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8 Things To Do To Avoid Boredom During The Lockdown

By Henry Obinna

18 May 2020   |   9:22 am

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It has been over eight weeks now since some states in Nigeria had to go into a lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. These weeks seem like ages and many have had to begin to adapt to a new way of living, the ‘lockdown lifestyle’. The lockdown has impeded the social lifestyle of all especially…

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It has been over eight weeks now since some states in Nigeria had to go into a lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. These weeks seem like ages and many have had to begin to adapt to a new way of living, the ‘lockdown lifestyle’.

The lockdown has impeded the social lifestyle of all especially with respect to outdoor social events and activities. The lockdown and its impediment to social gatherings have led to a new form of entertainment, virtual entertainment.

Virtual entertainment is but one way of keeping boredom at bay during this lockdown and not feel like the last living person on planet Earth after an apocalypse or an alien invasion.

This boredom-escape-guide is definitely for those who are seeking a way out of their boredom and make the best use of the lockdown as much as possible. The best part is there’s something for everyone.

Read fun and educating content online

If there is one thing millions of Nigerians can be thankful for during this lockdown, it is internet access. The internet serves as everyone’s go to for many things including escaping boredom. Fun and interesting websites are an easy getaway place for the fun-loving ones among us, the fact that we don’t need to pay a dime to access and make use of these types of websites and get ourselves educated and at the same time entertained is an absolute win for interesting fun lovers.

Try a new Nigerian delicacy

There are over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, these ethnic groups have dozens of unique and especially delicious foods they’re known for. What does that mean for you? There are thousands of different food recipes around that you’re yet to taste or even make. Some are from other ethnic groups while the rest belong to your ethnic group, maybe it’s time to get closer to the kitchen and to your ethnic foods. A time like this when you’re locked down at home and have the kitchen all to your self is a time you have to upgrade your culinary skills. The best part is you don’t need a tutor or someone beside you showing you how to not add excess pepper because there are recipes of these foods littered all over YouTube and the likes.

Learn a new skill and update your CV

There’s never a disadvantage to learning and acquiring a new skill, especially when that new skill stands a chance of putting more money in your pockets. The essence of learning something new is to improve on your value, your value before your employer and/or before the world. You probably have a job, or you don’t, whichever position you find yourself there’s always room for an upgrade in your knowledge base by learning something new. You either take an online course in your field that could give you an edge in your office or you learn an entirely new skill for someone who wants to switch industries. There are tons of places you could learn for free or paid. YouTube once again is one starting point for almost everything there is free. So, pick an industry of interest to you and make that research now that you have time.

Have a garden? Plant some seeds

For those living in the big cities, having a garden might not be an option but some still do. If you happen to be one, this is a good time to get your hands dirty (pun intended) Watching your little plants (vegetables, flowers etc.) grow and flourish with their ever lovely to behold green leaves, is a satisfying thing to do as it brings you closer to some of the wonders of nature and also makes you appreciate more the world we live in, this also helps you to gain some knowledge about these little plants and how to manage them. Maybe after doing this, you might find out you have a thing for farming or something close to that.

Learn how to dance

No, this is not a joke! There are many of us who can’t dance to save our lives, this writer included. Despite loving fun and having access to several good songs to gyrate to, many of us can’t just get the dance steps right. This is your chance to improve your “Shaku-Shaku” or finally getting your “Zanku” and leg work right. If you are a fun lover and come out of this lockdown without learning at least one new dance step or two, you need to have a rethink.

Read a book or more

Reading books is the easiest way to improve yourself especially your vocabulary. Reading a book is very effective at influencing the way we think, analyze situations and also the way we talk which includes our choice of words. This is possible because, before you actually pick up a book to read, you to an extent have respect and love for either the topic or the author of the book. This makes books an easy way to get mentored by someone you’re not even close to because it’ll shape your mind to align with the way the author’s (assuming your mentor) mind is already aligned. Little wonder the more books you read the more enlightened you become.

Get creative and write a book

We all have that created part of us, the creativity can be exhibited in different forms which can be in the form of writing. Writing a book. You could write a book on different topics, could be storytelling, it could recipes and even plays and dramas or even a complete movie script, yes you’re that creative. You might just find out you have a calling in writing that you’ve not been able to explore.

Start a blog or vlog to share your life experience

You want a small webspace of your own where you can share personal life stories, experiences and knowledge with viewers who will probably find you interesting. There are two options available to you; a blog if you love writing or a vlog if you love to see yourself on videos. There are many platforms that offer you free opportunities that you can utilize to create a digital webspace for yourself without paying them and you can share whatever information you want on those spaces. YouTube is the popular choice for vlogs, wouldn’t require anything but your Gmail account and you’ll get started immediately sharing with the world things only you know about.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, there are a plethora of things that one can do when they have the time and have set their minds to do it. Right now almost everyone has the first requirement which is time, the next is to you’re your mind on what you want to get busy with and focus on it, you’ll find out they’re all fun and interesting and exciting to do, at the end will make boredom a thing of the past for you.