Lockdown Blues? 5 ways to relieve boredom while indoors.
- Jan 17, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 18, 2021
It's been almost a year now since lockdowns all across the world started. I live in the UK and we're in our 3rd national lockdown already & even I am struggling to find things to do!
So, I've decided to compile a list together of things you can do in lockdown in order to chase away the lockdown blues.
#1 Move Your Body
Now, this is an obvious one, but during a lot of lockdown I have found myself sat on my bed 'waiting for life to begin.' But, the best thing to do is to take action. You may not be able to control COVID-19 however, you can start focussing on those fitness goals you may have had for a while or a new hobby you wanted to start. This is the perfect opportunity now to get out of bed, get out of the house and just be in your body. Doing this can also benefit your mental health, help you focus being in the present moment and hopefully help you worry less about COVID restrictions.
In the first couple months of the 1st UK national lockdown I was stuck sat in bed, depressed and unmotivated. To be fair, I was going through a breakup at the time so going into lockdown really didn't help my situation. However, after those first couple of months I decided to get up and run. I had the Couch to 5k app and I decided I was going to run a full 5k with no breaks. I was flying! My days finally had meaning as I got up and set myself a challenge. It helped with my mental state, my physical state and I lost 10kg in that 1st lockdown that I even achieved a weightloss goal I had had for YEARS.
So, GO FOR THAT RUN! Or a walk if you're not a runner. It's also a great way to get outdoors for your 1 hour exercise allowance and soak in that vitamin D our bodies need, especially during these winter months. If the outdoors isn't for you, there are loads of home workouts you can do! Me and my sister did the Chloe Ting challenge which was great because it gave structure to our fitness routine and, it did wonders for my abs. You could also get the old xbox or playstation out if you have any dancing games from the past or look on YouTube for a range of home workouts you can do. You could go cycling, do yoga, play with your dog and so much more.
#2 Read
Maybe this is another obvious one but I'd like to elaborate how stimulating & beneficial reading can be! I knew a lot of people who didn't read before lockdown and didn't think they had the time to be honest. Me included! I'd read like a book a year so I was never really exploring ideas and building my knowledge in my own time. However, in 2020 I have learnt more about myself reading than I ever have over the 24 years I have been living on this Earth. I've matured massively which I think is important especially for those of us who are leaving the education system and venturing out into the unknown of the adult world. For us, I believe it's the most beneficial. By reading, we're learning the experiences of those who have already lived and struggled then applying their advice and tips into our life at a much earlier age to benefit us.
So now that you have that extra hour at home rather than commuting to work, do you want to take that time to grow and improve? To make your life easier in the long run? To actually figure out who you are without having to struggle? Self-help books are definitely becoming more popular and with reason! I'd like to suggest some books that really changed my perspective on a lot of ideas and how I'd like to approach my life.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
Women Don't Owe You Pretty by Florence Given
Zen by Shunmyo Masuno
Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Out of the seventeen books I've read this year, these five were completely life changing. They led me to believe that my life is important and what I do has a chain reaction. That setting boundaries and spending energy on certain subjects is crucial to energising yourself & avoid being taken advantage of. Some of the messages are hard-hitting. So if you're not ready to delve deeper to 'finding yourself' so to say, I wouldn't recommend reading these just yet, maybe just Love Languages. However, if you are ready to change and to achieve your dream life, go for it!
Even fictional books, I have learnt a lot about the kind of romance I'd like in my life and it's not something I am going to find on Tinder or Bumble. Rather it's becoming the main character of my own book and actually taking action to make my life interesting and active that I will find myself in similar stories that are my own after lockdown.
#3 Get Creative!
This is a great way to spend lockdown and just have fun! I reckon this alone will tackle the lockdown blues by just letting your creative juices flow. It doesn't matter what it is, whatever you heart desires to get a little artsy and bring out your inner writer, dancer, musician, sketcher, interior designer, etc. Do it! Below I've put some ideas together if you're struggling to think of something to do. And if you're not sure whether you can be creative or you don't think of yourself as a creative person, just pick one and try! A musician doesn't become a musician without picking up an instrument and playing.
Paint (maybe take a Bob Ross tutorial!)
Draw
Bake/Cook
Sew (you could make your own makeup bag, t-shirt or tote bag)
Play an instrument
Create a dance routine
Redo your living room
Knit a scarf
Try macrame
Make a loom with an old frame and make some funky fabric coasters
Buy some clay on amazon and literally make anything
Find some DIY videos on YouTube for home decor, I love DIY by Lone Fox: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwzsvzRCfPddq2gPlgKW1w)
Illustrate for a book, stickers, or gifs
Write a book (children's, young adult or other!)
Pinterest is also a great platform to find something creative to do and a great way to find inspiration for your interests.
#4 Learn a New Skill
Remember when you said "if only I had time, like a week off work or work 9-3, I'd learn how to sew." Does this sound familiar? Now, maybe it may not be sewing, that's just something on my mind at the moment while learning about slow-fashion. But it could be anything you've literally wanted to do for so long but haven't let yourself because you don't think you have the time!
Life can get boring when you're stuck and bogged down in that 9-5 job and your routine has been the same for the last 6 months, year or 5 years. Most of the time, when we learn something new or experience new things it gives us that little spark! That reminder that there is more to life than our jobs and responsibilities. We actually can experience something new and learn more about ourselves we didn't know before. When we come out of lockdown, you could learn how to ski or trampoline, but there are plenty of new skills that we can do indoors and this can tie up with being creative to be honest. Learning an instrument can be a beautiful skill, and I may be being biased as I am a music teacher, however, it can allow you to express yourself and give you the feeling of accomplishment as you build a new skill.
So, maybe learn an instrument? Learn to write, draw or even garden and I am sure that will lift your spirits during lockdown. There's a reason plant mums are so happy!
#5 Self-Growth
Lockdown is the perfect time to find solitude and learn more about who you are and what you want. Steps 1-4 can all help in this process and enable you to figure out the things you like and dislike, your attitude to new experiences and what motivates you. Take a look at your habits - good and bad - and seeing what you can do to change them to make life easier.
Journalling is a great way to do this and think about things on a deeper level and figure out what makes you tick. It can also help you to vent and get you out of your own head and view things from an outside perspective. Kind of like listening to yourself aloud and realising what it sounds like. You can ask yourself questions like why you're thinking a certain way and whether that aligns with your goals and the behaviours you want to exhibit.
If you're like me and watch YouTube videos on spirituality and Law of Attraction, or even if you don't, journalling can support this process of reflecting your own behaviours and directing yourself on the path you desire. You can write out plans, affirmations, things you're grateful for and how you feel about certain topics. It's like your own school textbook but for self-reflection and self-improvement. Something that has really, really, really, helped me during lockdown. So, if you haven't tried it yet maybe give it a go? And come back to me and tell me how it has affected you in any way. There's loads to learn about yourself when you sit down and take the time to, well, talk to yourself!
I hope these tips are helpful as they have definitely benefited me while staying indoors. These times are tough for everybody, more people than others, but I hope this inspires you to spend time with yourself and prepare yourself for life after lockdown - whatever that may be! These ideas are mainly independent, but if you're extroverted or miss your friends give them a call on zoom! Or play monopoly with your family, or even spend time playing outside with your dog! There is still so much we can access to lift our spirits and improve our lives. Changing your mindset and twisting your perspective into a positive light will benefit you profoundly during these very strange times.
Thanks for reading guys and let me know what you ended up doing! I'd love to hear and see what you come up with.
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