How the world has changed in 3 weeks. Our routines, our lives, our reality, has shifted in ways thought unimaginable 3 weeks ago. We’ve suddenly become a remote workforce with millions now working from home, kids attending virtual classes, our movements dramatically restricted in the name of social distancing, all measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
It’s inevitable that every one home all at once, all day and night, will lead to boredom and frayed nerves. We’ve tried to gather some fun and creative suggestions for battling the boredom.
- Board Games (no pun intended) are highly underrated. They’re interactive, competitive, fun and always good for a laugh. Laughter has been shown to lead to reductions in stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. Laughter also releases endorphins in the brain that can relieve some physical pain. It also boosts the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T-cells, leading to a stronger immune system. And boosting the immune system is now more important than ever. It’s also a great way for the entire household to participate.
- Exercise in any form is good and necessary for maintaining sanity, and during quarantine, sanity can be in short supply. Stretching, yoga poses, planks, squats, walking and jogging are ways to keep the blood flowing.
- Organize closets and drawers. It may not be a favorite task but you’ll inevitably have donations for a worthy cause and you won’t dread opening that closet or drawer as much as you used to.
- Binge Watch a favorite series or movies you’ve wanted to catch up on. An added benefit may be that you limit the kiddos’ video gaming.
- Reading can replace some of the binge-watching. It’s a great opportunity to finish that book you started or start the one you’ve been meaning to get to.
- Cooking can be an excellent creative outlet for stick-figure artists. Find a recipe you’ve always wanted to try or break out one of the family favorites you haven’t had time to make in a while.
Play, read, exercise, organize, cook and stay home. We can do this. Listening to the experts and doing our part will help contain and control the spread of the virus and hopefully lessen the burden on the health care community, giving us the opportunity to be part of the solution that will save lives. Contact us today!