night at the opera! New York’s Metropolitan Opera is currently offering free digital shows that you can view on your own TV.
• Have a family game and puzzle night. Put away your devices and dust off the board games, trivia challenges, dominoes and cards. Have a game night. Want to get your brain working for a long period of time? Take out some boxed puzzles or tackle a few crossword puzzles.
• Watch TV and chill. There’s no time like the present to finally watch movies and shows on your “save” list. Grab a snack and relax. Online streaming even offers interactive shows that will get the family engaged. These subscriptions allow you to make choices of how the story goes by selecting choices to specific timestamps.
• Get moving. Exercise right at home. You can get great workouts from online exercise videos, yoga and other fitness apps. There are so many things to do right at your fingertips. Think outside the box and create a schedule of entertainment while spending more time at home.

Source: UTEAP Resources for Living (2020)