Lockdown / Furlough boredom, anyone?

pickledonionspaceraider

Hi all, 
What are you doing to stave off boredom during this time?

MovingForwards

At the start of lockdown I was stuck inside a flat, with inconsiderate neighbours 24/7. Was bad the entire time I lived in that place, made worse by lockdown and not having the office to escape to. Cant walk far due to physical disabilities and was edging closer to a breakdown; had already started having panic / anxiety attacks etc. 

Now I've completed my purchase and moved, so got loads of unpacking and a garden to make my own. Quiet neighbours, can start my MH recovery and potter around.

I've worked from home from the start and trying to work out how to slide back into the office and be round people. That's a problem for another day.

MoneySeeker1

Shall certainly be watching this for suggestions. After the initial running-round finding out information etc and catching up with gardening and weekly housework I've only got catch-up tasks to do now (eg springcleaning and paperwork sort of stuff).

there's some tv programmes I didn't watch at the time and now started watching my way through them.

But am very conscious that catch-up tasks and catch-up tv watching aren't going to last that long and will definitely be thinking "Now what I do if this darn Lockdown is still going on?" (apart from whatever housework task I might have set myself for the day and exercise).

I'd saved loads of Pinterest pages of interest to me to learn the sort of stuff I'm interested in from - but that's really meant for "what to do during Welsh winters" and won't last long either. I am definitely going to be at a loss as to what to do soon and the only consolation to that is "So will loads of other people - and so they might start watching/researching The Facts for themselves about things and pushing for Lockdown to end".

Fortunately I've got access to loads of stuff to read - but finding the concentration to read it and knowing very well I was only doing it to "kill time" (which is not a concept I go in for personally) - then I can't see me doing much of that.

[Deleted User]

We've never been bored, scared yes but bored no.  We're lucky to have allotment space and as it's planting time we've been sorting out the original plot and taken over another one which has needed clearing and digging so that's taken most of our time.  We walk every day too as we're lucky to live in a country village with safe walking round it on lanes and footpaths. I got lots of books in when the virus started to spread and jigsaws and we downloaded a great number of our favourite tv programmes, HK has his paper every day but is currently reading 3 days ago's as they stay in quarantine for 3 days before he reads them.  Can honestly say that mse helps me and posting and interacting with my mse pals when I can't mix with my own has helped enormously too.

-taff

Haven't been bored at all, wold be quite happy to have the rest of the year off too.Or more.

When my parents retired, they wondered how they managed to find the time to work. I'm the same as, except not retired.

We've been doing the garden, reading, playing games, watching programmes and we haven't even started on inside the house yet.

PipneyJane

DH and I are both working from home, so that’s 8 hours of the day taken care of.  It feels like a lot more Worktime is spent in calls and meetings than would normally happen in the office.  Most evenings after work we go for a half-hour walk, cook dinner then watch telly.  I’ll knit and sew, while watching.  (Not much change there.).  

Weekends, we garden a bit, watch more telly, listen to podcasts together... The Kermode & Mayo Film Review podcast is a regular “date”.  It comes out on a Friday evening and we’ll try to listen to it together by Monday.  (Before Lockdown, we’d both listen on our separate drives to work and then discuss it.). I have a lot of podcasts in my queue and will listen when pottering around the kitchen/cooking dinner/doing housework/gardening/doing a very boring, brainless task “at work” (but only when working from home). 

One evening on the weekend, DH will play Civ online with his mates and I’ll read or phone my friends.  I love to read and have far more books in my queue than I have time to read them.  In our borough, you can sign up on line to borrow e-books from the “library”, but there’s also the Bookbub mailing list which sends a daily email of free or cheap e-books to match your preferences (Kindles, Apple Books, etc).  The Kindle app is free and I read them on my phone/iPad.  Re the library service, you can also borrow audiobooks for free.

Human contact is important.  We have a couple of regular Skype calls set up, e.g. normally on a Tuesday we’d do a pub quiz, now our quiz team Skype at “quiz time”.  My department at work have “Virtual Pub” on a Friday, where we chat and play games.  And my choir are having Zoom calls instead of rehearsals.  (You only need to set up a Zoom account if you are hosting the meeting.)

HTH

- Pip

AlwaysAllie

-taff said:

Haven't been bored at all, wold be quite happy to have the rest of the year off too.Or more.

When my parents retired, they wondered how they managed to find the time to work. I'm the same as, except not retired.

We've been doing the garden, reading, playing games, watching programmes and we haven't even started on inside the house yet.

Exactly the same - haven’t had time to sit and even think about getting bored....probably helps that the weather has, on the most part, been good! The list Is getting shorter but by no means competed!!

AA

helensbiggestfan

Life is too short to be bored.  I swear I could live three lifetimes and still end up wanting longer on this Earth.  

For those who have completely caught up with themselves and looking for stuff to do maybe it's time to think about life after lockdown.  Use this time as a heaven set opportunity to "reset". 

Where do you see yourself and what would you like to be doing in 5 years time.  How to you envisage your future self.  What would you like to do or achieve. Start making plans now to make that new life a reality.  So ask yourself what do you need to do to make your dreams come true.  Do you need to brush up your skills, do you need to get fitter, do you need to sort out your finances.  Whatever it is you need to do, make a start now and get your ducks lined up and ready to go.  

Being in lockdown is a wonderful opportunity to take a step back from the everyday and take stock of our lives, perhaps to rethink just what it is we want to achieve, how we want to live.  Then use this time to get ready.  

The internet is a fantastic resource, not just this website but there are oodles of free or low cost online courses,  tutorials, podcasts.  Then there are music and books to download. You can learn just about anything, take up new interests and hobbies etc. 

Sure staying motivated can be difficult, and we all get times when we feel a bit low and fed up but I think it's about changing our mindset.......not "I'm stuck here with nothing to do" but rather "I'm safe here, I can stay healthy".  Then ask yourself "what comes next". "How can I get ready". 

I have a to do list as long as my arm. I also have a wish list of things I want to to learn and try for when I finally finish my to do list. 😂

nannywindow

I haven't had time to be bored as I have lots of things on a "to do" list that should have been done, but I haven't had the time even though I'm retired. I am slowly crossing things off but then adding 2 more to the list. The garden was getting very untidy so that is being tackled during this dryish weather and if we get a prolonged rainy spell, I have decorating to do. For pleasure I have lots of books as yet unread and I have started a 2000 piece jigsaw that has been sitting in a cupboard for years, untouched. I also have crafting stuff to get stuck into when the mood takes me. That will be card making and there is a new scrapbook awaiting my attention too.

camelot1001

No boredom here, I am still working to a certain extent although now I have a work laptop there will be more work to do. The garden and allotment have been tidied and planted up, the deck cleaned and oiled, the front block paving power washed and re-sanded, bedroom decorated, doorstep and windowsills re-painted along with all the other usual household chores. 

I live on my own and all these jobs would have been done in the summer holidays but feel I'm getting ahead which feels good. 

I have also been walking most days, along the river and up onto the golf course and have throroughly enjoyed that, nothing better than being up a big hill when the sun rises! I like to mess about with the sewing machine, I'm no sewer but can cobble together a bag and have made face masks for anyone who asks, the DGC now have some bunting for their rooms (whether they wanted it or not but they're too young to really complain!).

I realise I'm very lucky, the children and DGC keep in tough regularly and I have fantastic neighbours. Can't say I'm looking forward to going back to work at all but would dearly love to see friends and family all safe and sound.

mrs_motivated

I haven’t been bored in lockdown, but have missed seeing family and friends.  Working from home occupies a good few hours in the week, but in between and at weekends I have been gardening, sorting and rearranging cupboards, having a clear out , I’ve read a few more books than normal and made sure I’ve had a daily half hour walk.  I’ve also done more yoga than normal, One hour proper online class a week with my instructor but also a 20 minute wake up stretch routine most days.  

I also love cooking and make most things from scratch, but I’ve never been as keen on baking.  However, during lockdown I’ve baked more than I have for years and started enjoying it now.

The thing I am finding difficult is not seeing my kids, although we are in contact daily by phone or online chats it’s not the same as a hug and a kiss.  

On a positive note it’s gives you time to reflect on what’s important in life and reset priorities.  I like the fact I have time to do things I enjoy and it’s reaffirmed that actually I am content with a fairly simple family life and don’t need much to be happy and content. 

I also have a ‘look forward to when this is over’ list in my journal:  top of  the list is a family get together, but it also includes things like a trip to the theatre a spa day for me, my mum and my girls. 

Although it’s very sad situation with so many lives lost and a very scary time for all, should I and my loved ones survive this I can imagine my life will actually be better going forward after having a chance to ‘reset’  myself IYSWIM