Before sharing ways to push back the four walls, first consider that your isolation can be like a form of sanctuary: a safe haven within the world. Every person wants to know that their home is an asylum of safety, peace and comfort. This feeling of sanctuary or shelter is worthy of defending and preserving. So, consider your lockdown as perhaps an opportunity to reconnect with the inviolable sacredness and shelter of your abode. Here you will insure that all is well, for you see your home as a sanctuary.

The following 10 Tips are meant to give you an assortment of activities and experiences that diversify your lockdown experience. Their intent is to increase your sense of wellness, not give you permission to vegetate your free time away (and feel guilty about it!).

1. Get in touch with alone time
   Many people dread being alone. Often the antidote today is to park it and endlessly scroll the Internet. However, at a deeper level we can invest in some inner reflective activities that please our spirit: meditation, sitting in reflection, journaling, taking a stroll, sketching, praying, reading, listening to inspiring music, yoga, sitting and gazing out a favorite window, and the like.
2. Go outside
   If you are able to go outdoors without violating policy or recommended guidelines, then do so! Take a walk, run, or stroll. Exercise your pet. Admire nature. Plant a garden. Learn how to garden! Create a special Sanctuary Garden. Breathe deeply and naturally the fresh air outside your window or door. Open that window wide and let the light and air in, and the wonderful sounds of nature soothe your soul.
3. Exercise
   Shelter in place doesn’t mean “no exercise.” In fact, because of an increased tendency for sedentary activities when at home, it’s vital to create a dedicated exercise routine and stick with it! This may be a great opportunity to develop new knowledge and exercise routines with guidance from fitness experts and videos on the Internet. (HERE is a great resource for free exercise videos). You may also find joy in exercising with other home members.
4. Organize
   Let’s face it, we all have some elements of clutter or messiness that we have procrastinated dealing with. So, develop a step-by-step plan to organize and de-clutter. (HERE is a 30-day Declutter Challenge guide). Best strategy to prevent burnout is to break organizing down into small daily tasks that take minimal time: today the bottom drawer, tomorrow the next one up, and so on.
5. Study
   Isolation is an opportunity to study something of interest in depth. It can be anything, and it can also inspire you to further activity, as in learning how to garden, or play a musical instrument, or increasing present skills and knowledge of a subject. You may even decide to study about plant-based remedies, and how to make them at home.
6. Learn or rediscover a hobby or craft
   Some of the items quickly to disappear from store shelves have been toys, games, crafts and hobby supplies. It seems obvious with enforced isolation to have games and cards around. However, also consider for yourself that special hobby or interest you would finally like to pick up. Even if it’s just learning magic, there is a wealth of teachers on the Internet who will raise your fun factor.
7. Increase your culinary skills
   These shelter in place policies means no fast food, corner deli run, or lounging at happy hour. There needs to be some serious planning for food when all family members or roommates are home. Because almost 60% of meals are consumed outside the home, this places a lot of responsibility on the household. These duties include meal preferences, preparing, cooking, cleanup, and shopping. During all this, you might find a renewed interest in cooking from scratch, like making a smoothie, and enjoy the nutritional benefits as well.
8. Be neighborly
   Isolation and shelter in place does not preclude social engagement that is caring, kind, and considerate. In fact, the challenge during social distancing is to stay connected. This means to be concerned, helpful, and to check-in on others (especially the elderly). Be neighborly, be your brother and sister’s keeper.
9. Elevate gratitude and increase kindness
   When we start feeling down and mopey, the antidote is gratitude and appreciation. This is absolutely the best time to feel and show appreciation — to anybody, to anything! Don’t dwell on the negative. Use such feelings instead as a springboard to show kindness, to be kind, to think kindness. Express your gratitude and appreciation to others; it is a precious gift of honoring.
10. Do something inspiring and uplifting
    Sometimes in our life we need to be uplifted — an extra dose of happiness (HERE are some good happiness tips). However, the greater virtue is to elevate our own spirit, and include in that a way of helping or inspiring another. Our inspiring activity may be the start of a new painting, or writing some poetry, or designing a sitting spot in our garden, learning to meditate, creating an altar, or even trying a new recipe from scratch. Additionally, checking-in on someone and offering positive support can be incredibly uplifting and inspire more acts of kindness.