Social Distancing 101: Rapunzel's To-Do List

Puzzles. Darts. Baking. Paper mache. Ballet. Chess. This girl knew how to do quarantine. If you've been struggling to entertain yourself during these social distancing days, give Disney's animated movie, Tangled, a watch. In just the first twenty minutes of the movie, you already have a bevy of ideas given to you by none other than Rapunzel herself—or the Queen of Isolation, as I like to call her.

Now before you say it, I understand Rapunzel's situation is a bit different than ours. But I disagree with all the comments that say she had it easier. Like us, Rapunzel didn't choose isolation. It's something that was handed to her, and she had to make the best of her situation before she was able to escape and rejoin the world. Sound familiar?

To help quell your boredom—which is highly likely at this point in your quarantine—I'm here to share some of her day to day tasks, and maybe how you can turn her suggestions into a fun day for yourself.

Sweep, Laundry, Mop, and Shine up

Listen, if this just sounds like an undesirable chore...that's because it is. How many times have you neglected cleaning out the shed in your backyard or finishing that bathroom renovation? Now you have all the time in the world to get it done. That also means you can take your time. There's no rush to get it finished—maybe you don't even get it finished before all this is over. But the point is you've started, and maybe even gotten yourself into the habit of working toward your end goal little by little every day. That's a habit you can take with you out of quarantine too.

Read a Book

Get started on that reading list. Or start one if you don't have one. If you're looking for a thrilling mystery, Shari Lapena write beautiful complex characters and situations to life—The Couple Next Door is one of my favorites. Sarah Dessen has always been one of my favorite young adult romance writers, so if that's more your speed, check out Just Listen or The Truth About Forever. If you're a glutton for poetry, consider reading my poetry collection SPACES.

If physical books aren't your thing, there's always audiobooks. Audible is the leading provider in spoken word entertainment, and right now you can get one month free! Depending on how long lockdowns are going to last, you could use this month of free entertainment.

Paint, Sketch, Paper Mache

I went ahead and put all the 2-D visual arts activities in the same category. This is your chance to become the next Rembrandt or Picasso. Paint whatever your little heart desires and maybe get some new hanging wall art from it.

Play the Guitar

Or the piano, or the saxophone. Whatever musical instrument you can play, play it. Play it poorly even. Or finally take the time to learn how to play something.

Knit, Pottery, Candle Making, Sew a Dress

Don't let Rapunzel's artistic vision hinder you from creating the 3-D masterpiece of your dreams. This category includes everything you can make and use in and after quarantine. Now's the time to start making holiday sweaters for the family.

Cook, Baking

This seems to be the go-to for people looking for something new to do while they're stuck in their homes. Research some recipes online—I promise there's plenty. You could even start a food blog from all the meals you're about to start making!

Puzzles, Chess

Think outside of the box here. I've recently been getting into doing puzzles online—this online jigsaw puzzle is one of my favorites. I also love Sudoku and KenKen, a math version of the classic logic-based game, and both are easily accesible with a quick online search.

Darts

Okay, clearly not as easy to do if you don't already have something to play darts with. But it isn't as hard to make a "shoot-the-target" type game as you may think it is. Grab some beanbags and set a couple buckets on a table or two or behind the sofa. There! Now you have you're very own, super simplistic, "darts" game. But don't stop there, get creative, and maybe even make an obstacle course out of it!

Ballet, Stretch, Take a Climb

If you've been putting off starting that new fitness routine, what better time to start than now. A lot of gyms and fitness gurus have actually taken to posting their workout routines online. Many workouts can even be simplified by using materials you probably have lying around your house—cans for weights, a chair for balance, or a chasing your kids around for cardio.

Ventriloquy

This is an odd one, I'll admit. But if Rapunzel managed to find it entertaining, the least we could do is give it a try...

Brush your Hair

Self-care is always important, especially during a period of high-stress. Not everything you do in this time has to be productive. Take a second to relax and maybe indulge in an at-home spa day.

Wonder When Your Life Will Begin

Worse comes to worse, if you run out of ideas, just exercise some positive thinking and start looking forward to the time when our daily lives will resume.

You can thank Disney, Rapunzel, and Mandy Moore for this glorious list. And hopefully we won't have pick from the items on this list for eighteen years before we can finally leave our houses again.