This time of social distancing and self-quarantining has been hard on all of us. Whether or not your school has begun online learning, there is a lot of extra free time and not much to do. As seniors in high school, we get it. But don’t worry, we have the survival guide you need! Packed with activities and shows, you should have plenty to do to get you through the next couple of weeks.

Five Tips for Teens—Stay Clean!

Since COVID-19 is a virus, it’s very important to stay hygienic. Here are some quick tips to keep you clean and healthy:

  1. Wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. (Cuz why wouldn’t you?)
  2. Wash your hands before and after every meal.
  3. Shower regularly. (Again, cuz why wouldn’t you?)
  4. Stay six feet apart from others.
  5. Use hand sanitizer if you touch someone accidentally.

Create a Schedule

Having a schedule and/or routine to guide the day-to-day can be very helpful for some people. Ask yourself: How do you want to spend your time, now that you have a little more flexibility? This helps to add a little structure…and it also keeps us from watching Netflix and Tik Toks all day!

Here’s a sample schedule that we’ve tried out during the week as a way to keep things balanced:

10 a.m.: Wake up
10-11 a.m.: Free time
11-12 p.m.: Limited phone time, schoolwork, read, doodle
12-2 p.m.: Free time
2-4 p.m.: Limited phone time, schoolwork, read, doodle
4-6:30 p.m.: Free time
6:30-7 p.m.: Dinner
7-8:30 p.m.: Family time
8:30-11:30 p.m.: Free time (work out every other night from 9-10)
11:30 p.m.: Time for bed!

Related

Top Five Things to Do Outside

Apparently, being outside will keep you healthy and is the best way to see others (as long as you stay six feet apart from each other). Fresh air has really kept us sane during all this family time.

  1. Go for a walk
  2. Practice your favorite sport
  3. Read a book
  4. Do some schoolwork
  5. Sit six feet away from your friends and vibe

Top 18 Netflix/Hulu Shows to Binge

TV is a great way to stay entertained, as you all know. With all this time, you could binge at least three shows. Here are some of our favorite shows on Netflix and Hulu:

  1. “Love Is Blind”
  2. “Criminal Minds”
  3. “On My Block”
  4. “The Office”
  5. “Parks and Recreation”
  6. “Gilmore Girls”
  7. “The Great British Baking Show”
  8. “The Circle”
  9. “Supernatural”
  10. “Love Island”
  11. “Queer Eye”
  12. “The End of the F***ing World”
  13. “Drake and Josh”
  14. “Cutthroat Kitchen”
  15. “Family Guy”
  16. “Bojack Horseman”
  17. “Victorious”
  18. “The Good Place”

Top 10 Movies to Watch

If you need a break from a show, don’t worry—we have you covered with some movies we’ve already watched during this break:

  1. “Castaway”
  2. “Holes”
  3. “The Outsiders”
  4. “Star Wars” (any)
  5. “Ladybird”
  6. “Midsommar”
  7. “Eighth Grade”
  8. “My Friend Dahmer”
  9. “Hairspray”
  10. “Teen Beach Movie”

Top 10 Books We’re Reading in Quarantine 

When was the last time you read a book that wasn’t for school, solely because you wanted to? Yeah, we can’t remember either. Reading can actually be really fun, which all three of us forgot about. Don’t know what to read? Don’t worry—Amazon is still delivering, so here are some books we’ve been loving:

  1. “Crime and Punishment”
  2. “Little Women”
  3. “All the Light We Cannot See”
  4. “Dear God, Have You Gone Hungry?”
  5. “Freakonomics”
  6. “Orphan Train”
  7. “Room”
  8. The “Harry Potter” series
  9. Anything by Percy Jackson
  10. “I’ll Give You the Sun”

Virtual Hangouts 

The hardest part of this social distancing time is the actual social distancing. Staying away from friends and family can be really hard. Here’s a list of some cool Chrome extensions and virtual Jewish hangouts that have been going on.

  1. Netflix Party
  2. Group FaceTime
  3. Apparently Chipotle is doing Zoom calls hosted by Season 23 Bachelor Colton Underwood (link is in their Twitter before each call)
  4. BBYO On Demand
  5. NFTY March Madness
  6. JewishBostonTeens Lowkey Convos (coming soon via JTI Boston and BBYO On Demand)

Top 10 COVID-19 Tik Toks to Get You Through

We obviously could not get through this survival guide without linking some COVID-19 themed Tik Toks!

  1. COVID-19 but make it Hairspray
  2. Parents interrupting online learning
  3. The ones with the pandemic
  4. Class of 2020 graduation
  5. It’s called self care
  6. Cleaning the shelves
  7. Quarantine???
  8. Virtual classes be like…
  9. New quarantine cuts
  10. But hear me out…

Finally, don’t forget to take care of your physical and mental health! Check out “A Teen Support Guide to Navigating Coronavirus” for some helpful tips and resources.

Ryann Bloom is a senior at Natick High School. She is heavily involved in NFTY-NE and is co-president of her temple youth group, STIFTY at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, in addition to helping to connect her peers as a JTI Peer Leadership Fellow. Ryann also participates in her school choir and theater performances. She enjoys singing, writing, criminology and hanging out with friends. During summers past, she worked as a counselor and in the kitchen at Sandy Island Family Camp. Ryann also attended Alexander Muss High School in Israel in 2018 as one of its Impact Fellows.

Rachel Kessler is a senior at Hopkinton High School. She is involved in a freshmen and exchange student welcoming committee and is on the varsity debate and tennis teams. She enjoys drawing, writing, baking (when she doesn’t mess up the recipe) and, of course, making new friends. She is a JTI Peer Leadership Fellow, member of the BBYO community and has lived in four states.

Josh May is a senior at Needham High School. He is involved in the DECA chapter at his school and loves to attend NFTY events. He studied abroad in Israel with URJ Heller High School and is a member of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. Josh is helping to connect his peers as a JTI Peer Leadership Fellow and has been involved in the development of JewishBostonTeens.com. He attended URJ Kutz Camp. Josh loves to travel and is always on the go.

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