5 Entertaining & Creative Things to Do During Lockdown

4/15/2020 (Permalink)

During times like these with state "stay at home" orders it can be easy to feel bored, stressed, or just kind of burnt out.

During this challenging time even the most productive of people are going to watch their fair share of Netflix, Disney +, and Hulu. Additionally, many people will play video games just to pass the time. While these are fun activities, they can also get quite boring after a while and leave you feeling drained. Here are 5 good alternatives which can be quite fun and also rewarding.

1. Read a Book

While this may sound like something your librarian from middle school would tell you, it is actually quite amazing. Playing a video game or watching a movie are all linear experiences in a sense. Reading a book allows you to use your own creativity and imagination to in a sense vicariously live a much more adventurous life. Furthermore, it challenges your vocabulary, mind, and idea of what is reality. If one does not like reading or has difficulty doing so there are many services such as Audible which have pre-read audio files of books.

2. Practice an Instrument

Playing music can be incredibly therapeutic and helps people express themselves in something more powerful than words. There is so much free time available now you could even teach yourself to play an instrument. YouTube is going to be one of your greatest tools—and also distractions—during this time. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and become the next Billy Joel or Justin Bieber.  

3. Get Whatever You Need to Off Your Chest

One of the worst things you could do would be to bottle up all your feelings and just reside in them. If you have conflict with some family, friends, or loved ones give them a call. Be honest and let them know how you feel. At the same time, remind them of how much they mean to you and how you want restitution. This could also be a good testing ground if you are interested in a person. If you just send them a text asking how they are doing or things about their lives. If they are remotely interested, they will reciprocate this. However, if they don’t respond or just seem dry you can forget about them and move on with your life. This is the time for action not angst.

4. Keep Up with Friends and Family

Don’t neglect to talk with your family and friends. While physical interactions and conversations are not advised nor necessarily wise, there are several alternatives. You can use Facetime if you have an iPhone for an easy and intuitive video conference. Additionally, there are apps such as Houseparty and Skype for any web enabled device. The importance of keeping in touch with your friends and family cannot be overstated. It will help you deal with any frustrations, bond with them, and develop a deeper relationship.

5. Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts are like the modern-day radio show. There is an infinite variety of them. The beauty however is in the fact that one can listen to them whenever you want and there is no need to tune into a channel at a specific time. Podcasts are incredibly engaging and can help you to take your mind off all the worry of everyday life—even if only for an hour.

Hopefully, these ideas can help you enjoy this extra amount of free time and take your mind of all the stress of this situation in the meanwhile.