Patch Downtime Checklist and Ideas
Don’t know what to do while FFXIV is down for the patch? Here’s some ideas!
- Hygiene! Shower/bath, shave, trim nails, etc. Use the extra time you might have to relax and enjoy your shower/bath. Use that bath bomb that’s been sitting unused for the past few months. Pamper yourself. ^.^
- Catch up on laundry and chores. Even if you just do a little bit each day, it goes a long way. Get laundry in right away, then while that’s going, do some dusting/vacuuming. Or make sure your dishes are clean.
- Stock up on food/Refill Prescriptions if needed. Make your list ahead of time, and if available, use online ordering/curbside pickup for low-contact and time-saving. Running low on food and funds? Check out your local food bank distributions and schools! Many are simply “show up, get food”, no questions asked, especially during this time. Look on school websites or their Facebook pages, or google “food distribution near me” for details.
- Meal prep or at least plan out your meals for the day/week, so you’re not scrambling for what to eat last-minute. Don’t feel like cooking on patch day and have a crockpot/Instant pot? Prep your ingredients today, then tomorrow morning, toss them into a crockpot and let it do the cooking! Then when you’re hungry, all you have to do is dish up and eat! Want easy cleanup as well? Get some crockpot liners!
- Need recipe ideas? Check out Yummly, AllRecipes, Tasty, Delish, or just a simple google search. The FREE Yummly app lets you filter recipes based on what you have in your pantry.
- Do something different! Go for a walk (maybe finally open Pokemon Go or Wizards Unite that you’ve left unchecked for months), exercise or stretch, play some music, read a book, watch a movie/show, or play some other games from your backlog. Try your hand at a craft or something new.
- Make your list of what you want/need to get done once the patch hits. Think Unlock locations, where new gear will be, or if you're a crafter/gatherer, where new nodes/items are, custom deliveries, Ishgard Restoration, new recipes, etc. Once the Database is updated, this will help with your prep too. The folks on FFXIV Reddit made a great list of where to unlock all of the new things: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/i5ik45/patch_53_checklist/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/i72ain/where_to_unlock_patch_53/
- Rest up! Set an alarm (or ten across the room so you have to get up) to wake up if you “don’t want to miss a thing.” Get some much needed sleep tonight. Too excited and having trouble sleeping? Try some of these things:
- Listen to some form of white noise (don’t have a white noise machine? Check out the FREE “White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds” or “White Noise Lite” apps which have so many sounds and features to choose from).
- Try aromatherapy (room sprays, incense (only while awake if using ones that require a flame), potpourri or essential oil diffusers (if you have pets, make sure the potpourri or oil you choose isn’t harmful to them)).
- Read a book in bed
- Limit being on a device for the hour before you get into bed
- Listen to relaxing music or ASMR
- Try some meditation, mindfulness, or breathing techniques like the “4-7-8 method”
- Drink a soothing and relaxing beverage like Chamomile or “Sleepytime” Tea or warmed milk or hot cocoa.
- Mind racing? Try writing down your thoughts for the day in a journal (even if you plan on burning it later).
- Do showers/baths relax you more than energize you? Try taking your shower/bath before bed.
- Supplements/Medication (if cleared by your doctor)
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-fall-asleep
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/teas-that-help-you-sleep#1
- Wake up! Get your download started! While you’re waiting for the download, brush teeth, get dressed (even if it’s just clean comfy lounging clothes for the day), eat some breakfast (or a little snack), coffee or beverage of choice, get your dinner in the crockpot (if applicable).
- Breaks! Remember to take food/drink/potty/stretching/posture breaks. Help your eyes too! “To prevent eyestrain, try to rest your eyes when using the computer for long periods. Rest your eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of continuous computer use. Also, for every 20 minutes of computer viewing, look into the distance for 20 seconds to allow your eyes a chance to refocus.”
https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/protecting-your-vision/computer-vision-syndrome
- Medication! Remember to take any medication or vitamins you’re on. Set an alarm if needed if you think you might get distracted from all the shiny new things in game.
Enjoy the patch and stay hydrated!
~Mama Val (and likely moms/parents everywhere)