When the news about the statewide quarantine reached me, I had two choices. I could either fly to my parents’ farm in Minnesota or stay here in New York. I ended up choosing the latter because the internet was essential for my work, and there was hardly any signal at the farm.
Despite making that choice by myself, I could not help but feel stressed about quarantining alone. I was not allowed to order food often; the laundry shop was also closed. Still, I had to tap my face several times and remind myself that stress would not do me good, especially now. So, I did the following instead:

Start An Aquaponics Herb Garden
The most stress-relieving activity in my book is tending to a garden. I used to do that in my parents’ backyard and plant vegetables there. However, since I live in a small apartment in the city, the best thing I can do is start an aquaponics herb garden.
This project is genuinely easy; all you need are a few mason jars, water, and seedlings. It is especially useful these days, given that you are not supposed to go out only to buy basil or thyme. With an herb garden of your own, you will be able to get by without buying herbs even after the lockdown.
Subscribe To A Video-Streaming Platform
Being an old-school individual, the first week of my quarantine passed with me playing DVDs. I have an impressive collection of them, including all the Harry Potter, Twilight, Charlie’s Angels, and Star Trek movies. However, I realized that I could not watch them a second time around, so I asked my sister about what I should do. Her reply was, “Subscribe to Netflix, Disney+, HBO Go, or Hulu.”
If you ask me why it has taken me this long to sign up for any of them, I don’t know either. I have never stayed at home for weeks on end, so the idea has not crossed my mind. But I have subscribed to all those video-streaming platforms now, and I love it!

Recreate Your Favorite Foods
The quarantine has pushed plenty of entrepreneurs to close their restaurants temporarily. My go-to place around the corner is one of them, and I feel bummed whenever I think about their rigatoni. I missed it too much that I decided to try to make the dish in my kitchen. It was not the same, but it was close, and I was pleased with its taste.
This positive experience with cooking allowed me to try recreating my other favorites. E.g., KFC’s fried chicken, Scarr’s pizza, Steve’s key lime pie, etc.
Communicate With Loved Ones
Before the lockdown, you may have barely had time to connect with family and friends. We all get it; you are busy making money and building your career. But now that the state requires you to be at home 24/7, you can talk to everyone you miss from dusk till dawn.
A routine that my parents have created is to do a video conference with my two sisters and me daily. They call around breakfast, and we watch each other cook and do other chores. It is as if we are all in the same house.

Sleep
Yes, sleep. What else can you do when you feel like you have done everything else on your list?
Sleeping is the best for two reasons: 1) it relaxes your mind and body, and 2) the time can pass by freely. There is no need to come up with new activities or chores for yourself; you do not have to watch the news. If you keep on getting seven or eight hours of sleep until the quarantine is over, you will become a brand-new person.
What are you doing to avoid stress while quarantining alone?