Lockdown has brought out the best, the worst and the weird in all of us. With millions of people locked indoors and the world at a standstill, many of us have looked to alternative ways to entertain ourselves.
Some have taken a trip down memory lane and looked to the ways that entertained us in our simpler, younger days like card games, jigsaws and good old quality family time. Others have taken the opportunity to learn new skills, like the knitters and banana-bread-bakers among us, or have made the most of the extra time to improve their employability; learning to code or taking one of the thousands of online courses that popped up during the pandemic. Finally, we have the self-improvers, those who want to come out of the lockdown better than they went in with their new diet, new sleep patterns and new exercise routines.
As we are hot in the middle of Lockdown 3.0 here in Ireland, we are here to bring you 5 new, interesting or useful past times to make this, a lockdown to remember!
Sewing
With its old-woman-on-a-rocking-chair image, its easy to see why no twenty-something would have voluntarily taken up a needle before March 2020. However, as 1 billion items of clothing are landfilled every year, this overconsumption is having a detrimental impact on our planet and on global warming. Learning to sew during lockdown means that you can fix that tear in your top or hole in your jeans, keeping them in your wardrobe for longer – which is happy days for the planet and your purse!
Sewing need not be limited to repairing however, it can be used to create new pieces from old. Personally, I was able to make all my own facemasks during the pandemic by using the material from unwearable tops I had in my wardrobe, again cutting down on waste. Scrunchies and drawstring bags are also easy to create for novice sewers, and can be done whilst listening to podcasts or watching Netflix (see our Netflix recommendations).
How do I get started?
All you need is a sewing kit (usually found in a drawer somewhere, or costing a maximum of €1.50), material (which can be sourced from old clothing or disused duvet covers) and a brief YouTube tutorial
Learn a New Instrument
Nearly every person (of a certain age) when asked what their biggest regret from their youth is will cite not learning an instrument. Armed with this knowledge, extra time and the internet, why not avoid this regret? As Live music has been effectively grounded, more professional musicians are turning to online teaching to pass their days, making now the best time to get tuition from experts across the world. What is brilliant about learning an instrument in lockdown is that it is a never-ending art: there are always more techniques to learn, new songs or alternative rhythms to try out. And, as an extra bonus, because no one is able to leave the house, no one even has to know that you’ve started playing an instrument, and if it goes badly wrong, no one has to know…
How do I get started?
First you need to choose what instrument you’d like to learn. Check the attic for an old guitar or hunt about for your tin whistle from primary school. If you’d like to go more adventurous with your instrument choice, check DoneDeal and Gumtree, as you may benefit from someone’s attic cleanout.
Next, find your tutor. Facebook and Instagram are great ways of finding someone to teach you and help to cement the basics, rather than pick up bad habits and technique from watching YouTube videos.
All that’s left is a bit of practice and getting a record deal to sign. Simple.
Raising an Unusual Pet
More time at home in 2020 signaled more time for pets, so much so that the average price of a dog shot up by 240% (The Economist). But what about other pets? Are there not other, cheaper, options out there that don’t have four legs and say woof? What about the cats, guinea pigs or bearded dragons of this world?
Personally, I am an advocate for raising a pet lamb. Lambs are cheap (around €10 each), cute and need minimal looking after. They can easily be raised in a well-fenced garden and are as obedient as any dog, following along closing behind their owner. I mean, look at them!
How do I get started?
Search the internet for your pet of choice within your locality. Ensure you have sufficient facilities to raise the pet. Then enjoy the endless happiness they provide!
Scrapbooking
This is one for those keen to remember the good times. We all have those boxes with tickets, receipts, bus passes and other nostalgic memorabilia and phones full of photographs we would hate to loose. Why not get your photographs developed and create a scrapbook, combining these trinkets with photos from the event and a brief description? This would provide a perfect excuse for a trip down memory lane, offer a means to organise your nostalgia and to be reminded that better days are to come!
How do I get started?
Firstly, gather all your personal treasure to be included in the scrapbook and order any photos you would like to include. After that, sit, reminisce and be creative as you document your memories for years gone by.
Organising your life
As we are in the middle of our third lockdown, it is easy to speculate (and hope) that this may be our last: a return to normal life is on the horizon. A return to normality means a return to our hectic ways of old and for the need to be organised. Why not take this opportunity to declutter your life, both physically and metaphorically? Clear out the clothes in your wardrobe you no longer wear, tidy that room you have been putting off for years and sell things online that you have no use for. This lockdown is also a great time to reflect. It is a great time to introduce new routines to make your life more efficient, to being to use a To Do list and planner and to work out what bits of your ‘lockdown self’ you would like to take with you once things resurface.
How do I get started?
Sit. Relax. Think. Act.
Everyone’s life have different priorities and every individual has different components they need to organise. Work out what this means for you. Make a list, and act.
Perhaps you're looking to improve your culinary or athletic abilities during this lockdown or get into a new series? Check out our other blogs for more inspiration on other ways to keep yourself entertained
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But what about you?
How have you been entertaining yourself during lockdown? Have you found any unique hobbies? Let us know in the comments below! 👇🏼👇🏼
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