By Kiley Garrett
Unlike in some other states, the stay-at-home order in New Mexico doesn’t seem like it will be letting up anytime soon. During this time, many people are finding it hard to keep themselves entertained. There are only so many hours you can spend browsing app after app on your phone and only so many snacks you can get away with eating before “snacking” turns into feasting. So, what can you do to keep yourself entertained while you’re stuck at home?
If you’ve done nothing but sit on the couch all day, try getting up and stretching. Look around—is your space clean? Do you like the way your living room is arranged? What about your fridge, has it been deep cleaned lately? Finding reasons to get on your feet, even if it’s to wash a few dishes or dump that week-old takeout in the trash, will keep you occupied.
If you aren’t vibing with the direction your couch is facing or if you just need to clean, try popping on some music. Pull out those cleaning supplies and dance your way through any chores you’ve been putting off since finding out you now have a valid reason for not allowing anyone in your house.
So, now your house is clean and you’re faced with the same dilemma as before. You’ve done everything you needed to get done and now you’re bored again. Why not go back to the basics? Cool math games is still a functioning website, with all the same games you loved to play in your grade six computer class. Draw terribly (or maybe you’re a great artist), try doing gymnastics, fail at doing gymnastics, call your mom. Don’t let yourself get trapped by pointless age restrictions on activities that can and should be enjoyed by everyone.
When in doubt, learning something new is a great way to pass the time. Teach yourself to bake or watch some YouTube videos about how to sew. You can learn a new language on something like Duolingo – which helped me almost learn French – or just sit down and read a good book. If you’re like me, you have a pile of them in your closet you haven’t gotten around to reading because of all the other reading you have to do for school. When it doubt, anything new can’t be a bad way to go!
When it comes down to it, sometimes you must think outside the box when it comes to having fun. Whether you rediscover that show you used to watch as a kid, realize that you still can’t do a cartwheel, or just find that sock you’ve been missing for a few weeks, finding things to do when you’re supposed to be staying inside is going to feel difficult. When you stop focusing on the boring and start focusing on the things you really want to do, however, you begin to stop seeing the stay-at-home order as a punishment, and instead you realize that it’s what you’ve been asking for—a break. You can do what you want right now in the comfort of your home and you aren’t stuck in a perpetual loop of work, eat, sleep, like you usually would. Isn’t that what you’ve been begging for all this time?
