Turn on the television, scroll through your Instagram feed or even just take a walk outside, (if you still do that now) and all you hear is COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus. Who would have imagined that a disease would be such a conversation starter or that everyone would suddenly become a sort of self proclaimed epidemiologist or medical officer, with their own remedies and details about the virus? Well, as much as we are flooded with information, videos and statistics, we are also confined to our abodes or there are irregular working hours so that persons are not travelling about as frequently. The nation, in short, is simply under quarantine-and let us face it, it’s a bit boring. 

Effective March 13, 2020, much of our movement and social interactions had been curtailed. Schools at all levels were closed, non-essential workers were told to stay at home or select based on a schedule, the days they are able to attend work. Movies, parties and even places of worship were under a tight leash.. With all these restrictions, many of us TEENS and teens at heart have been wallowing in an abyss of laxity and boredom. And while we wait for a panacea for the virus, here are a few panacea in the form of activities and ventures to cure the lack of enthusiasm.

[naviga:ol]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Actually do some school work:

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

Yes, no one wants to hear this but in reality doing some school work can ease your mind of boredom and enable you to be abreast of the topics you were taught or those upcoming. This level of productivity  is a great way to drown out all the COVID talk, let you catch up on those weaker areas and ascertain a greater appreciation for your studies. After all, you paid for exams and tuition to watch it all waste away? No way, and so all you CSEC, CAPE and University students, we see you- just read a few chapters, do a past paper or watch a Youtube Video on a topic-anything to ‘Secure the A’.

[naviga:ol start=”2″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Do an online course.

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

So before you think of the next Tik Tok video, what skill do you think can be an asset to your life? What is something you would love to learn? Well, thankfully many online courses exist free of charge to give that added value to your life. In an array of subjects and disciplines, you could use the time in isolation to enhance a skill set or get one, that you did not have in the first place. Some awesome sites are: OpenClassrooms, Coursera, Edx, Harvard University Online Courses just to name a few. These platforms offer a variety, so there’s one that will fit.

[naviga:ol start=”3″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Working remotely

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

Regardless of isolation, we all know that it’s important to secure the bag. As such, there are many companies who are looking for individuals to work just from their laptops or mobile phones. Whether it be content creation, social media management, even facilitating online educational platforms to reach their target audience or with a zest of innovation, starting a podcast, with the aim of monetizing  it. There are many job opportunities that we can create ourselves or that already exist where we can give of our service, all with hopes of a few extra coins. At least you can buy more quarantine snacks now with that extra money.

[naviga:ol start=”4″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Online Trading

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

This may also fall under the securing the bag mantra, and rightly so, online trading of stocks is a good way to secure your monetary future. You can use this time to familiarize yourself with the world of stocks, bonds, equities and all the jargons that are swirling around. More interestingly, there are even online ‘Zoom’ Meetings that will be offering a crash course into Forex Trading. This is a type of online Stock trading. There are even courses that can teach you all the tricks of trading and reputable brokers that you can DM and jumpstart your financial liberty.

[naviga:ol start=”5″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Bonding with Family

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

It may be a bit sappy for some, but candidly in such a time of global crisis, it wouldn’t hurt to cherish and relish the tender moments you have with your family and friends. From a simple phone call, Facetime, or even having movie night with the gang can really make you feel oh so good. Playing a few games like Scrabble, Luddo, Charades or the classic ‘A-B-C Fast or Slow’ can really put all this COVID -19 talk to rest, at least for a bit.

[naviga:ol start=”6″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Try something new or different from your routine

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

This is a rather broad notion, but even the simplest of tasks can make the boredom vanish just a bit. Reading a new book for a change or watching a film on Netflix, perhaps On My Block, Self Made: Madam CJ Walker  or a new genre of movies, listening to some ‘feel good’ music or cooking something that screams’ Different!’ can be rejuvenating. Inject some newness into your life and see where it takes you-definitely not to boredom.

[naviga:ol start=”7″]

[naviga:li dir=”ltr”]

Self Care

[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ol]

Pacing around or sleeping the days away can get redundant with time. As such, reserving some self care time benefits the mind, body and soul, albeit defeating boredom. This can include some light exercise or stretching, meditation, spiritual bonding- so praying and reading the Bible or your ascribed religious texts, doing a  facial or a detox. In short, this can be anything that really makes you feel amazing inside and out and taking the time to focus on you.

While we remain optimistic, ensure that you are being as hygienic as possible, listening to credible information and at least try one  of the recommendations, and let’s hope that at least some of the boredom goes away.

 — Tamoy Campbell