The year may be winding down, but the stresses of the past nine months are probably lingering or have been reinvigorated with rising COVID cases and tighter restrictions coupled with the normal seasonal effects on mental health and typical holiday stresses. So find comfort in your home with simple activities bound to put a smile on your face or at least make your day seem a little less stressful.

Blanket fort — If you have kids this may have already been happening in your household, but if you’re an adult think back to the last time you made a fort from all your bedroom blankets and pillows and remember the joy that came with it. As an adult, you may have even more tools at your disposal. For an epic adult version of the classic children’s activity, raid your blanket basket or ottoman, grab an air mattress, some twinkle lights, all of your pillows, a laptop or tablet and add in a bottle of your favorite beverage or a pint of your go-to ice cream for ultimate cozy movie nights.

Knitting — OK, so it may not be so relaxing at first but, if you’re of the crafty disposition and you haven’t taken up the needles yet, try to learn to knit. There are thousands of free online tutorials and videos to get you started and soon you’ll be pearling up a storm. I’d suggest starting with a scarf and a simple pattern that won’t make you want to throw it all in the fireplace.

Drawing/coloring/painting — Have some old sketchbooks or canvases collecting dust? Now’s the time to bring them out and paint and draw. Or just grab some printer paper and a pack of colored pencils and start sketching. You don’t have to be the next Monet to do a little art. For added guidance or inspiration, pop on an episode of Bob Ross (you can stream various collections of “The Joy of Painting” on Hulu, Amazon Prime or Tubi) and follow along painting a happy little tree of your own. You can also invest in an adult coloring book for more detailed images to color in between the lines to your heart’s content.

Write down your stresses and burn them — This one may seem a little woo woo to some, but it can actually bring you a lot of relief from the act of materializing your stresses by just writing them out on a piece of paper, and the burning can give more of a release from them. It won’t take them away, but it might help you navigate through it. Take it another step by writing down things that you are grateful for or happy about. It can be something as simple as your morning coffee ritual or having a supportive quaranteam behind you so don’t think too hard about it. Comfort is gained knowing that the things that stress you out are usually temporary and things you can find joy in are evergreen.

Binge your favorite show again — A lot of comforts can be gained by revisiting old friends in the characters of your favorite TV show. Watch them while cozied up with a plush blanket and your comfiest of clothes while in a blanket fort for optimum enjoyment.

Draw a bubble bath and light some scented candles — If you don’t have bubble bath liquid stashed under your sink, making a batch yourself isn’t too difficult and you can use your own body wash as the active ingredient. For a relaxing Epsom salt soak try this with some candles of your choice:

2 /12 cups Epsom salt

½ cup olive or another vegetable oil

¾ cup of body wash

1 bag chamomile tea

1 bag peppermint tea

10 drops of essential oil of your choice

Cut open the tea bags and place the tea in a medium bowl. Add Epsom salt and mix thoroughly. Add body wash until combined. Slowly stir in essential and olive oils until mixed through. Add a few spoonfuls to your bath and enjoy the soak. Store in an airtight container.

Home karaoke with your quarenteam — You don’t have to go to a bar to sing Journey at the top of your lungs. In the comfort of your own home, you and your household can create your very own karaoke night. Search for your favorite track on YouTube making sure to add the word “karaoke” to the search bar — “Don’t Stop Believing karaoke” for example — then get ready to shine. Use the website via your smart TV, Apple TV, Firestick or your preferred TV streaming method for the full living room experience. Or invite your friends to a Zoom karaoke night and do the same thing online.