You’ve read 103 articles on social distancing and how to wash your hands properly. You know in a pinch you can make hand sanitizer out of Everclear and aloe vera gel. Your food and toilet paper supply are ok, so life is good for the moment. But you can only telework for so long, and now you’re bored, and maybe a little scared.
Depending on your age and health condition–perhaps more than a little scared.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s plenty of good news that we aren’t hearing about. And there’s more to do online than just read about hand washing and the destruction of our economy.
Stay Informed But Focus on the Good Too
Front Door Food Delivered For Free
While your favorite independent restaurants might be closed, you can still get their signature dishes delivered to your home for free through a special waving of fees for deliveries by Uber Eats.
This includes 100,000 restaurants, so check and see if your local eatery is on the list and order in. This will not only get you fed, but will help keep restaurants afloat during this difficult time.
Get Your Sweat On – Planet Fitness Streaming Workouts FREE
Gyms are closed, but your options remain open. Get your workouts at home during this pandemic using online classes to guide you along the way. Planet Fitness is offering free streaming classes via the company’s Facebook page.
The classes are free and are available via live stream at 7 pm each Monday through Friday. If that time isn’t convenient, you can view the workouts on-demand on their Facebook page or on the Planet Fitness YouTube channel.
Safer Shopping For Seniors
To give at-risk customers a chance to shop safer, Dollar General has announced that they’ll dedicate the first hour of business each day to serve senior citizens. This will help older customers avoid crowds (where their chances of coming into contact with a virus carrier would increase).
Younger shoppers should plan to shop later in the day at one of the 15 Washington D.C. area stores to avoid lines at the door.
Let Them Eat!
Though schools are closed for normal operations, many school districts across the country are opening their cafeterias to children and families in need, some right here in the beltway.
Many children from low-income homes rely on meals at school to maintain their daily diets. Opening the doors to families as well during this time can help make ends meet.
World-Class Concerts for FREE
With your local bars and concert venues shut down, your playlist might be getting a tad boring. Consider tuning in to some free live stream and virtual concerts available online.
Check out Billboard’s website for an extensive list of music you can bring into your home while you quarantine like a boss.
Safe Face 2 Face
If there ever was a time for teleconferencing, it is now. Getting face to face with colleagues or students amid quarantine would be impossible without today’s technology. There are many low-cost options available. But for a great professional platform that’s free, you need to look no further than Zoom.
Zoom offers its free basic plan which allows you to host up to 100 participants, unlimited 1 on 1 meetings, an unlimited number of meetings, and online support. The only real limitation is the 40-minute limit on group meetings.
Zoom graciously lifted that limit for those in China during the COVID-19 outbreak, but it is not known if the limit will also be lifted.
Give So Others Can Get
Hook Hall in Park View has turned its 13,000-foot event space into a relief center, and the donations have been steady. With businesses shutting down, workers are likely to miss paychecks which affects what can put on the dinner table.
That’s where Hook Hall Helps has quickly jumped in with preparing care kits to be disbursed to those in need. There has been a call out for volunteers to help pack the care kits and for chefs to help prepare some foods.
If you’d like to use some of this downtime to help others, sign up here.
Explore the World From Your Armchair
We can’t hop on a plane to New York City or Paris right now. But we can view world-famous museums (including the Smithsonian Museum of National History)and attractions from the comfort of your own home.
The Washington Post has provided us a complete list here.
Hope For The Future
As the new cases in China have decreased, their economy has rebounded. Not only are Chinese stocks back to all-time highs, but stores are re-opening up in a hurry.
Apple has reopened its 42 China-based Apple stores, and other global retail entities will follow suit.
Our economy is likely to follow this same pattern, 3 months of little retail/financial activity followed by a boom. We have a trillion-dollar stimulus package coming, which should help fuel a quick recovery.
There is new hope that a vaccine and better treatments for Covid-19 are on the horizon. Researchers in India, Japan, and the United States are hopeful that several drugs in development will help control the virus and protect the most vulnerable.
Did We Mention Why It’s An Excellent Time to Look For A House?
The DC area market has not slowed down! Rates are at all time lows and there is a lot of new inventory hitting the market, making this an excellent time to buy a home. You don’t need to leave your current home to begin your search. Use our handy map to see current homes for sale here in Washington DC.
If you see a few homes you love just let us know. We have guidelines in place to safely show homes and are equipped to do virtual walk throughs as well.