Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over Vietnam have been urged to practice social distancing to protect themselves, their families and the people around them from the virus. In the busy modern world and the hustle and bustle of Vietnam’s major cities, all of a sudden, we have all found ourselves with more time on our hands than ever before.

While it feels like another lifetime, it was just a few short months since we were all rushing around with our work, our to-do-lists, as well our kids and their education and their other activities.  How quickly the world changed! Now we find ourselves with Ministries issuing Stay Home orders and quarantine camps nationwide to attempt to contain the pandemic and flatten the infection curve. So how do we make the most of this sudden influx of free time?

Spend time with your family

With those to-do lists suddenly looking a little clearer, there may never be a better time to build lasting bonds with your family and take the chance to spend quality time with your relatives.

We are normally out most nights – dinners with clients and partners and work events fill our evenings faster than we sometimes realize. Now is the time to prepare family dinners, to teach the kids some of their favorite recipes, and then spend the evening helping them with their online homework.

And while we are always focusing on our kids, let’s also not forget our own parents.  Don’t forget to call grandma and grandpa and make sure they are doing well and getting to spend some precious time with their grandchildren.

Up-those-skills!

It’s often hard to find the time to simply finish that book you started on your last vacation.  Now’s the time!  Maybe even join online classes in areas that interest you to make sure that when the office reopens, you are performing at your peak.

We often extol the virtues of reading to our kids, yet forget to pick up a book ourselves. Reading has proven its worth time and time again in everything from knowledge on any topic imaginable, to improving vocabularies, to better focus on concentration.  Now’s the time!  Whether you kick off the new program with some bedtime fiction or start your morning focused on some non-fiction in your field of work, now’s the time to hit the books!

The amount of online course materials and educational videos available – either free or paid – is staggering.  There is a Ted talk for everything, and they are all online and subtitled in virtually any language you can think of.  Meanwhile there are prominent sites offering university level education for either free or nominal charges – often with certification at the end.  Courses can be anything from a few hours to a few weeks, and with the lockdown freeing us up, there’s so much out there to learn.

Refresh your living environment

Clear that clutter!  It’s super therapeutic to climb into the old cupboards and closets, find those old outfits you can’t imagine you ever wore anywhere, and those old appliances that you never used but seemed like a good idea at the time!  It’s time for them to go!  Donate the clothes, sell the appliances, give things away to people who will put them to better use.  A clean home is a happy home, so get to it.

And, as an added bonus, cleaning up burns about 200 calories an hour, so it counts as exercise too!

Don’t forget your home workouts

The Ministry of Health has recommended everyone get moving to keep immune systems firing on all cylinders throughout the pandemic.  The Ministry has suggested 30 minutes a day will keep your body in tune, and why not share the time with the kids.  While the gyms are closed in many provinces, a lot of them are offering streaming workouts such as Cali x Home, so join those and keep in shape!

Research your next vacation

We’re all starting to fantasize about beaches and sunsets while we are trapped inside.  So why not pull the family together and start planning your next getaway.

There are great deals everywhere right now.

Just a couple of hours out of Ho Chi Minh City, The Grand Ho Tram Resort and Casino is offering three terrific getaways, including 30% room rate discounts in their City Escape Package, their three nights for the price of two “Stay 3 Pay 2” package, and 50% reductions on rates and F&B vouchers for the Family Staycation deal it now offers.

The airlines are also offering amazing deals, including unlimited domestic travel vouchers for those looking to explore the country while international travel remains restricted.

While the social distancing program continues around Vietnam, and is vital to Vietnam’s war on the COVID-19 virus’ spread, it does present some opportunities for us all to better ourselves and better our relationships with the people that matter the most.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]