Housebound for ten years, I have extensive experience of what it is to stay at home and not being able to go out at all, but I want to reassure you that it can be a very fruitful thing and does not need to fill you with dread, loneliness or boredom.
During those years, I have of course been fed up with my situation, but I have never been bored and rarely felt lonely. I discovered it was possible to thrive and be happy in that circumstance. Yes I really do miss my walks, and never got used to no longer being able to go out in nature to walk at my leisure, but I still found other ways to be occupied and to have a rich life. I hope this post will be of support.
Self-Care
It's the perfect circumstance to take good care of yourself. There are so many ways we can do that, and you know your own needs and preferences, but what a golden opportunity to do what we really need most to be at our best. Even when we feel quite bad and very ill, we can just do everything we can to support ourselves, and it doesn't have to be earth-shattering exercise or discipline: just make life comfortable for yourself.
It's the perfect opportunity to really get to know ourselves. Exploring what we love to do at home, how we love to have our home, and making it a space of relaxation or stimulation, whatever you like. For myself, I made my house a sanctuary that supports a very tired nervous system, so my house is designed for relaxation, rest and creativity.
Decluttering
When you are home all the time it quickly becomes unbearable to have a mess or too many possessions. Just now it will be hard to get things out of your house, but you can maybe find a cupboard where you will store things you no longer need, want or use, and enjoy the free space you have created, for a clearer mind and a house that is basically zero maintenance with very little need for tidying.
Maintaining Connections
We're all guilty of neglecting friends and family because of the modern lifestyle of busy-ness and productivity. Now is a great time to catch up and it's never been easier with the Internet. Everything we need to communicate is at our fingertips, and I am sure many people do feel isolated and lonely at the moment, so what a great service to keep in touch with each other.
Creating a schedule
For me it's not always possible to maintain a schedule due to fluctuating levels of energy, pain and discumfort, but at least I try to not make myself worse, by not depriving myself of sleep if I am tired, by eating food that supports me, by taking a break from the computer when I am overstimulated, and by trying to maintain as regular a schedule as I can: painting and crochet tend to be my priorities, and self-care is a necessity, so I schedule my days around those important things.
Making Something
I have always been really creative, but when I became housebound, creativity became a lifeline because there was so little else I was able to do. It's now become a lifestyle, and in those moments of creating something I forget that I am cooped up and unable to go out. I taught myself what I needed to know from Youtube videos and online courses, we have everything we need!
Learning Something
Youtube is a treasure trove. I love learning about many things. Watching documentaries on Youtube is a wonderful way to do that from the comfort of my home. I can travel, learn, see and hear so much while being in my armchair! I can go back in time to learn about history!
Growing Something
If you have a garden or a window sill, enjoy planting some herbs, flowers, little alpine succulents or sempervivum. These little plants are my dearest friends and have made a huge difference to my quality of life. I also treasure my many indoors plants, and they don't require half as much work as one would think. They make the space so relaxing, lush and beautiful, are easy to look after, and rewarding in so many ways. It's lovely to have something to look after and to see it thrive with my care.
Home-deliveries
Well, that's an obvious one but I could not do without it. I find it a good way to support local businesses as well, whenever possible, and it supports a relative amount of independence, which is important to me.
I have probably forgotten some things, but let me know if you have any questions about being happy at home! I invite you to make the most of it if you can :)
