It’s so easy to get bored with all the free time that many of us are faced with during quarantine. Even with some places partially opening up the majority of the time, we’re still stuck at home. So say goodbye to quarantine boredom with these 15 things to occupy yourself!
Keeping a diary is one of the most calming and relaxing things you can do. Not only does it serve to take up time and get away from that listless quarantine boredom. It’s also an excellent way for you to privately and personally process all the confusing and maybe scary emotions that you could be feeling during your stressful day to day life. I would highly recommend starting to keep a nightly journal of all the things about your day that you experienced. Perhaps it will someday serve as a hopeful, nostalgic reminder of what happened to you during this weird limbo time in all of our lives.
As an age-old favorite, knitting is not only a great way to pass the time and get rid of that quarantine boredom, but it also serves as a unique and useful skill that you can use even when the quarantine is finally over! Not only will you have filled uptime with the joy of learning how to knit, but perhaps you’ll also have a new pair of socks that you made from scratch! Or maybe a cute knitted loungewear outfit that’s both comfortable and super fuzzy.
Food is something that’s been on all our minds recently. How many trips we’re able to make to the grocery store without needlessly exposing ourselves? What sort of protection we need in the form of masks and gloves? Maybe even eyewear to protect not just ourselves but the people we live with in our homes and neighborhoods. Sure, a garden might not be as instantly gratifying as other things on this list, but I think it’s one of the most useful ways to combat quarantine boredom. Not only are you guaranteeing yourself some time getting a little bit of fresh air and sunshine safely and responsibly, be it from your backyard or from your apartment window. You’re also insuring that much more food security for yourself down the line.
Staying fit as a way to keep your mind and body sharp has unfortunately become much more difficult with gyms across the country, closed to enforce social distancing. Even within some states that have opened up a little, gyms are still hesitant to operate under full capacity. So instead of hitting the gym, why not roll out a mat, make a small space, and do it at home. With tons of exercise videos on YouTube, it’s easier now more than ever to get your fifteen minutes of Pilates in during the day while still staying inside and being safe.
During these times that we’re apart, why not learn a skill that can bring people together? When planning for that post-COVID vacation, perhaps you could also pick up the language of the country or place you’re dreaming about visiting once this is all over? With access to things like Duolingo and google translate and various other language learning aids, it’s easier to learn a new tongue now more than ever. And if you’re reading this, it’s pretty safe to say you have some sort of internet access. So, defeat your quarantine boredom by broadening your horizons just a bit.
With the digital age, it’s possible to make music without even picking up a single instrument. You don’t also need fancy equipment or a sound audio mixer. Just get whatever is preprogrammed onto your laptop or PC and explore! Make funny fart sounds into a melody or dropping a sick beat. Pulling from professional Vocaloid tracks. Or maybe plucking the strings of your ukulele that’s been gathering dust in the corner of your room. Music is scientifically proven to be therapeutic in many ways, so why not give it a go and try it?
Older generations are undoubtedly getting the brunt of this. And let’s face it, they’re not nearly as adept at technology as we are. Nor do they easily find solace in things as we do in the form of online games or skype calls. So pick up a phone and call, yes call not text, your grandparents or someone on the older side of life that’s dear to you and just let them know you love them. Talk to them about your day, ask them what sort of things they’re up to, and if you can help them with anything. I promise it will mean the world to them, and it will make you feel beautiful too.
Much like gardening, baking is something you can do to kill time while also saving yourself money and keeping yourself a bit more food stable. Sure, this will involve a few ingredients, but flour is still relatively cheap and easy to come by within grocery stores. And that’s all you really need to make bread. Flour and water. Of course, you can make it a bit fancier by maybe making a sourdough starter. Or liven things up by adding milk and eggs, perhaps even some herbs and spices. But at its real core, all you need to start baking is flour and water. If the people in Mesopotamia could figure out how to bake without the comforts of a modern home or the internet, I’m sure you can too.
There’s no denying how happy Bob Ross has made people over the years. With his calm and soothing demeanor and his soft-spoken voice. It’s effortless to get hooked into watching old reruns of his shows. Well now, with plenty of time and the old show being aired on twitch for free under Bob Ross’s name, what better time than to pick up a paintbrush and give your hand at making some happy little trees?
Sometimes you don’t want to do anything during the day. Sometimes things don’t feel great or just genuinely aren’t great. There’s no way for you to go out and get something that you need, everyone you know is busy coping with their own problems, and there’s nothing on Netflix that interests you. If you ever find yourself in this sort of funk, I would recommend trying to listen to a podcast. With a variety of topics to choose from, and most running between a few minutes to a couple of hours per episode, podcasts are a great way to eat up your time.
It’s easy to feel helpless during this crazy, borderline nightmarish situation that’s happening right now. And I think we can all come together and acknowledge that this year has kind of sucked for a multitude of reasons, and it’s not even six months in. So why not be the change? There are tons of volunteer groups and charity organizations that need people to help with the crisis that we’re going through. It doesn’t even need to be COVID related. Raise awareness for your local library. Get involved in helping your local homeless shelter. Donate your time to help tutor kids struggling with their online classes. Whatever you can do to help.
Much like knitting, this quarantine boredom fix is one that comes with a ton of benefits along with staving off quarantine boredom. Not only is fabric readily available, but sometimes you don’t even need to go out and by anything other some needles and thread. Cutting up old t-shirts into masks, or a new bag or some other accessory is both rewarding and a time-consuming process. Not only that, but it’s an excellent way for you to bond with people online. With a large scale community that has patterns from all over the world and tons of tutorials on YouTube, you can find yourself getting long for hours a day in this hobby.
Anxiety, depression, loneliness, anger, fear, stress all of these things we’re experiencing alone from our usual community tends to add up on top of the quarantine boredom we’re all feeling. It can be easy to forget about ourselves and take the time to breathe. Try to find a meditation ritual that helps ground you in the current moment and eases all the stress and troubles that plague your mind. Whether that’s humming, deep breathing, or making repetitive motions with your fingers. Taking ten to fifteen minutes a day to yourself will not only take up time but also improve your mood.
If you’re reading this, it’s almost guaranteed that you have either a smartphone or laptop. With all this free time to yourself, it’s not surprising that people are flexing their imagination both online and at home. So why not use those creative ideas to good use and write them down? Make a story, a poem, a script. It doesn’t need to be good, just go nuts and have fun!
It’s essential to take time for yourself, but don’t forget about the people who care for you and want to be there for you. Don’t wallow in your quarantine boredom. Even just a small text of “Hi! How are you doing?” can give way to hours of conversation. Tell the people in your life you love them and let them know you’re there for them, even if it’s behind a screen.
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