January 8th, 2021 | Updated on March 1st, 2024
The last year has been a serious buzzkill for folks all around the world. Plans have been cancelled left, right, and center, and people have had to get a lot more used to entertaining themselves.
Coming up to a year since we first heard about the coronavirus, it’s understandable that many of you will be wanting this whole thing to be over. With that in mind, here are five ways to kill time while you wait to get your life back to normality!
1. Learn A New Skill
With social life as we knew it pretty much ground to a halt, there’s never been a better time to learn something new.
Most of us have a lot more free time than we’ve ever had before and a list of things we’ve always wished we could do. Combined, this represents the perfect circumstances in which to focus on developing new skills.
The internet has resources that will teach you just about anything and, if you’re reading this, we’re going to presume you’re online already.
While some activities, like learning an instrument, demand potentially expensive equipment, there are plenty of things you can learn how to do that will either not cost a lot or will actually save you money.
Money saving skills might include learning to change the oil in your car or developing your culinary prowess.
Yeah, you’ll need to spend a little bit to get the right equipment to do either of these things but you’ll save a bundle long-term by not having to visit an auto shop for your annual service or avoiding store-bought delicacies whenever you have a craving for something sweet!
2. Win Your Fortune
Times are hard around the world and analysts are predicting a lasting economic downturn. Therefore, there’s never been a better time to try to earn a bit of money on the side.
Most people realize that making money gambling online is anything but a dead cert. However, few know that there are actually ways that you can win real money without risking a penny.
Many online casinos offer promotions known as no deposit bonuses. These are exactly what they sound like – bonuses that don’t require you to deposit to claim them. All you need to do is register for an account.
No deposit bonuses are usually pretty small. You might receive $5 or 10 Free Spins from a casino that you just signed up at.
However, their size doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that they’re entirely risk-free since you don’t need to use any of your own money to claim them.
ou can find no deposit bonuses on various review sites online. If you’ve never played at an online casino before, you might want to get used to online slots first.
Then use the same site to find some no deposit promotions and test your luck. You’ll probably not win but you can’t lose anything. It’s, therefore, a good idea to hit a lot of the offers available to up your odds!
3. Lose Yourself In Another World
Escapism is nothing new. Storytelling has been a staple part of the human experience for thousands of years. As technology has advanced through the ages, so too have the methods by which we tell stories.
In 2020, there are ways of presenting a narrative that our ancestors could never have imagined. Despite the changes in the medium itself, the importance of escapism through fiction has never been greater.
Whether you prefer movies, literature, or video games doesn’t really matter. What’s important is being able to lose yourself in another place. When this world has been nothing but doom and gloom for months, the imagination of storytellers is all important!
Next time you’re despairing about not being able to visit your grandparents or all the cancelled concerts you should have been going to, just escape from it all into a great story.
Most of us have a Netflix or Amazon Prime account, old DVDs we’ve never watched, books gathering dust on a shelf, or the ability to download or buy video games online.
It’s not a particularly novel (pun very much intended) way of entertaining yourself. But, fiction of one form or another has enjoyed such enduring popularity because it’s actually a really good distraction!
4. Reconnect With Old Friends
In the twenty-first century, it’s pretty easy to stay connected with folks. Messenger applications, video conferencing, and social networks allow for instantaneous communication no matter where someone is in the world.
Even though it’s never been simpler to check in with an old friend, many of us don’t actually do it very often.
It’s likely that you’ll have colleagues from former jobs, buddies from school or university, or vacation acquaintances on your social media accounts.
Instead of just clicking “like” when one of them passes their driving test or gets married, why not reach out to them with a quick inbox?
Most people are in the same situation right now – isolated, lonely, and bored. Even if their Instagram feed makes it seem like they’re living the perfect life and wouldn’t even remember you, let alone appreciate a chat, that’s probably not the case. Who knows? That little direct message could rekindle a friendship that was all but forgotten!
5. Get In Shape
If you’re anything like us, you’ll have had big aspirations for your health over what you thought would be a temporary situation. You were going to use all that free time to get in the best shape of your life. Maybe you achieved that too.
Months later and ongoing restrictions on what we’re allowed to do have likely taken their toll on you. It’s really easy to fall out of the habit of exercising when all you have is Netflix and takeaway menus for company!
With all that in mind, you could rekindle that drive you had at the beginning of all this coronavirus stuff. Get out for a daily walk or a run. Top that up with some basic routines at home.
Even if the gyms near you remain closed, that’s no excuse. Press ups, sit ups, burpees, leg lifts, planks, and many other bodyweight exercises are often just as good as all that expensive gym equipment.
Exercise doesn’t just keep your body in good shape. It’s also a great way to look after your mental health. Getting into a routine will likely lift your spirits and help you stay positive, even in the face of the trying times 2020 has thrown at you!
