I've seen several people on my social media express how they're feeling about the current lockdown (lockdown number 3) The hottest topic is how bored they are...
Boil the kettle and let's dive into some things you can do if you find yourself bored.
First of all, forget about lockdown - now, I don't mean forget about it and 'go about your life' like normal - no, that is not wise or safe right now. BUT, don't think of it as being told you're not allowed out, think of it like a summer holiday when you're younger, or simply consider it a time to do all the things you usually want to do that you 'never have time for'.
It's like the age old trick with a child. If you tell a child they're not allowed to play with a certain toy, all they'll want to do is play with it.
SO, forget what you're being told not to do and start to focus on the things you can do and control.
Hobbies
Doing or finding a new hobby is possibly one of the key things to do during this time. You could set yourself up to read as many books as you can, fiction or non-fiction. I suppose you have a bookshelf somewhere in your house, how many times have you told yourself 'I really want to read that' but then never do? I'm really taking advantage of this, I always buy myself books and only really read about 2-3 books a year - so far, since the beginning of lockdown 1.0 I have read 7 books!
Clean/Reorganise your room
To feel a sense of satisfaction, reorganising the space you live in should make you feel like new. Take a day, one entire day, and use it to not just clean but mint your space. Pull out your drawers, go under your bed, vacuum everywhere, sort through bits of odd stuff you had on the shelves. Completely rejuvenate and once you're finished you can feel satisfied with your super, super tidy environment. Doing this could actually lead you to be motivated to start doing something else in this new space, you may also end up finding something that can keep you further occupied.
If this option is something you scrunch your nose at and think 'I can't be arsed doing that' then go to Netflix, put on just one episode of 'Cleaning up with Marie Kondo' and I bet that within twenty minutes, you'll be up and doing.
Sort through your clothes
Again, sounds boring, but you probably have clothes somewhere in the depths of your wardrobe that needs reorganising. Stick on your favourite tv series and try on all your clothes. That way you can organise them into 'things you love to wear', 'things you forgot you had that you want to wear more' or even 'things to donate to charity as you don't want them or they don't fit you'. Doing this is another way to untangle your space.
If you end up watching Marie Kondo, then I assume you'll end up doing this one anyway.
I fully believe that a clean and tidy space leads to a happy, cleansed mind!
Play
If you're already an active player, then you've got this one sorted.
Playing a game on a console is another way that time can slip by. If you've got an Xbox, play station, Nintendo switch or even if you've got a DS gathering dust somewhere. Why no crack it out and replay some of your old favourite games? If you're available, you could even purchase some new games to keep you entertained. (Cex do a good variety of games for quite cheap, depending on what you're after)
I've been attempting to do this one and I've found how quickly time can pass while playing. I've been mostly playing Sims4 on the Xbox and also replaying some of my old favourite games on the DS. I do in fact still have my old ps1 from years and years ago, packed with a few old games. The longer the lockdown goes on, the more tempted I am to retrieving it and playing on Spyro or Speed Freaks, I think I even have Simpsons Hit and Run somewhere...
Pick up a new skill
If you feel as though you're wasting your time in lockdown doing nothing or simply watching tv (which isn't a bad thing, I have watched many new things during lockdown) then why not put all this free time into some good use and teach yourself something?
There are tons and tons of free courses online, or free apps that you can download and use each day?
If you're not sure where to begin, I can give you some examples that my family has done.
I have been using the free app Duolingo to teach myself French! I haven't done much with French since being in high school, so all I could remember was Bonjour. Since starting this course, I feel that I can speak and understand more French everyday. I've also been spending time studying astronomy, I've always had such a huge love for the stars and was only able to locate the Big and Little Dipper. So I purchased some astronomy books and got stuck in! So far I'm really enjoying it!
My brother has been using YouTube to teach himself how to play the guitar! This is someone who never really touched musical instruments but now can play can several tunes impressively well, he's improving all the time.
My sister has been spending her time working on photography and identifying certain birds. She's joined a forum and has met a few people online with a great interest in wildlife that help her pin point the differences in the various creatures we are lucky to have in our garden.
There's so many other things you can learn and access. Just ask yourself, what's one thing you've always wished to learn or know? Now, is quite literally, the time to go and do it! Make something of yourself and take full advantage of this time you've been given.
Relax!
One of the most important things I believe everyone should do, if you're able, is just simply take this time for what it is and relax. Life runs by so fast and you may find yourself waiting for that weekend - right now, every day is the weekend. Don't feel any shame sleeping in that extra hour, or two, or five. Take that relaxing bath. Meditate!
Things are scary at the moment and have been for months, well, almost a full year. People's mental health and anxieties have been in danger of crumbling under the pressures and restraints. I just need everyone to know that YOU have the control to not let this time overtake you. You have the power to say no and make this time yours. Taking time to yourself to relax is something you're fully entitled to. Remember to do it.
When everything is over and the word 'lockdown' is no longer part of our daily vocabulary, then you can look back at this time and feel accomplished! People around you will shrug and moan stating they were so bored and did nothing over that entire period, but you will be able to say...
'Well, I read 15 books, I learnt 3 new languages, I kept myself entertained and played my childhood games...'
You have SO many things you can do, please don't feel like the world has nothing to offer you because there's absolutely nothing stopping you from taking this time and reinventing yourself. All those new years where you would think 'new year, new me' but slipped back into old habits, NOW is the time to become a new, better you. You'll come out of this lockdown feeling relaxed, feeling satisfied, feeling accomplished. It could be the time that you really needed to sort yourself out.
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