Projects to work on when temporarily unemployed

With COVID-19 many people became temporarily unemployed. Recently the company I work with asked all of its employees to stay at home until it can secure the next round of investment.

This can be hard, but can also be a blessing. Definitely, we would like you to improve your memory and reading speed, but you are not limited to it. You are also welcome to read and tell us about your reading experiences.

Here are some other projects to do if you want to leverage your stay at home. A disclaimer: currently I practice all of the suggested stuff.

Write as much as you want

You can actually write much more since there is not much else you can do. Your subjects will be somewhat original since you will be in a totally different environment. There will be fewer interruptions. Writing is also great therapy.

Try to find blogs, which will accept your guest posts, and build yourself an online portfolio. Alternatively, try to build your own blog or write a book. Probably you will not get rich from writing, yet you will get a great therapy almost for free.

Teach or coach people online

If you need communication, you can teach others. You can definitely teach your kids or your neighbors the stuff you are passionate about. Alternatively, you can offer your services on social media and teach strangers online.

The main bonus of teaching is learning: when we teach others we learn ourselves. You will notice things you never noticed before and you can improve.

Learn music

If you have a guitar somewhere at home and you did not have time to play it during the crazy year you had at work, you can play it again. You may learn music, improving your technique and repertoire.  With Skype and Zoom you can make garage bands wherever you want. If you have the proper equipment, you can also record it.

This will probably make you feel better, which is important. Maybe you will learn more about yourself as you train.

Hitech project

If you have some technical skills, you may build your high-tech project. Try the standard choices:

• 3D printed arduino or raspbery pi activated gadget for personal use. Provided you have the equipment.
• A mobile app for iOS and/or Android.
• A blog or a useful website.
• Write a business plan and patent the idea you had for a while.
• Share a project with your kids. Be creative.

I already told you that I am doing all of the things in this post, including all of the bullets above…

Meditate

Staying at home you can meditate… Morning and evening. Or take a power nap and meditate before and after. Actually you can meditate simply of you are bored.

You do not need to meditate and can use guided visualization instead.

Deal with your deeper issues, plan strategies for the future, visualize the stuff that makes you feel alive.

You cannot travel right now, but you can plan future travels and have virtual tours.

Serenity now…

Home improvement

Cook, clean, organize… Do the stuff you delayed for years. This is a great exercise and uses your energy.

Intimacy is also a great way to burn calories. Yesterday I saw a TV show with a doctor claiming 200-600 calories per 10 min of intense activity.

Do not take big projects: do something small each day. Having a list of things to do helps.

Maybe paint a room, put some lubrication on the door axis, learn to cook a new dish.

Teamwork

Do not handle your projects alone, and try to share them with your spouse and kids. Help your neighbors or enlist their help. If you have friends online, leverage that asset.