This pandemic has definitely tested my patience and ability to be creative. I don’t know about you, but there were many times I went stir-crazy and threw temper tantrums. I mean, I may be 19 but still there’s a global pandemic happening so I think there are exceptions that can be made to my tantrum throwing. These are a few activities that I have done to keep busy during this pandemic that maybe you can try.
- Painting:
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I used to paint here and there prior to the pandemic, however I started to get more into it with all the free time I suddenly had. I am not the best painter, but it is something that I enjoy doing. One thing I started doing during quarantine that is easy and fun for anyone to do is acrylic drip painting. This does not require much skill in the artistic ability category however the results are amazing. Just make sure you have newspaper, cardboard, or bags laid out to catch any spills.
- Baking:
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I don’t mean just cake mix cakes, I mean making baked goods from scratch. Before this pandemic, I did bake here and there but it mainly consisted of cake box cakes, brownies, and premade cookie dough cookies. Therefore, my baking experience was limited, yet with the help of YouTube I was able to make cinnamon buns and chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Homemade cinnamon buns have to be my favourite so far and it made me confident enough to venture into bread making. There are many simple recipes out there to try, so maybe if you’re bored and have the ingredients laying around at home, you can give something new a try.
- Got a puppy:
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This is something that I did not expect to happen at all and especially while living with my parents. I have strict brown parents who did not understand the concept of getting a pet prior to my family getting our puppy. There have been many times my siblings and I have asked my parents to get a dog and the same two responses we have gotten for years are “you can’t even take care of yourself, how will you take care of a dog?” and “no, the house will smell”. Eventually me and my sister tried again just for the sake of trying and my parents miraculously agreed with the conditions set in place. We ended up finding a puppy, purchased him, and then my parents fell in love with him and now we have had him for over 8 months. He has definitely taken up a lot of our time and kept us all entertained.
- Journaling:
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My recent obsession has been journaling, and in particular, aesthetic journaling. I believe that I got this idea mainly because of all the TikToks I have watched of others journaling. I found it extremely peaceful watching others do it, so I decided to try it myself. I ordered some supplies online, gathered things I had from home, and started my own version of journaling. It has been very fun and realizing. Surely it is something you can give a try and there are so many possibilities for journaling out there you can do anything you’d like.
During these times, it can be hard to be motivated to do anything and we all need days that involve Netflix, snacks, and a comfy mattress. I certainly had my fair share of binge-watching shows and movies on Netflix. The rare times I wasn’t doing that was when I did the activities above to keep me entertained. There is no shame in not wanting to do anything and if there is a time when you’re throwing a temper tantrum like me, you can potentially try the things I did to keep myself entertained. Stay safe out there and wear a mask.