As is expected at this time of year, northern Illinois is experiencing record-breaking temperatures which have closed businesses and schools in the DeKalb area, including the university, as well as created dangerous road conditions and kept people indoors for multiple days at a time.

The extended time inside, although comfortable and warm, can become rather mundane after several hours, but there are ways to make the most of one’s time indoors during the winter.

1. Binge-watch a series

Many new shows have made appearances on streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu with some making a big impression on viewers. The popular series “You,” which debuted in September 2018 and has since been confirmed for a second season, has captured everyone’s attention with its disturbing plot involving a man’s dangerous obsession with his girlfriend.

There are other numerous binge-worthy shows, even if they aren’t new. Amazon Prime Video released “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” in 2017, for which the leading actress, Rachel Brosnahan, won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2019. Other shows like Netflix’s “Haunting of Hill House” and “13 Reasons Why,” both released in 2018, and Hulu’s “The Mindy Project,” released in 2012, have been equally popular among viewers.

2. Watch a movie marathon

There are multiple ways one can go about having a movie marathon and the first is to choose a favorite trilogy or film series and make an entire day of movie-watching. All four of the classic “Indiana Jones” movies are available on Netflix, along with each of the “Mummy” films, and popular series like “The Hunger Games” and “Underworld” are available to rent for $3.99 each on Amazon Prime Video.

Other enjoyable ways to watch a series of films include choosing an “era marathon,” in which all movies watched were released in the same era such as the ‘50s, ‘80s or ‘90s. One could also choose films starring the same actor or derived from books of the same author like Stephen King. Many King classics such as the 1985 film “Silver Bullet,” 1983’s “Christine” and the 1984 film “Children of the Corn” are available on Hulu and Netflix.

3. Play a video game

Whether the preference is PC or console games, there are a plethora of options available to those stuck indoors due to inclement conditions outside. Popular games include the Halo series, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which can all be played as either console or PC games.

As of Tuesday, Kingdom Hearts 3 was released and can be played on either Playstation 4 or Xbox One and Resident Evil 2, which was released Friday for PS4, Xbox One and PC. These provide an excellent opportunity to pass time when stuck indoors.

4. Give your space a deep clean

If all other options for entertainment have been expended, a deep clean of your house or apartment will never go to waste. Many will wait until spring to take on this kind of project, but if the weather is too severe for outdoor activities, a thorough cleaning will save the effort of having to do it when the weather is nicer.

A couple ways to make this enjoyable could include making a motivational playlist specifically for cleaning or setting a finish time and trying to beat the clock. Another could involve a points system with multiple people in the house, where each task finished awards points and the person with the most points wins.

5. Find a good book

Nothing passes the time quite like an engrossing novel, and there are plenty to choose from, no matter the preferred genre.

One of the most popular trends now, it seems, is reading books that have been made into films. Among these are “The Girl on the Train,” published by author Paula Hawkins in 2015 and brought to theaters in 2016, and “Black Klansman,” a true story by Detective Ron Stallworth about his efforts to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan as an African American in 1978. The film adaptation, “BlacKkKlansman,” was released in 2018 and is currently up for an Academy Award nomination as Best Picture.

6. Rearrange the furniture

It may sound like an oddity, but rearranging furniture promotes focus and passes time while creating a fresh space. Even if it’s the smallest touches to the house or apartment, giving the space a different look can help break up monotonous routine and create a new setting for the rest of the year.