Our government decided to impose emergency community activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) in Java, Bali, and 15 other regions from 03 July – 20 July 2021 to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Many of us may feel stressed out about this regulation, especially for people used to doing activities outside the home. But we need to support our government’s action to the benefit of all. 

Frankly, there are so many activities we can do during social restrictions. If you're still spending more time than usual at home, we've compiled a list of suggestions to help make it as enjoyable – and perhaps even as productive – as possible.

Journaling

Writing is a medicine for your mind. Whenever you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted, writing down the things that bother you will help you structure your thoughts and bring peace to your mind.

Many therapists recommend investing time writing every day to improve your mental wellbeing. Dr. Mark Rowe, Morganizing.D., an expert in the lifestyle medicine field, says that keeping a journal and writing in it every day is one of the habits of successful people. According to Dr. Rowe, successful people use journaling in three ways:

- to express gratitude and appreciation, both for successes and failures;
- to examine emotional toxicity, diving into complex emotions and what causes them;
- to explore future goals and possible obstacles you may face, including feelings and emotions that may prevent you from achieving them.

In my article, I described the comparison of journaling between paper and digital mediums. 

Tidying up and decluttering

Cleaning and organizing our homes can bring a significant impact on our cheerfulness and performance. I wrote about how Marie Kondo introduces how the Japanese use art for decluttering here. Alongside focusing on the philosophical side of tidying up, it is also offering practical advice.

With our mental and physical health at stake, we want to go outside. We want to break a sweat. Instead of being anxious over the state of the world, we want to do something to make it better. Fortunately, some activities can address all of these concerns. Cleanups are the multi-pronged solution to these problems.

Cleaning and organizing the space you spend most of your time in can keep your immune system strong, boost your mood, and offer a task that promotes focus and reflection during a trying time.

“When we envision spring-cleaning as a time to rejuvenate our inner and outer world, the cleanup process can be incredibly enlivening rather than being a tiresome chore,” Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, told Healthline.

Colouring

Colouring can relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This generates mindfulness and quietness, which allows your mind to get some rest after a long day at work.

Colouring goes beyond being a fun activity for relaxation. It requires the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate. While logic helps us stay inside the lines, choosing colors generates a creative thought process.

We know we get a better night’s sleep when avoiding engaging with electronics at night because exposure to the emitted light reduces your levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. Colouring is a relaxing and electronic-free bedtime ritual that won’t disturb your level of melatonin.

Photography

A study by Lancaster University researchers found that Engaging in photography significantly improves a person’s well-being. The visual arts have long been studied for their positive effects on both physical and psychological health. Photography is a form of self-expression in the visual arts. Consequently, photography can contribute to your ability to maintain or reconstruct a positive outlook.

We can use the PPKM as an opportunity to try out some creative photography ideas at home. There’s no need to look for professional models, expensive props, or unusual locations, as you can create impressive photos of what surrounds you indoors.

Here’s a list of great ideas and projects you can work on while staying indoors. They are simple and can be easily modified according to what equipment you have or what result you are trying to achieve.

Frozen Flowers

Capture the fragile and passing beauty of flowers by freezing them. Use distilled water and cube trays that are freezer-friendly. Ensure the flowers don’t float (and they’ll want to do that) by weighing them down. Take them out of the container and let the whole thing melt away while capturing it.

Coffee

Cups of coffee can be used as DIY photography props. You can come up with tons of concepts: from imitating a clock to a game of tic-tac-toe.

Throw in sugar cubes to create dynamic coffee splashes. Use a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 or shorter to be able to freeze the splash

Water splash

Splashes in motion look great, especially if you throw in a couple of objects together with them. Set the place where you’re going to shoot by finding a black backdrop screen, a clear container, and a tripod.

Start dropping the objects into the water and click the shutter just as they hit its surface. Try using bulb or burst mode on your camera to activate continuous shooting.