I’m not an outgoing person. Of course, I enjoy an occasional beer with friends at a local favourite pub, and there are events that I wouldn’t miss in a lifetime. But overall there’s nothing I love more than staying cosy inside playing video games, reading a classic novel or chilling for hours with some TV show.

Due to the tragic outburst of coronavirus, many people who were not used to staying at home for a long time now are forced to do so. Quarantine has been declared all around the world, and it doesn’t look like ending soon. Staying at home comfortably sounds easier than it actually is, and I will try to provide useful tips to all of you what you might need to live through this tense period.

All your Internet setup

A stable connection to the Internet will be of utmost importance for surviving the quarantine. First of all, you’ll want to be up to date with the news, but also there’s a high possibility you need to work remotely, order supplies, or simply look at funny cat vids to relax.

First of all, double-check your Internet service plan. If you weren’t at home that much it might be a cheaper one, that is not suited for daily internet usage. Make sure that the speeds are enough for an HD stream so you can enjoy a TV show.

More importantly, check if your bandwidth (that’s how much data can be sent/received per second) is enough to sustain a video call, you might need that for work or contact your friends and relatives. It will be a pleasant substitute for live contact. And don’t rely solely on Wi-Fi, it’s slower than an ethernet cable, and if your router is lacking in power then consider buying a new, more powerful one.

Keep yourself secure online

This is very important. Cybercrime has been around for a while, and when hackers looked for easy prey, they went to Starbucks to look for unprotected connections. It’s safe to assume that now they will turn to unprotected home networks where most of the people will be doing online shopping. Luckily, there are a few easy steps you can take to secure your connection.

Use a VPN. This software is already gaining in popularity during the quarantine because it was developed for safe remote access. First of all, there are corporate VPNs that allow you reaching your company’s intranets safely via an encrypted and secured tunnel. If your company uses one, they will let you know and provide you with the software.

However, there are commercial VPNs that are developed to secure private connections, and I’d highly advise using one. They work by creating a secure tunnel between your device and VPNs server and encrypting all the data flow within it. This makes it much harder for any cybercriminal to spy on your browsing session and reduces the chance of leaking your banking information to the wrong hands.

Additionally, throw in a password manager and start using a separate complex passwords for each site you use.

Which VPN to choose?

There are many VPNs to choose from, but I’d offer one of the more popular — NordVPN. It has enough servers to choose from and provides a powerful CyberSec feature that will protect against malware, trackers, phishing attempts and block ads. Currently, they’re offering a discount, and you can get it 70% off for a three-year plan.

Another top-rated and promising VPN is Surfshark. It also has an adBlocker and protection against malware; moreover, it supports an advanced IKEv2 protocol, which is perfect for mobile devices because of connection stability and low battery drain. If you plan to use mobile a lot, consider this VPN. It’s also on a discount and costs only $1.99/month for a two-year plan.

Don’t forget phone charges and hardware

When I was living in a dorm, I was surprised how many people are forgetting the simple things. You will need to have your devices charged, so double-check if you brought all your phone and laptop chargers from work. If you have Bluetooth earphones be sure to have a charging wire for them since there’ll be a lot of noise inside if you’re living with someone.

If you’re going to work remotely, I’d suggest getting a second monitor for your PC or laptop. Even if you’re used to working with one, there might be a conference call that requires some data, and you will have to start switching between the programs just to see how uncomfortable it is.

Supply yourself with entertainment

Believe it or not, but just relaxing and spending time inside can be hard work, especially if you’re used to going out and flashy events. As mentioned before, streaming services are a perfect choice to chill out, but if you’re not that much into TV shows consider some documentaries. Maybe you’d like to catch up on political or cultural news — YouTube is filled with great channels.

If watching is not for you, it might be a great time to buy e-book reader like Amazon Kindle. Remember, libraries, and book stores might be closed for the quarantine, and there’s a vast selection of e-books on the Internet. Also, I was amazed by the relaxation that audiobooks provide, and some of them, such as Horror Babble, are free on YouTube with an excellent voice-casting. Feel free to browse as much as you like!

Last but not least is board games. Usually considered a live group activity, and unknown to many, there’s a lot of them which you can play online. That’s where good internet connection comes in because it’s just as fun to make a group call and solve a mystery or conquer the world together. Try searching them on steam.

As you can see, there’s a lot to do when you’re at home, and it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Internet connected people all across the globe, and it’s about time to test its capabilities. I hope these tips will help some of you have a more pleasant time indoors, and, most importantly, stay healthy and safe!