During this time of uncertainness and lock from day to day life, one must find new activities to take up time and to engage in. Without distractions, this pandemic can easily turn into boredom with no need to do anything, as life seems to be at a halt. Therefore, this time creates the perfect opportunity to catch up on activities or do something that you have wanted to do for so long but have never found the time to do it. NOW IS THE TIME! In this journal entry, I have detailed three activities that I have undertaken to keep myself busy and entertained.

EXERCISING

First, I have decided that with my extra time I would do an activity that I have always tried to do regularly, exercise. Exercise is both healthy and time-consuming, and therefore I have been trying to commit myself to exercise at least once a day. My form of exercising varies. Sometimes I go on jogs with my mom, but more frequently I follow a workout video from online. In these videos, trainers motivate their viewers to keep going and push through the pain. I always feel refreshed when I am finished, and it also helps me feel less guilty when I eat sweets, (which I am more prone to do with all this extra time). Exercising also allows me to not think for that hour. Even before this pandemic, I enjoyed working out because it was a dedicated time to not have to worry about homework or other stressful topics. But now with this ample amount of time, I have found myself pacing out activities with time to rest in between, and overall have found more time to exercise. Even though I am at home with no one to exercise with, I like wearing my cute leggings and sports bra to feel more confident while working out. After I work out, I make myself healthy snacks, which I would not have had time to do on a busy day prior to the pandemic!

COOKING

This crazy time has called for extreme measures. My family has resulted in not leaving the house- at all. We are even questioning the food from take out restaurants. For those reasons, we have strictly been cooking our own food. This does not seem like a stretch, but we are not used to cooking so much. Every night my mom and I make some new dishes that we know we both will enjoy. We regularly watch Chopped, a cooking show, and that inspired us to get creative in the kitchen. It is actually a lot of fun cooking, especially because I get to be with my mom and we go back and forth on what to cook. Hopefully, this new habit will continue after quarantine is over. Some plates have definitely been good enough to remember and make some other day.

READING

I have always intended to read every day, but with the reality of my life, I would sometimes not be able to because of the lack of time. There are no excuses now. I finally have the ability to sit down and read a book- probably even be able to finish it by the end of the week. This is one of those activities that I enjoy but are not always able to do. I am currently reading a book about the history of Egypt’s sovereign and its powerful ruling women. This topic is one that I greatly enjoy learning about, as I am a feminist and an advocate for equal rights for both genders. I have already finished a book during quarantine, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Both books are very interesting, especially for me who is interested in women’s struggle and shedding light on the disadvantage we have. They were also both award-winning and are in general very well known books. I love reading, it lets me learn more about certain topics that I would otherwise not know much about. Knowing more helps me state my case with facts and just allows me to feel more invested in topics that others do not know or more well rounded. I love feeling well informed, and reading allows me this pleasure.