7 Simple Ways to Enjoy Yourself at Home this Bank Holiday

Bank holidays look a little different this year than in years past, the long weekend now full of longing…...for people, for contact, for public displays of interaction. Instead, the pandemic has forced everyone inside - Covid-19 is a 10 in terms of being a giant pain in the butt.

Still, sitting on our couches so that we can save the world isn’t the worst thing. And being stuck at home doesn’t mean your bank holiday is broke. There are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself, including:

Cue the Tunes: Music is good for the soul! Cue up some topical tunes that speak to our present times: “I Want to Break Free” by Queen or “Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police. Maybe even some “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Even though you can touch things…. just wash your hands for twenty seconds afterwards.

Clean Out Your Closet: Okay, cleaning isn’t exactly enjoyable for everyone, but a new mind frame helps. In other words, you’re not spending the day organizing; you’re spending the day making room for all the best streetwear of the season. Casual day tops and vintage t-shirts, here you come!

Barbecue: While you might not be able to attend a barbecue, you can still have one at your house (outside, of course!). There’s certainly something about the thrill of the grill that says, “Summer is coming!”

Talk to Your Neighbors: A benefit of quarantine is everyone’s home. Neighbors who travel frequently or spend sixty hours a week at their office are now right across the fence. And that provides an opportunity to get to know them.

Fancy it Up: It’s okay to be all dressed up with nowhere to go! In fact, clothes have a particularly potent power to enhance our moods. Look good, feel good, and remember that there’s nothing wrong with eating from a can of SpaghettiOs while wearing your wedding dress. It’s called balance.

Garden: Gardening is great for the mind, body, and spirit since it allows you to engage in physical activity while getting outside. You don’t even need a green thumb, either. Spend a few hours planting tomatoes or simply stand in the dirt while drinking a Bloody Mary. They both count.

Find Things to Donate: Donating unused items offers dual benefits - it declutters your home and it gives back to the community. But it may also come with another silver lining in the form of a trip down memory lane. A grammatically-incorrect report you wrote on Genghis Khan in fifth grade? Lovely! A picture of you and your friends from college? Great times! A postcard from when you visited Australia? Ah, the good old days of airplanes!

Yes, the 2020 bank holiday will likely look much different. Yet something’s for sure: You’ll never forget it. That’s the advantage of being part of a major historical event.