There are many awful things going on in the world right now. The spread of coronavirus has resulted in a worldwide pandemic and a huge amount of sickness and number of deaths. So, complaining about boredom when staying home to protect ourselves, others and the healthcare systems battling the virus can often feel like a bit of a first world problem to focus on. But when it comes down to it, some of us need distraction, occupation and something to pay attention to in order to maintain our mental and emotional health.

Boredom can lead to distress and this isn’t good for anyone. Now, some of us already have hobbies that we carry out at home and are in luck, as we already have all the bits and pieces we need to tide ourselves over through the lockdown. But if your interest usually lies outdoors, you may be struggling to find something to do. If you have some money spare and want to keep yourself occupied, here are a few different purchases that could bring you some joy and distraction!

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A Drone

Of course, if you buy a drone you need to be extremely careful with it. Not only do you need to ensure that you’re only flying it in safe and contained areas where it can’t cause trouble and is permitted, but nowadays, you need to make sure that you only fly it anywhere you can easily reach it if it were to fall from the sky or crash. We’re supposed to stay in our homes, so realistically, you should only fly it around your garden or around the close vicinity of your home. But if you do get a drone and use it responsibly, it can provide you with hours of fun. The Mavic Air 2, in particular, is a future release that you can look forward to, with an inbuilt camera, obstacle avoidance and a long battery life!

A Magazine Subscription

Into reading but don’t want to spend time and effort reading a whole book? Why not sign up for a magazine or newspaper subscription? This can see a regular delivery come through your door, providing you with some written material that will give you something to focus on and enjoy for an hour or so. Choosing a subscription is the hard part. There are so many well established magazines out there that it can be difficult to settle on just one! Think of an area of interest and then research into magazines surrounding it. You could look into a specialist publication on politics, history, literature, culture, technology, food, wildlife or anything else that you might be interested in! Many publications are also offering lockdown discounts that can reduce the cost.

Video Games

If you have a games console, why not play video games for an hour or so every so often? Video games can be fun. They can challenge you. They can give you a chance to talk to others online. Just make sure not to get too absorbed in the games, or you could find yourself glued to the screen for longer than you expected and fall behind on other parts of your day to day life. There are a number of new releases out there and some can be provided by supermarkets and added into your food shopping order, reducing the amount of deliveries you have to receive.

Baking Equipment

So many people are getting into baking now they have some extra time on their hands. Why not join in? There are so many fun things to make. You can opt for bread. Or you can opt for cakes. There are lots of free recipes online, as well as video tutorials that you can follow along. You may need to invest in some baking equipment that you don’t already have – perhaps some trays, paper cupcake cases, a whisk, a mixing bowl, greaseproof paper or other bits and pieces. But this could quickly become a lifelong hobby if you take to it well enough!

Exercise Equipment

Some of us are missing going to the gym, personal training sessions, fitness classes or sports clubs. Not only do these places help to keep us in shape, but they also improve our mood and overall sense of wellbeing. Even though we might need to stay inside, it’s still recommended that we get one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week or seventy five minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise a week. To achieve this in a way that you enjoy, you might need to invest in some exercise equipment. A yoga mat can help to make floor exercises more comfortable – or you might actually want to give yoga a try! Handheld weights can be used to work out your arms. Resistance bands can add extra resistance to standard exercise. Ankle weights can increase the weight you’re working with and improve your strength. There are so many different types of home exercise equipment out there that only you can know exactly what will work best for you!

A Jigsaw Puzzle

Sure, many of us associate jigsaw puzzles with kids. But there are so many jigsaws specially designed for adults out there too. They can be hugely engaging and keep you challenged and having fun for hours. Why not order one and give it a try? It could prove to be a whole lot more fun than you expected. Generally speaking, the more pieces there are, or the more similar the colours incorporated into the image you are piecing together, the more difficult the puzzle will be.

Of course, you don’t need all of these things to help you feel more focussed and content in lockdown. But hopefully, they’ve given you a few ideas of things you can try out to keep yourself occupied. What’s most important is that you’re staying safe and keeping well!

This is a contributed post and therefore may not represent the views and opinions of this blog or its author.