By: Alexandra Prudente
Edited by: Aqilah Humaira Ab Halim
Source: Google Images
Confined within four walls, citizens all over the world have resorted to their respective ways of making the most of staying at home due to the infamous coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The implementation of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus ranged from national quarantines to the shut down of schools, workplaces and other institutions to reduce social proximity. With 196 countries affected, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 400,000 cases and almost 20,000 deaths to date due to the pandemic. This has resulted in people, particularly the youths, being pent up in their homes in an effort of self-quarantine looking for something to do.
Online observations show a spike in internet activities such as the use of social media applications Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and particularly one of the rising global trends, Tik Tok, as well as an increase of activity in online streaming platforms like Netflix, Youtube and Amazon Prime. These technological advances have kept people occupied at home and sitting in front of their screens, day and night, rotating through each social media while awaiting a silver lining in the current dark situations. Alas, what more is there to do within the four walls?
The following activities are recommended by the New York Times and USA Today in an attempt to revamp the ‘lockdown life’ and make the routine days more interesting. Get up and finally explore new skills that you have always been wanting learn, whether it be learning a new language, exploring the fundamentals of video-editing, designing an app or even start planting. Having something different on your daily agenda and keeping busy is a suitable remedy to monotonous routines. Besides that, what is better than a freshly-baked cake? Two freshly-baked cakes! Or three or four, for that matter. Baking keeps you busy and keeps the house smelling absolutely divine, when you do it right. Dust off that old cookbook from the shelf, let your inner Julia Child shine and start cracking at recipes that leave your mouth watering and hands grabbing for more. Karaoke sessions have always been fun to do with friends, but with the self-quarantine situations going on, it is difficult to even see your friends. Therefore, you can take it to the Net by doing group video-call karaoke sessions through sites like Zoom with a bunch of friends for when you are feeling bored.
One of the repetitive categories listed out was actually to get your creative and artistic juices flowing. Art has always been one of the best methods of self-expression and also a great mood enhancer for dreary days. Going back to the basics and doing some painting has said to be therapeutic for some people and is great for all ages! Another entertaining way of putting those hands to work is by attempting to recreate something from Pinterest or the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) segments in magazines. And if you are the literary type, writing can brighten up any dull day, whether it be poems, songs, short stories or a full-fledged novel, getting creative with words is always good for generating the mind.
In conclusion, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained throughout this alarming outbreak that is affordable and even does not require you to physically step outside. What is important is to keep a positive mindset and do your part in flattening the curve to decrease global COVID-19 cases.
