If your anxiety and stress levels are through the roof right now, rest assured, you’re not alone. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our lives in various ways and with things rapidly changing; it’s hard to know what will come next. Quarantine and social distancing have now become our norm, something that would’ve been unthinkable months ago. Whether you’re out of school indefinitely or wondering how you’re going to make ends meet, staying productive is vital.
What’s there to do while stuck indoors?
We’ve compiled a list of things that can help make your time quarantined as exciting and productive as possible:
Learn a new language:
Whether you’ve always dreamed of flawlessly having a conversation with a Spanish person or ordering Baguettes in Paris, quarantine is the perfect opportunity to learn a new language. There are several recommended apps, such as Duolingo to make the task easier:

Strategize and Create
Now is the time to write those books, create the vision board or catch up on some of those chores you put off for too long. Below, Paula Kay Murphy tells us how she uses her time:

Maintain a Routine
Maintaining a routine is very important especially for those who have children. Ensure to stick to the usual meal and sleep times as well as facilitate them learning from home. In the video below, Mrs Judith Hyatt tells us how she maintains balance.

Other ways to keep productive include:
- Taking an online course
- Exercising
- Watching documentaries
- Limiting your social media intake
- Learn a new skill
Adopt the Maroon Mindset and ladies, get into your Nanny Mode. Although the quarantine has been and will be long, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find things to keep you busy, happy, and helpful. Just relax and stay calm. We’re not shaky when it comes to tough times. We will make it through to the other side.

‘Being busy and being productive are two different things. Whatever you do, work on tasks that will keep you productively busy. Do NOT let this downtime turn into a downturn. Make up your mind to grow in place so that when you are let back out, you will be on top.

3 Responses
Hi Charles, Judith, Tiffany and the rest of the Good News Jamaica Family. I thoroughly enjpyed this one for a myriad of reasons,including the following:
1. It allowed me get up close and personal with the Hyatts, Tiffany, the talented and creative features wiriter, extraordinaire’.
2. It also caused me to reflect on the reasons that Good News Jamaica was sekevted in the 1st instance, to be a Grantee under the Community Outreach through Partnership for Empowerment (COPE) Initiative for the FY 2019/2020.
3. You can imagine how overjoyed, we all are at the Bureau of Gender Affairs ( BGA) when we recommended Good News Jamaica to be a part of Phase 2 and got a resounding YES!
4. I’m truly overjoyed to reiterate my heartiest congratulations to Charles, Judith, Tiffany and the rest of the Good News family.
Looking forward to many exciting features, testimonials under the COPE Initiative Phase 2 which spans, April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021.
Waiting with bated breath…
Great Article!💯💯