Stylish Tasks To Keep You Occupied During Social Distancing
After you’ve checked in with loved ones, returned extra toilet paper to the authorities, have a few groceries in your home, and washed your hands as tantalisingly as Gordon Ramsay, it’s time. It’s time to have some silly fun at home.
If you are an extrovert like me who also simultaneously suffers as her own worst enemy when not busy enough, gird your loins, it’s time to play. As Lainey Lui noted on her blog Lainey Gossip earlier this week, the world of fashion is changing:
“Not that this is a priority in these times but it’s the most obvious statement ever: there aren’t going to be any red carpets for a while – and there shouldn’t be. We are at home, in our pyjamas and bathrobes, social distancing and doing our part to flatten the curve.”
You may be thinking, hold up, who cares about fashion at a time like this? People’s lives are at stake; the economy is tanking; people will suffer; why play? Listen up, I get it. I am a small business owner of a team of one that works on a freelance contract to contract basis. No salary, no severance, no guarantees. I went from having my best financial year on record in my six-year history to losing most of my future bookings for the year in two business days (with no end in sight). It’s tough.
I’m not alone. I know that any one of my fellow collogues and neighbours will have it better and worse than me. That said, I am choosing how to manage my own fear, anxiety, and expectations and attempt to reframe this unknown period of time. Panic is not a useful option for me. Right now, it feels long. I hope that on the other side of whatever this turns out to be, I’ll have enough perspective to see it as a part of my history, not my whole history. This time is both incredibly difficult and joyfully simple. It can and is both for me.
How do I manage my feelings? Honestly, it’s equal parts hammering out productive tasks and a whack load of joyful distraction. I’ve thought about all the things I can do and as I remotely connect with people, the options are multiplying. In a good way. Along with life’s necessities – taking care of one another and taxes – it’s time to play.
After all this brainstorming, I have weeks of things I can do. If you’d like to join me, make a list on your phone, good old fashioned paper and pen, or your kids forehead. Whatever is handy, really. If you need some ideas, I’ve got you.
DIY Something
Now is the time to try do-it-yourself projects you may never have thought of. Sew some napkins, distress some denim, hand sew a loose button, splatter paint a coat, or learn how to hem pants yourself. Thank Beyoncé for YouTube and DIYers posting step by step how-to’s all over the world wide web. Your next project is a simple click away.
Organize & Reorganize
Why not take the time you could previously never allot to cleaning out your closet and do the damn thing right now? There are a million ways to approach a clothing exorcism – some ideas are here – and really there is no wrong way. With all that extra space you’ll have, you can temporarily set aside the bagged items you’re not into anymore to people who want them or could really use them. Soon enough you can get them out of your home and into someone else’s grateful hands..
Play Dress Up
Maybe you have little people in your life that need to activate imagination and expel energy. Maybe you’re like me and alone, yet thirsty, in your sartorial desires. It’s no matter who or what your situation is as long as you have the inclination to create. Why not dress up and put on a home play? Me and my cousins used to do this all the time when we were little; why did we ever stop? You can dress up dolls, your pets, your spouse, a plant, empty chairs, or whatever can help you get whimsical. I plan to have FaceTime play dates with my far away nieces and nephews where we are doing makeup, getting dressed up all silly-like, or maybe building forts with blankets so we can read to each other. Upon reflection, I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of doing this with them sooner.
Shop Online and Over the Phone
As mentioned, local businesses are and will continue to take a hit. Big time. Support your favourites by buying their products online and having them shipped or dropped off. If you prefer zero physical contact, why not purchase a gift card to be used later when the public health authorities say it’s safe to do so? A little goes a long way.
Fall Down the Internet Rabbit Hole
Have you heard of the internet? She’s a wonderful rabbit hole that you can – like me – hop downwards head first. Perhaps you like looking at years past red carpets of long-gone events. Maybe you’re curious about an old movie and want to “watch again” and relish in the old-time beautiful costumes. I, personally, like to look at old fashion week presentation runways and see what ideas are being recycled today. Maybe you just want to revisit amazing shows like, “What Not to Wear” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: OG.” Let me know once you’ve read it all.
While the activity possibilities are endless, let’s not let this virus be endless, too. The only curve I’ve ever wanted to flatten is the spread of this virus. Do your part. Read up the latest so you and yours are informed, not ignorant. Stay busy, stay at least 2 metres away (yet connected on the phone or online), stay safe, and stay the f**k in.
