The pandemic and quarantine(s) have given me plenty of time to do everything besides socialize and go out, two of my favorite things. While some R&R is nice and even needed once in a while, going on two years of it diminishes its charm.

Like having rain every day on a beach vacation, the pandemic has challenged us to get creative with our new free time indoors.

If you’re like me and are fighting pandemmy fatigue, you will appreciate this rated list of activities that Google told me to do when bored.

1. Binge-watch TV shows

6/10

Tried it, loved it, liked it, got tired of it. Screen time isn’t really rest – it’s just mindless stimulation. This includes social media, too. Taking a break from homework on the computer screen to scroll through Instagram on my phone screen doesn’t work for me, and chances are it doesn’t for you either.

Instead, I found that waiting until the end of the day to watch a few episodes (by myself or with the fam) became a part of my nightly routine I looked forward to.

Recs: Only Murders in the Building, Selling Sunset, Emily in Paris

2. Learn a language

10/10

It’s easy, it’s free, it’s intellectual, AND it’s useful! I’ve been learning Italian for my study abroad trip to Florence this summer. Even if you’re not motivated by an upcoming trip abroad, the ability to communicate with others outside of English is SO COOL. Get a friend or sibling to learn it with you and practice together. It’s like talking in British accents with our middle school friends at the mall except… real.

Rec: Duolingo (#nofreeads but for real… Duo the owl is superior)

3. Do a HIIT workout every day

5/10

It worked for me for the first three days I decided to do this… and then I gave up. I got tired and unmotivated. That makes up the missing 5/10.

To make it worthwhile, it’s all about realistic goals and starting gradually. Walk twice a week, then three times, until you’re walking every day. That is my goal for this semester.

Recs: FitOn app (free 6-month premium account for students!)

4. Make a new playlist

10/10

I love having a playlist for every single minute mood I could ever be in. Luckily, artists have been bored inside too and released plenty of albums to fill your playlists.

Recs: Solar Power (Lorde) & Red (Taylor’s Version) (Taylor Swift)

5. Write out your 2022 bucket list

10/10

Disclaimer: Bucket list ≠ New Years resolution. It’s more tangible, realistic, and happiness-oriented. To me, a bucket list is all about accomplishing things that will bring you closer to your best self. New Years resolutions get a bad rap from the name; once it’s not the new year anymore where do all those goals go?

2022 is full of possibility. I’m warding off becoming jaded by doing things that bring me joy.

Recs: visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while, decorate your room, update your closet

6. Do that thing you’ve been putting off until you have more time

10/10

As you read in the previous post (Reflecting on our 2021 Vision Boards), I finished another book in the shortest time yet (7 months!). I’ve written books pre-pandemic, but it was too easy to put off writing or save the next chapter for when I had “more time.” I set a deadline, determined how many words I had to write a day to meet it, and had my sisters hold me accountable for writing those 714 words a day. And then I did it.

Recs: write that book, start that blog, open that Etsy shop

7. Blank

Despite all this, I still find myself bored during this winter break. Comment below what you’ve done to cure (or at least curb) your boredom!

xoxo,

k.c.