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Being socially isolated while the world is as close to utter chaos as it’s been in living memory sucks, to put it mildly. You know that. I know that.

However, I’d like to propose a few productive activities you can engage in while stuck indoors.

The idea is to emerge from this experience with greater knowledge and opportunities. No matter how deeply you end up being affected by what many expect to be rough economic times ahead, I don’t think you’ll regret having used these next few weeks to your advantage.

#1. Take a free online course.

Job losses in the United States as a result of COVID-19 are already staggering. Even if you still have a job, you may not be feeling all that optimistic about your future prospects.

Now’s the perfect time to begin taking an online course to update your skills or acquire new ones altogether. Even if things work out with your job, the process of learning something new may reduce your present uncertainty.

Who knows, you may even decide to further your studies even after social isolation comes to an end.

Here are some 100% free ideas:

Here are some good websites for finding other courses that might interest you:

#2. Read a few non-fiction books.

I like to use books as a means of getting familiar with a topic that I may want to dive into further at some later date. Here are a few recommendations that I believe are relevant given the current circumstances.

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

Things seem pretty bleak right now. You may be wondering why you should even bother trying to be productive. This book does a good job of communicating how even small steps forward today can lead to exponential rewards later on.

Mastery by George Leonard

This is a good quick read that should inspire you to stop half-assing things and instead focus on becoming great at something.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

I hate the title of this book. It sounds like a Ponzi scheme. In reality, though, it’s a very practical book about managing and investing your money. It’s one of my favorite personal finance books because it skips all of the “don’t drink coffee” nonsense and gives you ideas for achieving much bigger wins.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

If you’re currently facing severe financial uncertainty, this book has some great tips about getting your spending under control and avoiding money traps.

#3. Listen to podcasts.

Podcasts are great for many reasons, one of which is that they offer insights into how successful people converse. Here are my three favorites.

The Tim Ferris Show

Tim Ferris has a ton of good podcast episodes featuring everyone from Mike Rowe to Edward Norton, Ben Horowitz, Richard Branson, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

These aren’t hard-hitting interviews by any means but rather casual conversations between Tim (who is himself quite successful) and some incredibly smart people.

The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan also interviews some heavy hitters. Of particular relevance right now is his interview with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm. Osterholm dispels some popular myths about coronavirus and gives sobering analysis on its severity.

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Mankind has been through some wild stuff throughout history. Dan Carlin does a good job of exploring past events through the lens of various historical accounts. I also like how he contextualizes these events in a way that we, living today, can understand.

#4. Watch some documentaries on Netflix.

If you’ve ever wondered why things are the way they are (generally speaking, not necessarily in terms of the COVID-19 outbreak), Netflix documentaries are a great way to find answers.

The Untold History of the United States is one of my favorites. It looks at how America’s role on the global stage has changed over the years.

I also like Dirty Money, an exposé of financial corruption.

There’s really a documentary for just about everything, though, including pandemics. I know documentaries don’t excite everyone but some of these are just as gripping as Better Call Saul or some of the other fictional content on Netflix.

#5. Start a side hustle.

Normal life offers a million distractions from being productive on weekends or evenings. Now that everything’s pretty much closed, though, there’s not much of an excuse. Here are some good side hustle ideas you can get started on while under quarantine:

Building your own website

Blogging on Medium (Hey!)

Freelancing on Upwork

Writing an eBook to sell on Amazon

Becoming a virtual assistant

Helping people create better resumes

Design and sell t-shirts through Teespring

Helping local businesses set up Facebook Ads

Tutor students remotely (remember, many schools are closed and parents may be keen to keep their kids occupied and up-to-date on studies)

Create an online course to teach people something you know well

#6. Learn about investing in the stock market.

One of the major headlines surrounding COVID-19 has been its devastating impact on the stock market. This has, understandably, scared many people away from investing.

However, history has shown (and wealthy investors like Warren Buffett will attest) that now, when everyone is panicking, is a great time to consider investing.

For months, analysts have been saying that stocks are overvalued. While it still remains to be seen how deep this rout will go, I am currently pouring money into the stock market to take advantage of what I consider to be a significant sale.

The Plain Bagel is one of my favorite YouTube channels about investing. Here’s a good first video to start with:

I primarily buy index funds because they offer lower risk and tend to perform better in the long run compared to choosing individual stocks. My brokerage of choice is Wealthsimple, which creates a custom portfolio of indexes based on your risk tolerance.

If you’re ready to begin investing, here’s my Wealthsimple referral link. Use it to sign up and we’ll each get $10,000 managed free for a year.

#7. Look for opportunities to make a difference.

There are people around you that need help. COVID-19 poses major risks to the elderly, which means many of them aren’t taking chances in terms of going out to get food, medicine, and other supplies.

Here are some good articles on ways to help your elderly neighbors:

NPR also put together this great article on how you can give to charity during the coronavirus crisis. Take care to avoid scams, which are unfortunately common.

#8. Create something, even if it’s not profitable.

Creativity is a massive stress reliever. Right now seems like a good time to take advantage of that. Even if your creativity doesn’t translate directly into dollars, the relief from stress that it provides can give you a jolt of motivation.

Here are some ideas:

#9. Focus on overcoming a bad habit.

If you’ve been trying to overcome a bad habit (like smoking or drinking excessively) but your social circle has made that difficult, use your newfound isolation to your advantage.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg offers a good scientific look at how habits are formed and broken.

Here’s a good TED Talk on the topic as well:

#10. Learn the facts about coronavirus and share them with your loved ones.

One of the scariest aspects of our current predicament is the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. There are many uncertainties that are completely unnecessary now, though.

You can bring yourself and your loved ones a lot of peace by establishing an understanding of the actual facts. Here are some good, reliable resources for doing so:

#11. Refamiliarize yourself with self-care practices you may have been neglecting.

The hustle and bustle of day-to-day life often leaves us neglecting basic self-care practices. Some commonly-overlooked practices to rediscover include:

Personal hygiene (washing your hands more often, disinfecting surfaces, etc)

Enjoying nature in solitude

Eating three meals a day (as opposed to skipping breakfast because you need to catch the train to work)

Drinking lots of water

Planning and preparing your meals more carefully

#12. Learn about statistics.

Statistics are everywhere, especially when things are going wrong. Most people (including journalists) misunderstand them completely, though.

If you find yourself wondering how researchers are arriving at their current conclusions about COVID-19, public perception, political approval ratings, and more, I’d recommend taking the time to learn about statistics.

I just finished reading Naked Statistics: Stripping The Dread From The Data by Charles Wheelan. It’s a good, accessible look at some of the most common misconceptions about statistics that will help you analyze coverage about COVID-19 and other issues more rationally.

#13. Learn about persuasion.

Learning about statistics is one way to demystify arguments thrown around by columnists and politicians surrounding the current pandemic. Learning the tools of persuasion is another great strategy that will help you in all aspects of life long after this pandemic has passed.

Robert Cialdini is one of the leading experts on persuasion in the world. He was part of Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign ‘Dream Team’ and has written some great books about influence and persuasion.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is the Cialdini book most people will tell you to start with. Personally, I prefer the more recent follow-up, Pre-Suasion, because it offers insights into the language of persuasion, which is everywhere right now. Both are definitely worth reading, though.

#14. Exercise.

Of course, your gym is probably closed. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise inside, though. Even just a half-hour of cardio daily is enough to help you lose weight, according to WebMD.

If you’re looking for something more exciting than just running on your treadmill, check out this video:

#15. Look for things around your house to sell.

You know that saying, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure?” Well, it’s true. About a year ago, I went on a decluttering spree. I listed a ton of stuff on eBay and most of it sold for a lot more than I expected.

Among the items I sold were old beat-up cellphones, a broken wristwatch, an old DSLR camera, and a microphone. All of these items were just collecting dust prior to my listing them on eBay.

This is a good post to read if you want to maximize your earnings on eBay.

#16. Look into how you can claim government benefits specific to the coronavirus outbreak.

Many developed nations are offering special benefits to citizens — including small business owners, students, those with disabilities, and homeowners — in order to help mitigate some of the economic turmoil coronavirus has brought about.

Don’t expect these benefits to fall into your lap, though; you need to actually take time to understand how they work.

The U.S. government put together this handy website detailing its current response to the pandemic, including support measures for citizens.

Here’s the Canadian website.

Here’s the United Kingdom’s.

Live down under? Check out Australia’s website here.

Many benefits offered by these governments are not contingent on you losing your job or falling into severe peril; economic hardship is hitting people in many different ways and that’s being accounted for.

#17. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions.

When things are going well, we tend to accumulate subscriptions to various services we don’t actually need. Many people ignore their credit card statements, which makes finding and canceling these subscriptions difficult.

Now’s the perfect time to spend some effort going through your statements and cutting back on those subscriptions. There are also apps like Truebill that can help you pinpoint subscriptions you might otherwise miss.

#18. Start planning a vacation.

While it’s clear life will get back to normal at some point, it’s hard to see past coronavirus right now. One way to begin thinking about life after the virus is to start planning a vacation.

Of course, you need to be reasonable about things. You still may not be able to travel internationally a month from now but several months from now seems a bit more optimistic. Take necessary precautions like ensuring you’ll be able to move your travel as needed — and prepare to do so should professionals mandate (or even suggest) that.

The idea here isn’t to be reckless like spring breakers crowding beaches in Florida right now. Rather, it’s to give yourself something to look forward to while also taking advantage of plummeting ticket prices as a result of coronavirus.

#19. Learn about alternative investments like Bitcoin.

Major disclaimer here: Bitcoin has gotten crushed during the coronavirus pandemic so far. You’re not going to make millions piling your money into the digital currency as some sort of hedge against the stock market.

I made a sizeable chunk of money during the Bitcoin runup of 2017. While I’m undecided as to how I feel about its present and future, I still believe learning about cryptocurrencies as a whole is a valuable exercise in the economic downturn.

Doing so will raise many thought-provoking questions about currency, herd mentality, and perceived value. Even if you ultimately decide Bitcoin is nothing but a Ponzi scheme, you will likely gain an appreciation for economics and assets (like stocks) that are actually backed by something.

If you’re completely unfamiliar with Bitcoin, here’s a rational video about it.

If you decide you’d like to get involved, check out this article from The Balance.

#20. Learn about media bias.

While many people (especially these days) take the concept of “understanding media bias” to mean “understanding how journalists are dirty liars and scumbags,” I look at it more from the standpoint of being able to properly assess information and draw the right conclusions that will keep you safe, happy, and healthy.

This is an essential life skill, particularly now when the press is a vital source of information about the coronavirus pandemic.

Even if you consider yourself knowledgeable on the topic of media bias, I’d recommend taking a deeper look. It could save your life, as many people who initially wrote off coronavirus as an “overblown left-wing conspiracy” are finding out.

Here’s some good reading material:

Understanding bias by the American Press Institute

Making sense of media bias by Knowable Magazine

This is a topic I’ll probably explore in greater detail myself later. I think I have an interesting perspective on it, having graduated from journalism school and worked in PR/political spin machines.

#21. Think about the future more.

The coronavirus pandemic came as a surprise to many — but not all — of us. People like Bill Gates have spoken about our lack of preparedness for years.

This certainly isn’t the last challenge humanity will face, either. There are many curves you can get ahead of by listening to the right people. What’s arguably more important than predicting any one major catastrophic event, though, is understanding the factors that contribute to these instances.

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a popular book on this topic. The term “black swan” has become synonymous with the idea of unforeseen cataclysmic events. In the book, Taleb attempts to explain why even experts fail to predict these events.

The Big Short is another classic about how complacency and hubris today can be devastating down the road. It looks specifically at the events surrounding the financial crisis of the late 2000s.

#22. Get some sleep.

Did you know that getting only six hours of sleep is as bad as getting none at all over the long haul? It’s true, according to research.

The most mind-blowing aspect of the study, though, is the revelation that people who get only six hours of sleep per night don’t think their performance has been impaired. They think they’re doing just fine.

If you’ve been slacking on sleep due to how hectic your daily life before COVID-19 was, now’s the time to get your full eight hours in — especially if you’re working from home (you’re probably saving a substantial amount of time on not commuting).

#23. Start a journal.

Some of the most successful people in history have kept detailed journals. There are many ways to go about this. My personal favorite is keeping a gratitude journal, which is something celebrities like Oprah have sworn by.

There’s nothing wrong with just documenting your feelings and observations with no real structure, though. In fact, it can keep you from feeling trapped in your own head while isolated.

There’s a term researchers use for this benefit: metacognition, which means “thinking about one’s thinking.”

It has numerous benefits, which you can learn about via the video below.

#24. Find a mentor.

Regular journaling is one thing many successful people have in common. Another is being mentored by someone further along the path than them.

Much has been written about the benefits of this. Here are a few good resources:

No matter what you want to do in life, there are people whose guidance and knowledge can help you. Here’s a good video on how to actually go about finding a good mentor:

#25. Relax. Really relax.

This list is filled with great ideas that I hope have inspired you to make the most of your time in social isolation.

It’s okay to admit you’ve been running on all cylinders and need a break, though. There’s nothing wrong with using your extra time in isolation to take a quick nap or just sit and meditate.

If your vacation has turned into a staycation (or you’re unfortunately out of work), there’s nothing wrong with taking some time to recuperate before thinking about world domination.

That doesn’t mean sitting in front of the TV and watching all the coronavirus press conferences. It means actually relaxing. Here are some ideas if you’re like me and have a hard time taking a break: