So the government has ordered you into isolation at home. You're staring at your phone, refreshing every social media feed and dreaming of diving in Indonesia again. Social media can be a great way to stay connected to the rest of the world in time of crisis. However, spending too much time on the cellular device can get boring quite quickly.

Now is a time to move your focus from everyone else's lives to your own. What makes you happy? What have you been meaning to do for a while but haven't had the chance to tackle yet? It is not the time to compare yourself to other people and the activities that are keeping them busy. Focus on yourself and what you enjoy, rather than what other people are doing. Some people will be more productive than others. Some love to stick to a schedule while others thrive on living day by day. 

It's so important to acknowledge the crisis going on around you and be aware of the current state of the nation. It's also vital to take some time for yourself and tap into the experiences that you want to explore.
Here are some ideas on ways that can keep you busy at home during isolation. Read through and find the ones that align with your personal goals and lifestyle.

Stick To a Home Schedule

If you're an individual that thrives on consistent routines, don't completely forget about this, even though you have nowhere to go. Try to get to bed at a decent hour, and set your alarm to wake up at the same time every day. Start with a morning routine, whether it be meditation, mindful activity, or light exercise to wake your body up. Try not to look at your phone within 20 minutes of rising.

Prepare a breakfast that you would not otherwise have time for if you were rushing to work in the old days. Sip some coffee and enjoy having time on your side. Squeeze in a workout a day, and keep it at the same time. If you're not a routine person and like to live life vicariously on a daily basis, please skip this first tip and move onto tip number 2.

Move Your Body One Hour a Day Outside the Home

Take your mind off the current events, phone screens and news for a brief moment. This helps not only with your physical but mental health as well. A simple one-hour movement can completely change your daily attitude. This hour of activity doesn't have to be an intense workout, unless that's your jam. You can choose activities that are slow moving, like yoga, or an easy dance class online. Even walking for an hour (if your city allows it), can be a good break from lazing around at home.

The entire world is going online and there are many different activities available for the choosing. From workout videos, to Instagram lives from fitness experts, Zoom meetings and free YouTube videos. Pick one to do throughout the week, or pick 3 and rotate them. The options are endless!

Keep Your Mental Health in Check

More than ever we are all turning to our phones and social media to pass the time. Everyone is posting pictures of their daily isolation, and posting pictures of their productivity.

Before grabbing your phone the minute you wake up, try and avoid that and just embrace the moment in your comfy bed. Think of five things that you are thankful for. Perhaps sit in bed for a little longer and practice a 10-minute meditation. Five minutes is also fine.
If you struggle to meditate, try and find a guided meditation through YouTube, or Spotify. This will help you completely relax and be in the present moment.

If mindfulness isn't your cup of tea, that's okay! When waking up, get out of bed immediately (without your phone) and have a short walk around your home. Now you are ready to seize the day and start catching up on that corona news. More importantly, those corona memes!

Organize Your Photos

We all take WAY too many photos for our own good. Most of them sit on our phones for years and accumulate. The beautiful landscapes and boat pictures that have been sitting in your camera roll are ready to be opened again. If you’re looking for some inspiration have a peek at NEREN's gallery.

What if you could organize all these into folders and start getting rid of those 20 photos that are all exactly the same, with three different angles? Maybe some GoPro footage that's shaky and out of focus, but you have a slight image of a manta in the background? Now is the time to go through and delete the duplicates and reminisce on the good times diving in Komodo. Which brings us to our next point.

Learn How to Edit Photos 

All those pictures you took while visiting Komodo National Park were perfect in your eyes, but can you adjust the brightness, contrast and luminance to make them pop?! Adobe Lightroom is an amazing editing tool to make your photos go from a six to a ten in no time! There are a ton of tutorials on YouTube that can assist you in the learning process. We would suggest testing out Lightroom with the 7-day trial to see if you enjoy it or not before purchasing. 

       

If you're tight on a budget, there are more than a few apps that you can download on your phone and get some quality editing in.  We suggest browsing around and seeing what programs you enjoy the best. This should take up some more time in isolation at home

Brush Up on Your Dive Knowledge

Dive courses are full on. Usually between 3-6 days of textbook studying, knowledge reviews, and practical open and confined water tests. Remember that course you took with NEREN ages ago and all the underwater sea life you encountered? Many of you may have gone through the course materials, and never looked at them again. Now it's been three years and the topics you covered in your rescue course are far from your memory. How does one rescue another human?

Dust off that PADI e-Library and start going through the topics. Test yourself before reading through the material by taking the knowledge reviews. You've probably forgotten more than you expected!

Learn About All the Fish That Crossed Your Path Underwater 

Remember the 8 different species of fish that you ran into underwater? Now, do you remember the names of all of them? It's time to open the interwebs and start learning the names of all your favorite fish! If you're feeling bored, you can always make yourself some fish flashcards and test yourself throughout the week. 

Do what makes you happy at home. Use this time to nourish your body and mind with things you love but don't put too much pressure on yourself to do absolutely everything. Enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity where you have nowhere to be but home. Whether you want to start a new skill, or binge watch Netflix all day, the choice is yours to tackle. 

NEREN will be waiting for you in Komodo once the pandemic is over!