Got some time on your hands while staying safe at home and wondering what to do to pass the time? Try going on a personal self-improvement journey by completing easy challenges! Constantly striving to become a better version of yourself is necessary for growth and success, and our contribution back to the community will surely be of great help, especially in these tough times during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you're laying low at home due to the new restrictions, here's some ideas on how to make the best out of your days and do more good! ?
1. Bring your own reusable containers when you're taking away food
Why not kick start this journey of improving ourselves by aiming to be more sustainable in our daily lives? Bring along your own reusable container if you have to go out and buy food - it’ll come in handy especially when you take away. Don’t just stop there, make this a habit and use reusable bags when shopping and bring along your own water bottle wherever you go as well!
2. Treat someone to a home delivery
As restaurants and cafes switch back to delivery and take-away models, now we can have a new way of treating a friend or family member! You can take your pick from an array of favourite restaurants that do delivery or satisfy your taste buds and cravings with halal fried chicken, satay and even bubble tea - delivered right to their doorstep!
3. Limit social media time to 30 minutes daily
Let’s put away the reel life to immerse ourselves into real life. Set your daily social media usage to 30 minutes during this month. You will be more productive, focused and aware of the people around you. Use this time to strengthen connections with other people, work on your self-improvement and spend time with your family. Encourage your family and friends to try out this challenge too!
4. Set 5 goals you would like to achieve in the next month
If you’ve set some goals you’d like to achieve during this month, you’re already halfway to achieving them! If you haven’t, you can start by assessing what you would like to focus on. By setting goals, you are working on your growth and it helps you to organise your time and resources better. Goals also give you the short-term motivation you need for long-term improvement!
5. Try out a new recipe
Credit: Sadia
Instead of sticking to the same repeated recipe when you cook, why not be a little adventurous and try something new? If you’re out of ideas, we’ve collated the best recipes for your meals like bubur lambuk, Korean steak bowl and kimbap! You’re sure to find something you’ve never done before!
6. Volunteer to give out food to the needy
Ramadan is not the only time you can give back to the community, every day is a new day for you to do so! As we strive to do more good deeds, take this step to get closer to those around us who are in need. We can volunteer our time for a good cause, like giving out food to the needy. If you’re looking for a place to start, you can try your nearest mosque or community centre!
7. Cook a meal for the family
Let’s give the people who are always cooking for the family a break today! Why don’t we try cooking a meal for our loved ones for a change? There are plenty of easy recipes which you can try even if you don’t have much experience in the kitchen - like these noob cook recipes we’ve collated here. It’s also a great way to show our appreciation for those who normally do the cooking.
8. Share your dinner with your neighbour
Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. It’s even better when you share it with someone else. Go beyond the short greetings with your neighbours and instead, share with them some food for dinner today! This simple gesture may brighten their day and strengthen your neighbourly bond.
9. Do a workout at home
Get up and get moving to keep your health in check! Find a short window of 15-20 minutes to get a decent exercise in. Working out before sunset is regarded as one of the optimal timings as the weather is cooler and you can immediately rehydrate when iftar comes!
10. Go grocery shopping for your family
Take the time to help out with the grocery shopping for your family! Before your trip, ask your loved ones for anything they might need from the supermarket. You can also think of your next meal prep as you shop for groceries. It’ll definitely help the ones who are cooking for the family every day to have an adequate food stock at home!
11. Take a 20-minute walk in nature
Now that Ramadan is over, let's get back on the workout wagon again! How about taking a 20-minute walk in the park? Beat the sedentary lifestyle and let yourself wind down at the end of the day by setting proper time to get out of the house and appreciate the nature we often take for granted.
12. Write down 1 thing you're grateful for today
It’s easy to forget about what we’re most grateful for every day, but it’s even easier to practise gratitude by writing it down! We often forget to appreciate the little things in life, so before you start your day, think about what makes you thankful, simply write it on a piece of paper and keep it close to you for the rest of the day.
13. Call a friend or a family member (near or far) that you haven't talked to in a while and ask them how they're doing
With our fast-paced lifestyles, we often find ourselves forgetting to keep in touch with friends and family. If you haven’t been talking or spending time with a loved one, give them a call and ask them how they’re doing - it could make both your days better!
14. Keep a memory of your time spent with loved ones by taking a photo
As you spend time with your loved ones at home, keep your memories alive by taking a photo for you to look back on whenever. For example, you can take a photo during your meal together as it’s not every day that you and your family eat together or a candid shot of your family (and furry friends!). Many years later, you’ll be thankful you took this for memory’s sake.
15. Be more productive than the day before; set several goals and tick them off your list
Want this month to be your most productive one yet? Setting goals for the day will help you keep track of your time and progress as the day goes by. It also gives you short-term motivation to complete your checklist. Always remember that self-improvement is important and take every day as a stepping stone to be a better version of yourself!
16. Spend 2 hours doing an offline activity with your family
Unwind and relax with your family members today by doing a fun, hands-on activity together. You can build a puzzle or play a board game! Putting away all the electronic devices and doing these activities with your loved ones will definitely help you bond with your family and spend some quality time together.
17. Volunteer to do the dishes today
Lend a helping hand today to do the dishes! You can even set up a family roster to do chores around the house and take turns every day. It’s a great way to split up the workload and make sure everyone does their part in keeping your living space clean and neat.
18. Give back to a charity
Let’s take the time we have now to think about what matters and give back to the community! Donating your resources to a cause you care about would definitely be a good place to start. Open your hearts to other people in society and you’ll realise that a deeply rewarding experience awaits you.
19. Pick out plastic items from your trash and recycle them
Credit: @pilahsampah
To be more environmentally friendly, we can start by taking note of what we’re putting in the trash every day. We all know that plastic is non-biodegradable and thus it poses a hazard to our wildlife habitats and environment. To play our part in reducing plastic waste, ensure that the plastic items in your trash are recycled! This allows the material to be re-made into new products, enabling an environmentally-friendly cycle of plastic waste. Let’s encourage our friends and family to be more sustainable too!
20. Sign up for a skills-upgrading course
It’s always important to keep learning, continuously seek knowledge and develop our own personal skills. There are a variety of courses that are available for the community who are constantly striving to improve themselves. Always wanted to learn a new language or a computer skill or just keen to work on your professional development? Attend a skills-upgrading course! Check out Mendaki's Sense Programme for online courses.
21. Take on a new task at work
It’s easier than we think to learn something new every day and what better place to do that than at work! If you are looking for a way to seek knowledge and widen your skill sets, step out of your comfort zone and take the initiative to take on a new task. Having increased responsibilities will help you manage your time better, achieve greater targets and accelerate your growth! As you try new things at work or school, remember that new skills are always beneficial to have so never stop learning!
22. Learn a new language
While we’re experiencing wanderlust, decide what’s next on your travel list once the border opens by learning a foreign language!As we aim to improve ourselves, why not learn Arabic so that we can have a deeper understanding of the Quran? Learning a new language improves your memory, makes you a better communicator and encourages cultural appreciation. You can also widen your vocabulary and network with other individuals alike!
23. Take care of a house plant
Credit: @niaanchali
Plants have a way of improving our moods and they also add life to the four walls of our home. Taking care of a house plant requires patience and responsibility, but involves lots of love and care! With the right habits and practice, you can have your own little garden at home.
24. Spend 30 minutes reading a book
Instead of using your phone right before you go to bed, put your phone away and pick up a book to read! Reading can reduce your stress, help you fall asleep better and improve your brain connectivity. Set a time today to read your favourite book for 30 minutes before you sleep. If you’re looking for a new favourite book or don’t know where to look, get your book recommendations from our Hello Ramadan show with Wardah Books!
25. Pick up a new home skill
To make your Ramadan more enriching, spend some time learning a new skill that could come in handy at home! Knitting is not only a skill but an activity that you could do to unwind at the end of the day. You can also use this time to slow down your fast-paced lifestyle and get a family member to join you as well! Other skills you could pick up at home are gardening or baking!
26. Say 'thank you' to someone you usually take for granted
In between rushing from home and work every day, we often forget to say the most simple ‘thank you’ to the people we normally take for granted. Whether it’s our parents or loved ones, or even the people who help our society every day like bus drivers and cleaners in our neighbourhood, let’s thank them for all that they do.
There are many ways to have a more meaningful month ahead, so let's try to be better every day by doing a simple daily challenge! You can still have a fulfilling month even after Ramadan - but it doesn't stop there. Make every day an important one when you do good and improve yourself one step at a time. With limited Raya visiting and the new Covid-19 guidelines, we can stay safe athome with our loved ones and really look inwards into our own personal goals - and make time for them! It's never too late to start, why not make a difference today? ?