Many of us are now finding ourselves at home due to the newly imposed “stay at home” directive from the Government due to the escalating Covid-19 pandemic. In these uncertain and frightening times, it’s becoming even more necessary to do all we can to protect our mental health – boredom and fear have many knock on effects including anxiety (too much time to think can send us into panic mode), comfort or emotional eating, lethargy, non-commitment to exercise and generally feeling uninspired. 

So here’s our top tips for things you can do at home to help keep boredom at bay and stay motivated: 

1. As much as you can, stick to a routine or schedule. If you’re used to working in an office, and you’re now working from home, sticking to your normal working hours and break times will help you to remain focussed and productive.
2. Make use of technology. Skype and FaceTime video calling helps us to still feel connected, even if we can’t travel to see our family members and loved ones. Having a video call with young members of the family can be so uplifting, as can a Friday night in on FaceTime to a friend whilst you both enjoy a glass of wine. Video, or plain old fashioned telephone calling of vulnerable or less able friends and relatives also has a real feel-good factor.
3. Offer to help. At the moment, the advice is changing daily over what sort of social contacts we’re allowed so always stick to the current recommended guidelines. But offering to go shopping for an elderly or sick neighbour (and leaving the shopping bags on the doorstep) is great for getting rid of the boredom induced lack of inspiration. Alternatively, you could offer to place online shopping orders for those less technically able.
4. Be a good citizen and stay at home unless absolutely necessary – always follow the advice on social distancing, no matter how tempting it is to go to a local green space or beach now that Spring is here. It’ll make you feel virtuous knowing that you’re thinking of others with each decision or action you make.
5. Do online workouts at home. If you’re new to Own Your Goals – welcome! You’ll find an extensive library of workouts to suit all levels, which are ideal now that gyms, fitness centres and running clubs are all closed for the foreseeable future.
6. Stick to your healthy diet goals. Nothing makes us feel less inspired to eat well than boredom. The more bored we are, the more likely we are to make poor food choices, which then has a vicious cycle effect, leading us to make more bad choices. Start each day well, with a healthy, filling breakfast and plan your meals for the day around what you already have in the house. If you’re stuck for ideas and you’re feeling less than inspired by a dwindling food cupboard, then check out our meal ideas for when all you have is tins and frozen food!