When I first started self-isolating in spring break, I was okay with it because it gave me time to recharge, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. But when I found out we weren’t allowed to go back to school, or outside at all due to getting the virus, a piece of me sank into depression. I know myself. I know that if I spend too much time indoors and without a routine that keeps me productive I tend to gain an unhealthy state, an extreme form is depression. I am not afraid of letting people know I have experienced it and I also take into account that I am the only one that can make myself get out of a depression episode. Now, not everyone works like this. Some people just need more human interactions or conversations. I need actual movement that gives me meaning. I need things that have a goal and an endpoint so I can feel accomplished. I know I am not the only one that feels like this. So the following tips are ways that got me out of my funk and simply makes me feel hopeful towards the future times that are to come.
1. Yoga
I am an amateur and I hate working out which is the primary reason why I am very out of shape, but yoga gives you the opportunity for some peace in a loud headspace. Whether it is stretching once you wake up or following a youtube tutorial, you still get that quietness that comes along to holding poses that help you relax.
2. Cooking
I would burn the house down if it weren’t for my mom looking over my shoulder every once in a while. I do know how to expertly make pancakes, french toasts, and pasta and if that’s what I have to eat for the rest of my life, I am okay with it. But, even if it’s following a tasty tutorial on snapchat and it ends up tasting horrible, you still followed through. Never make it about success but the fact that you got up and tried something.
3. Drawing
Again, I am not good at any of these hobbies but there are people who splatter some paint on a white canvas and sell it on eBay for thousands of dollars. I started off finding cute cartoons on Pinterest and traced them onto paper. This keeps me entertained for hours. I now draw the cartoons free hand and paint them on canvas, that’s called progression.
There are a lot of things to do to make you feel productive and entertained when you are sitting in the house all bored. These are activities that keep your mind at ease and calm during stressful times. You just have to find what works for you.