How are you guys feeling these days? Especially you, my extroverts, are you doing alright? I had been having a pretty good quarantine experience, probably up until last week when I started getting a bit antsy. The moodiness kicked in, the exhaustion from weeks of working longer hours, the mental fatigue from ongoing uncertainty in every facet of life. But overall, I think I’m pretty good at this whole thing. I love the time it gives me to pursue my hobbies and the influx of free online activities that have been made available or at least better known. Somehow I still feel like I don’t have enough hours in a day to do all the things I would like to try (thanks a lot, work… working in marketing has never been busier), but thought I could share a few of those incredible things for others who might have a bit more time on their hands, or are looking for a little weekend hobby.

Take a course on Coursera

It’s pretty fun to feel like you’re back in school and I think it’s pretty special to get to take classes from elite schools around the world, for free. I’m currently taking a class on Sustainable Development from Columbia which is fascinating but classes about Sustainable Urban Planning from Lund University and The Science of Well Being from Yale, are next on the docket.

Learn a new skill through Skillshare

If you want to learn something a bit less theoretical and a bit more creative, Skillshare is the site for you. There are classes on illustration, photography (getting as niche as pet portraiture and food styling), and graphic design. The one that I have on my list is a 35 minute class on Minimalism and how it can aid in calmness and creativity.

Watch some incredible independent films from Banff Film Fest or Hot Docs

Various film festivals that weren’t able to proceed as slated have found different forms of presentation in the wake of social distancing. Tribeca Film Festival is rolling out a daily short film and has partnered with YouTube for a ten day festival, whereas SXSW’s lineup will be made available on Prime Video, without the paywall. HotDocs, Toronto’s spring tradition for documentary fans, is premiering a small selection of films on CBC, through their free app, CBC Gems. Our west coast friends in Banff Film Festival have also put together a curated selection of screenings, “epic films for the great indoors.”

Flex your creative writing juices with prompts from The Isolation Journals

I discovered this one through singer/songwriter Maggie Rogers - the Isolation Journals is a daily creativity project, created by acclaimed writer, Suleika Jaouad. When Suleika was in her 20s, she was diagnosed with leukemia, leading to years of treatments, surgeries, and clinical trials. As she puts it in her site, quarantine was something she knows well, due to her years of illness. With the Isolation Journals, Suleika invites writers, artists, musicians, and other fascinating individuals to create a writing prompt, sent out to subscribers inboxes every morning at 5:30AM. The purpose of these prompts is to spark creativity, to get outside your normal rhythms of writing, to challenge your choices of subject matter. I’ve found them endlessly fascinating to consider, even if I don’t end up writing something everyday. You can sign up here but if you want to read through some past prompts, check it out here.

Try a free online workout class or learn a TikTok dance

Seriously guys, I know I’m one of those 90s babies that everyone is making fun of on TikTok but it’s too fun for me to bother caring. Plus, learning a TikTok dance is one of my favourite forms of activities, especially sprinkled in throughout the work day. A few other workout classes that I’ve been testing are the two weeks of free MisfitStudio video on demand access (GetWorked is the most incredible class and will change your abs forever), Peloton (90 days free trial - no need for the bike, they have body weight, running, yoga and stretching classes too!), and SoulCycle instructor Liv McIlkenny’s 1pm daily IG arm series. Other ones that I haven’t tried but have seen have free trials for are Sweat and Tonic (daily live workouts and meditations on IG), Tracy Anderson Method, and Alo Yoga (14 day free trial).

Meditate with Oprah or Listen to an Awesome Podcast on a Walk

A few favourites - “The Curiosity Driven Life” with Elizabeth Gilbert was one of the most life-changing podcasts I’ve ever listened to, the Sheryl Crow episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard is excellent, and Diane Von Furstenberg’s interview with Kris Jenner on her podcast InCharge is really inspiring (Kris is my favourite Kardashian!!). If you need something a bit more meditative or even a sleep aid, check out these Deepak Chopra x Oprah meditations or my favourite podcast, Nothing Much Happens; Bedtime Stories for Adults.

Online shop (mindfully & ideally, locally)

The key word here is mindfully. I would even recommend putting together a list of things you love and adding a little checkmark beside each item each time you think about it over a few weeks. That way, you know it’s not an impulse decision (so easy to do when shopping online). I recently just purchased the cutest earrings from Brinker & Eliza, and ordered a deck of Iris Oracle cards from local Toronto tuckshop, the Wanderly. I had been thinking about both items for months and finally decided to pull the trigger given that I had been saving a decent amount of money, working from home. Both felt like really special treats, with zero buyers remorse. A few other things I have my eyes on are a set from Girlfriend Collective and this amazing shirt from local Canadian brand Ferme.