Just a few weeks ago, the idea of a mandatory “vacation” in the warmth of your own home might have been a distant dream for many. Today, however, we can already say that home office is gradually becoming an unpleasant reality for a large part of the world. It is all the more important that we combine our work with activities that help us relax, so that the time spent under house arrest passes as quickly as possible.
If you're running out of ideas for what to do, we've prepared a few tips for you on what to do these days...
Learn something new.
At the beginning of the year, many of us have made resolutions to learn something new, only to have it all fade away weeks after the new year. Work, responsibilities, and kids' clubs have gotten in the way of fulfilling our dreams of learning Spanish or furthering our education in something we enjoy.
Coursera
Coursera offers online courses from the world's top universities on its website. Whether you want to improve your knowledge of finance or neuroscience, Coursera has it all, and everything in between. And the best news? All courses are free!
Duolingo
If you've always wanted to learn a foreign language, there's no better time than now. There are many tools online to help you do just that, but our favorite is the
Duolingo app. Duolingo will not only teach you a new language interactively, but after you set goals, it will "annoy" you every day to keep you motivated.
Move.
Those who suddenly had to swap gym machines for a home mat certainly don't need any encouragement to stay active while sitting at home. But what about those of us who don't feel like exercising even under normal circumstances? We should finally have enough time to motivate us! Many fitness centers and trainers have moved online at the speed of light so that they can bring a little exercise to each of us in our living rooms.
Body workout
Every morning, trainer Jany Jandl posts online workouts on her Instagram that you can do together with her to stay fit. Just click on the
@janylandl profile and watch her live videos. After your workout, your children will also work out with her.
Online training is also published by the
Cvičisko fitness center and Zora Czoborová (
Instagram and
Youtube ).
Yoga
As feminine as the name Justwoman may sound, gentlemen, you can be sure that you'll get a real workout in their online training sessions, whether you choose yoga or body workout. These training sessions are charged a symbolic fee of 3 euros, with which
Justwoman will support the
Kto poměře Slovensko initiative, so it will also exercise your conscience.
One of the most popular yoga centers in Bratislava, Hot Yoga Centrum, has decided not to leave its clients without their favorite lessons. Every day, a new video with a different instructor and a different type of yoga is added to their
Youtube channel , so that beginners and advanced practitioners can practice.
Dance
If you like dancing and don't want to give up practicing, the dance studio DanceArt, with which we
prepared an article during the past ball season, offers virtual dance lessons on its Instagram
@danceartbratislava .
Travel (at least virtually)
Since most of us are staying at home now and we can travel just by swiping our finger on a map or globe, we can plan! Put
beautiful places in Slovakia on your list, such as
Orava ,
Banská Štiavnica , Slovak Karst, Bojnice, Žitný ostrov,
the Tatras or cities near our neighbors -
Vienna or
Brno . Don't avoid fresh air even these days (unless you are sure that you won't meet anyone),
walks in nature are really healthy.
Visit the museum
If you miss cultural activities, you can take a virtual tour of hundreds of world museums and historical monuments from the comfort of your living room thanks to the great
Google Arts & Culture tool. Since we unfortunately can't travel now, let's replace it at least partially by visiting Pompeii or Versailles via monitor. And then, when we can move around outside without restrictions, be sure to visit the Museum of Modern Art near Bratislava -
Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum . And while you're waiting, take a virtual tour of the exhibition
The Brotherhood of Eternal Love by Trenčín native Pasta Oner.
Read something good.
One of the few advantages of these days is having plenty of time. Use it to read that book that's been sitting on your nightstand for months. If you'd like to discover something new,
we have a few tips for you .
Watch TV (You wouldn't think of that, would you?)
Sure, we probably all spend more time in front of the TV these days than is healthy. If you're looking for a change after evenings spent watching the news, try one of the streaming services that have been available in our country for a few years now. Thousands of movies and great series will help you shorten the long hours spent at home, but be careful, you need to do something else too.
If you need inspiration, here are some ideas to check out:
Mindhunter - Netflix
The detective series, based on a book by a former FBI agent, traces the beginnings of criminal psychology in the 1970s. The main characters, interrogating convicted serial killers, gradually develop a methodology for detecting criminals before they commit the crime. The brilliant director David Fincher presents terrifying stories to our eyes, but without the visual brutality that the viewer initially expects. He adds a casting that will send chills down your spine due to its resemblance to real-life killers.
Inside Bill's Brain - Netflix
A brilliant three-part documentary charting the life of genius Bill Gates after his departure from Microsoft. David Guggenheim captures a previously unseen side of how Gates thinks and transforms his unique ideas into reality through his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ideas that are no less than eradicating polio or finding the answer to stopping climate change.
A Very Secret Service - Netflix
If you're looking for a little laugh these days, this French comedy series about the secret service is the right one for you. Young agent André Melaux gets the opportunity to join the elite secret service of the French government, which is not as elite as it seems. Typical French bizarre humor is combined with perfect acting. Something like a modern Gendarme from Saint Tropez.
Our Man in Japan - Amazon Prime
Something between a great documentary and a comedy. British TV star James May, known from the legendary Top Gear program, goes to Japan to explore this culture that is distant to Europeans. Over the course of six episodes, he will surely convince you that Japan is a destination you simply have to visit when everything that is happening around us now is over.
And finally: Get organized.
You've cooked (
pasta is a certainty), you've even managed
to bake a cake , and drink
coffee , and you really don't know what to take with you? They say that few things can help your mental hygiene like cleaning. How many years have you been procrastinating on cleaning out your basement, pantry, or closet? Don't know how to do it? We really have instructions for everything, even
organizing your closet .
