Nafisah Nubah : For many, especially teenagers, this lockdown period has given us more time on our hands than we’ve ever had. After over a year of the pandemic dragging on, we may feel like we’ve run out of things to do.
This free time may have appeared as a curse, but if utilized properly, it can still be a blessing.
There are some productive ways to fill our time to make us glad.
Reading of book is good and uninterrupted reading for long stretches of time is something we rarely had the luxury of doing before the pandemic.
Now, while stuck at home, we have the perfect opportunity for that.
Besides providing enjoyment, books also keep our brain in action, build our vocabularies, lower stress and enhance the imagination.
If we prefer audio over writing, audio books might be the fit for us. Whether we prefer fiction or non-fiction, get yourself some books from your TBR and start reading.
Watch a documentary series whilst watching a stimulating TV show does pass time, it can do so in an unproductive manner, and we’ll often find ourselves binge-watching shows that don’t really help us in any way.
So, alongside our normal TV habits, investing some time into watching documentary and learning about subjects we may even discover new interests along the way!
Learning new skills could include learning the rules to a game (e.g. chess), learning to play an instrument (e.g. guitar), and learning to bake, or anything that requires time to get to grips with.
Alongside keeping us entertained will keep our mind in constant work, and we’ll never lose our touch with learning.
We may sign up for free or paid online courses, or look up tutorials on YouTube to get started.
Get artistic Learning new skills can also be accompanied by honing our skills in different forms of art.
Art is a great way to express ourselves, channeling our creativity, and help we see ordinary things in a whole new way. Painting, sketching, photography, poetry, embroidery, jewellery-making etc. are just some of the plethora of different art media out there.
Explore the internet for inspiration and resources, and get started!
Put pen to paper whether it be journals and blogs or poems and prose, writing can be a highly engaging way to spend time.
From keeping track of our thoughts, activities and learning bringing our imagination to life, writing allows us to materialize our mind, while honing our cognitive skills like focusing of attention, planning and forethought, organization of thinking, and reflective thought.
Whatever genre of writing we choose, putting pen to paper once a day could be an hour well-spent.
Volunteer volunteering is probably the most productive and rewarding of all the activities listed here.
In a time when more and more people are suffering from hunger and poverty every day, engaging in volunteer work will provide our community with some much-needed help.
With the restrictions currently in place, we cannot go very far or come into contact with people, so you might feel like your options are limited. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
Look for charity organizations close to you, and ask around for ways you can help.
Alternatively, you can brainstorm your own way of helping the needy, and take the initiative yourself.
Set yourself a workout routine the pandemic has pretty much halted all physical activities that helped us keep fit – playing sports, running, or even just walking to places. This means that it is more crucial now than ever before to work out, and the key to a successful and consistent workout regime is routine.
You don’t need fancy gym equipment to get started; YouTube has plenty of workout videos, and the internet has plenty more workout plans to help you make your own equipment-free workout routine.
Learn a new language how many times have you fallen in love with a foreign language and wanted to learn it?
Well, now you have the time to do so. Not only language learning is enjoyable, it also helps develop strong cognitive skills such as better concept formation, multitasking, mental flexibility, and listening skills.
Apps like Duolingo and Memrise make language learning extremely accessible, and watching TV shows, reading books and listening to music in that language will also help strengthen your vocabulary and fluency.
Most importantly, make routines. This will help you maintain consistency, and thus avoid you falling back to the lazy boredom slumps you’ve probably found yourself in way too often this pandemic.
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Nafisah Nubah
Studying Alevel AS
School: Dhanmondi Tutorial, Dhaka
