As I type this I am alternating between gulping at my hot lemon and ginger and blowing my nose, wondering, how did this happen to me? After two months of faithfully popping concentrated elderberry tablets and Echinacea drops, I’ve finally succumbed to the vile virus that’s been circulating since Thanksgiving. But I refuse to let a good bug get me down. Rather than vegging out on the couch all day, a strategy that always leaves me feeling somehow worse than ever, I have resolved to keep as active as possible, granted within the rather limited confines of my immediate surroundings. And so can you with this shortlist of activities for the temporarily housebound.

Mend your clothes. There’s always a button that needs to be sewn onto something, a strap to be fixed, or a seam to repair, and this activity is so low-impact, you could practically do it under the covers if need be.

Catch up on your correspondence. Whether by email, postcard, or certified mail, you know there’s someone out there you haven’t contacted in a while. Surprise a far-flung friend or relative with an unexpected (or long overdue) missive.

Cook some soup. Even with your tastebuds all out of whack, you still have to eat. Plus, you can throw just about anything in your kitchen, including the sink, into a palatable soup. Use strong spices you can taste and those odds-and-ends in the pantry you never know what to do with, and make a big pot so you won’t have to cook again until you’re feeling better!

Clean out your clutter. Accumulation is a vicious cycle — especially for us waste-not-want-not types. But there’s always something buried in the cupboards you’ll never make good use of, and now’s as good a time as any to sort them out and find a place to donate them to. You weren’t going anywhere this afternoon anyway.

Stretch your limbs. You don’t have to break out the downward dog or anything, but a stretching session will help alleviate the stiffness in your fevered joints and help relax your body in a way that all the acetaminophen, or hot ginger and lemon, in the world won’t do.