It has been a historic couple of days in Nigeria with the spread of Corona virus and the government’s intervention to lock down the states and enforce a stay-at-home order. This came with mixed reactions from people. While some were happy for the much needed break, some were worried about the effect the shutdown of the informal sector of the economy would have on the economy of the country, some others saw it as an opportunity to amass as much gain as they can by increasing the price of essential products. Irrespective of the different emotions that coursed through Nigerians, one thing has particularly lingered – boredom.
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Social distancing and lockdown has resulted in the halt of most social activities from clubbing to even religious activities. Beyond one’s family at home and perhaps friends around, the idea of community has been moved from a physical space to an online space. Many have attested to being bored especially due to the abrupt halt in activities. Work and school become something people look out for because of boredom.
According to Wikipedia, boredom is an emotional and psychological state experienced when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, is not interested in their surroundings, or feels that a day or period is dull or tedious. Interestingly, one may experience boredom while there are many things to get done or activities lined up. The COVID-19 lockdown has made many people face to face with themselves in ways they are not used to and may result in negative habits being cultivated or positive ones. Some people respond to boredom by falling back into destructive habits like getting drunk to drown the feeling while some others end up in wrong relationships because of an impulsive decision they made while bored.
Today, I will be sharing with you some tips to help you handle boredom wisely this period:
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- Get creative
What inspires you? Watching TED Talks? Listening to podcasts? Trying DYK idea? Watching movies? Do creative activities that make you relax. You do not have to share the project you’re working on and there is no pressure to finish it before moving on to another project.
- Engage in social media challenges
There are a lot of challenges flying around on social media today from Instagram to WhatsApp, to Twitter, etc. Some of these challenges can be done individually or with your friends or your significant other,
#don’trushchallenge
- Stay connected with your friends by engaging in video calls or random voice calls.
- Write a legacy letter and send to yourself. You could write one to yourself to read in later years, or to your children or to your friends. Just something expressive that gives an outlet for the emotions you feel and help you refocus.
- Do something for the community – volunteer, pray, hold concerts, open mic sessions, painting session etc. that gives expression to your gift or hobby while engaging or involving other people. Their involvement does not have to be active, it could be passive – simply watching you do your art while they relax.
In the long run, what matters is not what happened to you but what your response was to the situation. Refocus and let your creative juice flow. Don’t stay silent in boredom, reach out and engage yourself.
I love what Maya Angelou said about her mission in life and how inspiring it is as it transcends beyond her generation to ours.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Featured Image Source: Voice of America
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