Good news! Your “save for later” package has just arrived, and it’s waiting at your doorstep. Are you going to get it? That neatly packaged box–filled with packing peanuts and bubble wrap–safeguards all the dreams and aspirations you’ve been putting off, but now you’re complaining about how you’re bored in the house and in the house bored. I know it’s so easy to resort to boredom. I’ve become a victim of boredom myself, but think about that box and all of the things inside that have patiently waited for this moment. Turn away from boredom, and look to the world that you can create with all this endless time.
- Set your goals with a vision board
-
Your routine isn’t what it used to be, but you have to consider what steps you can take to reestablish structure. A vision board presents an easy way to remind yourself of all that you are and can achieve. The instructions are simple: scour every surface of the internet, every issue of Vogue magazine from 2019, and every photo album or scrapbook of memories for inspiration. Begin by carving out dream destinations and expressive phrases.
Ignite your inner artist and glue all your work onto a canvas. After designing the vision board into a masterpiece, put it in a place where you can see it daily. This method will help remind you what your daily goals are and make them feel more achievable with every reminder!
- Realize home gyms are in
-
Everyone and their momma has taken the initiative to work out, and I’m kind of loving it. Building a daily workout routine, which can focus on abs, thighs, or arms, can be much easier to start than to finish. I once attended a Tony Robbins Seminar, and he said never to count the number of days that you work out. If you’re counting, then you’re holding onto a fantasy for x number of days until you go back. Look at it this way: when you use Instagram, you don’t count how many hours you spend on the app because you’ve developed a lifestyle. The same should apply when developing a workout routine; Incorporate it into your lifestyle until it becomes natural.
- Grow a plant family
-
I have a succulent family of four. I, luckily, rescued them from my apartment three weeks after my university shifted online, and their health is my pride and joy. Raising a plant family brings so much gratification as they–literally–grow up! I recommend using rainwater to water them if you can, because rainwater builds up moisture levels in plants and promotes growth. If you’re well-versed in handling cacti, shift to your backyard and try gardening.
- Revisit your old blog
-
I wanted to start a blog for eons, and I finally made one at the mercy of my grade for a journalism class. I haven’t revisited it since. It’s not that I’m not proud of it, I just immediately resort to excuses. Flip the switch and think about all the exciting topics you can write about! From personal essays to news stories, blogs provide an outlet for expression and information. This not only benefits your readers, but your own well-being.
- Realize that the practice of stillness is underrated
-
Of course, if you don’t want to do anything you don’t have to. Cut off your music, resist Snapchat and Twitter, and put your phone face down. Wherever you are, listen. Take in your surroundings. I often get so caught in the hasty pace of life that I forget to recognize the sheer beauty of our inner and outer surroundings, but I’ve recently started listening to the musicals that the leaves and the wind make.
You can practice this in the bathtub with your new bath bomb buddies or on a lounge chair in your backyard–aim to select a place that symbolizes peace and relaxation, and don’t feel guilty if this is all you have it in you to do.
You have more than enough time than you ever have before, and it’s important that we look at our current situation as an opportunity to expand our connections with our families and ourselves. This is a great time to focus on yourself, and your mental health. Often times we allow our schoolwork and other involvements to swallow our sense of self, and we begin to define ourselves by what we do and the friends we have, without truly identifying what we love. I know that I love all the aspects of my life, but what brings me true happiness is sketching. Quite frankly, my academic life prior to the coronavirus outbreak left a slim window for hobbies, but now I have no excuses. Now is the time to make unremarkable changes to your life.