Due to COVID-19, many of us are being told to stay at home.
Public events, notably the Thingyan new year festivities, have been canceled and many of us are looking for productive ways to use our time.
The Irrawaddy has collected some useful tips to ease the tedium of coronavirus quarantine.
More time with the family
So many people are busy during the normal working week and arrive home too tired to appreciate family life.
This is an opportunity to spend more time with our families, eat together, talk to our parents (if they share our homes) and to spend time with children, if you are a parent. We can rearrange our furniture and clean our homes together.
Boost skills with online learning
The British Council is offering free online English classes, magazines and audio stories. There are other free websites, including Coursera, Academic Earth and the Khan Academy.
YouTube videos offer musical tuition and there are numerous sites to encourage creative hobbies.
Read more books
This is the time to read the books on your shelves.
Publishing houses like Nga Dto Sar Pay, Waingmaw Books and Amata Hnin Si are offering free ebook downloads on their Facebook pages, including new books and best sellers.
Keep healthy
Gyms have closed but there are numerous free workout apps.
YouTube offers plenty of yoga tutorials. With a daily exercise routine, we can build a healthy body and use the time productively.
Seek out overlooked entertainment
Some of us may well have time to watch popular series that we did not manage to catch the first time around.
Part four of Money Heist, a Spanish series, about a bank robbery, is due to be released on Netflix. Movies are also freely available on Iflix and other sites.
The Joox music app is free for many tracks although a subscription is needed for some material. Many musical performers are playing from home through social media and music apps.
Myanmar’s musicians are also making live videos and some have encouraged free-style rapping on social media. It is worth following your favorite performers to see their latest work.
Another option is playing board or card games although it is more enjoyable all round if excessive competition is avoided.
Playing with pets
Many of us will now have the time to teach our pets new tricks and attend to our animal’s grooming needs.
Communicate with friends
We cannot meet friends in person but we can still stay in touch through phone calls and social media. It is good to make them feel that you care. Video calls, texts and phone calls are more valuable now than previously.
Please stay safe and avoid fake news.
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