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20 Unique Self-Experiments You Should (Still)Try In Quarantine

How to transform yourself in your remaining days in isolation

We’re almost done. While quarantine might still be extended in certain places and we are far from being out of the woods, we’re nearing the end of extreme isolation and stay-at-home orders. The question is, with the light shining at the end of the tunnel, what should we still try with all of the free time and alone time on our hands?

“Nothing is ever so good that it can’t stand a little revision, and nothing is ever so impossible and broken down that a try at fixing it is out of the question.” — Rebecca Solnit

I’ve been thinking about what else I can do, what else I need to do to improve the quality of my life. While I certainly don’t claim to have the answers and am in no way promising a particular outcome if you try these, I’ve had my own experiences and wanted to share with you some simple ways that you can iterate, improve, and experiment with your life on a whole new level.

Here are 20 different things you can experiment with:

(This is in no way a comprehensive list, just some ideas to get your creative and adventurous juices flowing.)

Find what works, know what works, and do what works. Iteration and experimentation is key. Do with this list what you see fit.

Experimenting With Work

Here are the things related to your working life. Of course, you still have to keep your job, but no one said you had to do things the same way you always do them. Here are a few ways to avoid certain things, shake up your routine, and maybe even enjoy what you do a little bit more.

See how long you can work, and, more importantly, see how much you can get done in one day when you really grind through your work.

• Ignore email for several days and do what you want — Enjoy your last few days of freedom. Forget the external world. YOLO. Do what you love and want, regardless of what demands other people might have on you.
• Avoid work for an entire day — Give yourself the freedom for at least one day to experience what complete play time looks like. Don’t hold yourself to any tasks or plans, but allow yourself to explore, tinker, adventure, and learn about yourself, the people around you, and what you really like doing.
• Try a 7-hour deep work session (with “Study With Me” videos in the background, of course) — Okay, it doesn’t have to be 7-hours, can be less or more, but that’s how long Nasir Kharma, better known by his YouTube channel’s name KharmaMedic, spends working in his latest “Study With Me” video. See how long you can work, and, more importantly, see how much you can get done in one day when you really grind through your work.

Mixing Up Your Routine

We get really used to doing things the same way over and over again. What stinks about regular life is that we don’t have many opportunities to question the habits we’ve developed. Here’s your chance to do that, along with a few ideas of how to make it happen.

Fix your schedule around what you love doing best.

• Mess up your sleep schedule on purpose — You probably have been told my a bazillion people on the internet (most likely myself included if you’ve read 10 Ways To Guarantee Better Sleep.) Either way, figuring out when your body best likes to sleep is a noble pursuit while you don’t have to be awake for many activities.
• Workout at a different time than normal — I’ve been working out at night for months, ever since I realized it fit better into my schedule. However, since we’ve been in quarantine, I’ve been working out hard in the mornings at home and I’ve loved it. The only reason I wasn’t doing it before was that it didn’t fit into my schedule. Looks like I’ll need to change my schedule to fit what I enjoy doing best.
• Dedicate a certain amount of time to your passion project — Spend a whole day if you can on what you love. If you’re writing a book, work on that. If you’re building a boat, do that. If you’re learning an instrument, a language, or a new skill, dedicate time to that. Pick your priority and go all-in on it — you’ll be amazed at how much you can grow and learn in just one sitting.

What stinks about regular life is that we don’t have many opportunities to question the habits we’ve developed.

• Sleep all day — I know, I know. You’ve probably already done this. But just in case you haven’t, I’m going to recommend it for one reason. You probably need it. Give yourself one day to reset, sleep for as long as you need, and feel more rested than you have in weeks.
• Eat differently — Go on one final “essential” Target run and get some food you don’t usually eat. Find out what you like, what healthy foods there are that you actually enjoy eating. Experiment so you can return to “real life” with the diet of a King/Queen.

Detoxing Different Areas of Your Life and Mind

We get addicted to a lot of things in life, whether it be our work, our phones, or our food. Spend some time during this quarantine and time of isolation and disconnect to disconnect even more. Mix things up, step away, and enjoy what it’s like to not be a slave to anything in your life except your own wholesome wants, needs, and heartfelt desires.

• Don’t talk for a 24-hour period — While we’re in isolation, we might as well feel the deep dark depths of ourselves in the most grueling way possible, right? Obviously I’m only recommending this to you if you believe it would be healthy. Only allow yourself to journal, staying away from written communication online, and in-person interaction over FaceTime or with the people you live with. Figure out how you really respond to being truly alone — and then appreciate the moment you come back to your community. It will cultivate an entirely new sense of gratitude.

Figure out how you really respond to being truly alone — and then appreciate the moment you come back to your community.

• Fast — Another thing society and the busy world around you as conditioned you to is eating at a certain time. Try truly listening to your body and discovering when it most wants to eat.
• Detox from technology — We all know this: there are serious problems with the overuse of technology. For one day, or two, or maybe even an entire week if you can, detox from technology. If it is essential for your job, then only allow yourself to use essential technology and then turn it off. I’m talking about the TV, your phone, your iPad, your computer, everything. See how it feels.

Spending Fun Time Outdoors

Come on people, we can still go outside. Enjoy the time you have to enjoy the great outdoors, and maybe try doing it in some original, clever, and creative ways. Here are a few of my suggestions.

• Hike — Many people have done this already, but not everyone. With the free time you have remaining, get out in nature, enjoy your city, be around the beauty that surrounds you, and take it all in with your family and friends. You’ve got nothing to lose.

Sit with a friend and talk about stuff that matters. Ask deep questions. Inquire about their dreams. Share your goals, and your fears. Connect.

• Camp in your backyard — You can’t get away, but you can. Bring a few books with you, set up a bonfire if you can, roast some marshmallows, have some fun with family and friends (if they’re willing to stay 6-feet apart, of course.)
• Go without social media (really disconnect) — You’re about to see all of your people again for the first time. Before you do, connect to real-life — the one that doesn’t exist on Netflix, Instagram, or anything else you entertain yourself with. Read a book, write a letter, etc. Disconnect from the online world and connect to the real one. Keep your phone to take pictures of the adventures you go on, but maybe wait to post them until later.

Relaxing and “Getting Away”

Finally, make sure you’re spending time to not try and be productive all of the time. Enjoy the quiet time that we have right now, and get to know yourself a little bit better. Here are a few things you could try to learn more about yourself, sustainable living, and the parts of the world you’ve wanted to understand.

• Read a long book in one sitting — When you have the time, reading a book really doesn’t take that long. Most books only take 3–5 hours if you’re reading efficiently. Find a book, whether it be your favorite classic novel or the self-help book you haven’t been able to get through, and just read. See what you learn and how much you enjoy the experience. You might even consider carving out time to read one book in one sitting once a week. I know I’ve been tempted.

Connect with yourself on a level you never have before, and pay careful attention to how beautifully it impacts your life.

• Do a fashion show for your family/friends on Zoom with every outfit in your closet — This one is not for the faint of heart. But if you are someone who is determined to look nice but feels like they constantly have to be buying new clothes, go through EVERY single item in your closet and prove to yourself, once and for all, that you have nice clothes. (Or, that might not happen and you’ll just be certain you need new clothes.) Notice what you already have, and get rid of what you no longer want/will never wear.
• Have a day-long phone call with someone (each of you can grab a mug full of your favorite beverage and call it a “coffee date”) — Again, it doesn’t have to be a day, but you’ll never have this kind of time again. Sit with a friend and talk about stuff that matters. Ask deep questions. Inquire about their dreams. Share your goals and your fears. Connect in a way you never have before, and enjoy some homemade coffee while you’re at it.
• Try meditation or breath work — If you’ve never tried meditation or breath work, consider it now. I would recommend the HeadSpace or Calm app for meditation and YouTube for videos on breathwork. Connect with yourself on a level you never have before, and pay careful attention to how beautifully it impacts your ability to work, create, and be present during the day and your various activities.

The more you intentionally try it, change it, modify it, and practice it, the better it gets. That’s how life works.

• Journal until you have no words left to write — You have most likely felt more feelings, gained more information/ideas, viewed more memes, had more thoughts and considered more possibilities in the past month and a half than you have in any other concentrated period of your lifetime. Harness all the work your mind has done and write it down. I’m talking full-on brain dump, anything you can think of. Watch what comes out of that. I can promise at least an insane amount of personal discovery.

The word we’re searching for is “iteration”.

I’m not promising you anything if you try any of these. Some things are for some people and not for others. What I hope you’ve taken away from this list of experiments is the message given by the word “iteration.”

iteration — the process of performing or uttering repeatedly

As a speaker and former high school debater, I know that the more you read something aloud the more refined it gets. That’s how life works. The more you intentionally try it, change it, modify it, and practice it, the better it gets. With your routines, your habits, your mindsets, and your paradigms do this.

Every chance you get, change them by just one degree and see if you like that trajectory any better. If not, course correct and come back. Find what works, know what works, and do what works. Iteration and experimentation is key. Do with this list what you see fit.

Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the quarantine.

Stay tuned for more articles featuring the morning, evening, and daily habits of leaders of the past and of the present. Also, if you’re interested, click the link below to read my new Kindle book, On Purpose: Discovering Who You Are With The Enneagram.