If I’ve learned anything these last few weeks, it’s that human connection feeds our soul. We’re human. We crave being around other people. Maybe this whole pandemic is actually a blessing, even if it's not. That's how we should see it. I'm sure that we have all, at one point or another feared that we will let all this time we have been gifted to go waste. This fear motivated me to challenge myself to make the most of this time and learn to schedule, prioritize and execute. Here are some ideas if you’re looking to use your time productively as well.
1. Learn how to cook simple meals
This is a great time to learn. You don't have to know how to cook, and even if you do there's always the option to experiment. I knew how to make pasta and several breakfast items, but I decided to experiment. I watched some YouTube videos and learned to make different types of pasta. Something else I’ve had a lot of fun doing lately is trying to recreate fast food drinks and honestly, I have truly enjoyed the creative aspect of being a barista.
2. Journaling
Journaling is one of the best things to do when you are bored. This can range from bullet journaling which is essentially logging your goals, activities, and mood throughout the day to basic journaling consisting of you writing down what you did throughout each day/week and reflecting upon it. With bullet journaling, you can customize it in several different ways to cater to your interests. For example, you can add your favourite things:
Your monthly playlist
A mood tracker to see how you’ve been feeling
A money tracker to reflect on expenses and savings
A workout tracker to keep up with your physical activity goals
The options are endless. It’s all about personalization and that’s why it is the perfect tool to engage your thought process for when you are bored. You can dive into your imagination and let your creativity fill the pages. With basic journaling, it is a great opportunity to not just reflect on your thoughts but to stimulate your creative writing and analysis skills. This forces you to analyze everything you’ve done and felt. Once you have finished journaling for that day, you can plan what you want to do tomorrow. It is a great place to better yourself. Both journaling styles, and many more, are cost-effective and not expensive like other activities. All it requires is a notebook and a pen! Some people add stickers, decorative tapes, colours, and paint to make their journals more expressive of their personal style, but this is optional. Want to get into the amazing world of journaling? Check out some of my favourite journaling YouTubers such as AmandaRachLee and Oh No Nina.
3. Get into shape
IS THERE A BETTER TIME? I know that whenever I'm bored, I think I'm hungry instead and eat poorly. I'm sure many of you feel the same. Staying at home can be extremely difficult but there are so many at-home exercises that you can do to help your body cope with it. My siblings and I have been doing yoga every night which has also helped us be more reflective physically and mentally.
4. Meditation
You’ve probably heard of meditation and the wonders it can do for your body and soul. Well, it’s true! Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, decrease and minimize depression and anxiety, and in my books, cure boredom!. Meditation is more than just sitting down and thinking, it’s a way to really tune into your introspective mode and get in touch with your mind, body, and soul. It is a way to come to terms with everything you’re dealing with, especially anything bothering you, and put it aside for ten minutes a day to fully ease your mind and experience the present moment as it is and to be grateful for what you have. There are so many forms of meditation and each one can help you in a specific way. You don’t have to meditate for hours a day. Ten minutes a day is sufficient and that’s because mediation is a practice to benefit oneself, not a chore. Some of my favourite meditation apps are Headspace, Calm, and Zen because each one provides you with a unique experience and is a good place for beginner's meditation.
5. Make a TikTok
So many of us waste our time watching TikToks. They are so entertaining after all. Instead of watching them, MAKE THEM! This will probably also give you the motivation to get dressed instead of living in your sweats and pyjamas. If you arent comfortable with displaying yourself on TikTok, you can show your skills in a tutorial.
Here are some examples of TikToks that I have done:
6. Declutter/Organize
One of my favourite feelings is to organize my space like my personal desk or my room. This sounds boring but it can be very therapeutic. Being messy and unorganized is convenient may seem like the easy route but it only hurts your productivity when you are limited by what you can actually find in your surroundings. Some of the most successful and productive people in the world preach that decluttering and organizing leads to success because you not only learn the ability to plan, prepare, and organize, but you set yourself up with a working environment where everything you need is easily accessible. A decluttered space allows your creativity to flourish instead of distracting your mind.
7. Revamp old clothing
Revamping old clothing has endless possibilities; you can do some cutting, tie-dying and/or adding cool embellishments to the item.
8. Have a facetime photoshoot with your friends
This may sound a little odd, but it is such a great way to have fun with friends during the quarantine. Facetime with your friend and take screenshots. You get to be so creative with this, here are some that I and my friend Mergim took:
