Being in lockdown may be the dream for some people but if you are struggling to keep yourself motivated and happy during a lockdown, you should find an activity that you can do to keep your emotion and energy level up. Watching movies and scrolling social media can be fun but it can also get boring quickly. Here are a few fun things you can start doing during lockdown to stay happy.
Learn a new foreign language
One thing you can do during lockdown is to learn and what better thing to learn than a new language. Learning a new foreign language takes time but when you are in lockdown, that is just the thing you have plenty of. You can just study the basics or go all in and try to get fluent in it.
There are tons of online classes that you can take to learn a new language and many of them a quite cheap. Some even provide the option to test your proficiency after you have taken lessons for a long time. If you do not have the time to attend online language courses, you can always download apps that can give you simple yet effective lessons on the basic phrases.
Learn how to play a new instrument
Another thing you can learn is how to play a new instrument. Like languages, learning an instrument can take time so if you have a lot of time in your hands during a lockdown and you want to try a fun activity, try learning a new instrument. Some easy-to-learn instruments include the guitar and piano but there are tons of other instruments that you can learn.
Many music stores offer delivery services for instruments so you can easily order one and have it delivered to your house, without needing to go to a physical store. For instance, NovaPans has a vast array of handpans in Australia that you can explore and have delivered to your doorstep, making it easier to begin your musical journey. As for the learning part, for guitars and pianos, you can find online courses to learn the basic chords and keys but for more complex instruments like violin or saxophone, you might need to seek the guidance of a professional. Luckily, many teachers are willing to accommodate those who are in lockdown so they can easily teach you the instrument via video chat.
Learn how to skate or ride a bicycle
Many people do not know how to ride a bike or skate on rollerblades but really want to learn how. It is also something that requires some time to learn so if you have yet to learn how to bike or skate, you can learn how to do it during a lockdown. You can buy bicycles, rollerblades, and skateboard on the internet and they are quite cheap, depending on the brands that you get.
If you have enough space in your backyard, you can learn how to skate or ride a bike on your property. However, if you live in an apartment complex, or just do not have enough space, you can go outside and go to the street that is closest to your house to learn how to skate and ride a bicycle. However, always be mindful of others and remember to maintain your distance from other people in the same vicinity.
Take up gardening or flower arrangement
Since the lockdown has forced many of us to stay indoors, it can get quite frustrating and suffocating. One thing you can do to maintain your happiness level, as well as your mental health, is to take up gardening or learn how to do flower arrangements. Gardening or having potted plants in your home will provide a sense of connection with the outside world which is something many of us need during a lockdown.
You do not have to go big and start landscaping your entire backyard just to make your space greener. Instead, you can just have a couple of plants, whether in the ground or potted. The green plants will also provide cleaner and fresher air and can also help to reduce anxiety and stress. As for flower arrangements, not everyone can commit to getting fresh flowers to create one bouquet, so just start the process by learning the fundamentals of flower arrangements before purchasing any flowers of any sort.
Learn how to cook or have a cook-off
If there is one thing that you should learn, even if you are not in a lockdown, is how to cook. It is a basic skill that all of us should have, and it is especially important when you consider how expensive eating out can be. Many people think that cooking is a chore but if you know how to do it right, you will find that it is actually rather calming and can be pretty fun.
If you are a beginner in the kitchen, you can start by learning basic cooking skills like how to cut your ingredients and how to season your food. Once you have mastered that and can easily whip up delicious meals, you can take cooking to the next level and have fun by creating new recipes. If you have family members or friends who can also cook, you can challenge them to a cook-off and see who can cook a certain dish better or who can cook the better dish using the same ingredient.
Start writing a journal or a diary
Many people who have kept a journal or a diary said that writing has improved their lifestyle because it helps to keep them calm and reduce their anxiety. There are many benefits to writing a journal or a diary and it is especially good during lockdown because you have a place for your thoughts and ideas. It is also a great way to keep your daily tasks and schedules in check because you can list down what you need to do for the day and refer to it any time.
Keeping a journal or a diary is as easy as getting an empty notebook and writing your thoughts and feelings, but you can always decorate your journal to make it more pleasing to the eye. There are many examples of journal or diary decorations that you can refer to and you can use almost anything like colored pens or stickers. Different people have different goals when it comes to keeping a journal, so it is best to know what you want to do with your journal, rather than following what others do with theirs.