While hiding out from Covid-19, if you’re not feeling sociable, or you’re at the end of your monthly entertainment budget, you will probably be staying in more often. There are lots of things to do at home, but do we want to do them when we’re feeling bored? Sometimes, it’s necessary to think beyond the norm to engage our brains and senses.
So, here are some less common ways to entertain yourself at home (without spending too much money).
1. Learn a Language by Watching TV
Learning a language is excellent mental gymnastics. Making those new neuronal pathways can help you land a better job or make new friends. As well as being rewarding, speaking another language is also fun.
Try immersing yourself in a new language by watching your favorite movies or TV series in a language of your choice. With Netflix and other streaming websites, it’s easy to change the audio and attach subtitles. This gives you the chance to brush up on French and German, but also get into something less common (unless you’re in China or India), such as Mandarin or Urdu.
2. Turn a Room into An Art Studio
Being an artist is partly about letting go of preconceptions, seeing the world around you more clearly, and freeing yourself for self-expression. Go all-in with a creative hobby by turning a room in your home into an art studio. We’re not going to tell you not to do it in your bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. You have to make these mistakes for yourself.
Think paper mache heads, Jackson Pollock-style pain-pouring, and body painting. It’s your studio. And your body. You can make a mess in the name of creativity.
3. Try Nudism
Nudism is a way of life. Just ask the Naked Rambler.
Being arrested is not much fun, though. Which is why your home may be an excellent place to discover the natural pleasure and freedom of nudism.
Our pets don’t wear pants. And they are happier for it. Join them. Be completely nude at home and you may find yourself completely relaxed.
But close the blinds.
4. Make Your Own Movie Soundtracks
If you start The Wizard of Oz and wait for the third roar of the MGM lion before pressing “play” on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, you’ll find that the music and audio effects of this album match eerily well with the movie. Some people say that the synchronization is so good that it must have been deliberate on Pink Floyd’s part. Others, including Pink Floyd, think that’s nonsense.
Either way, you can try making your own movie soundtrack chemistry at home. Spotify will give you all the music you need. You can grab classic movies from the British Film Institute for free.
5. Call a Random Contact
Who says Facebook friends aren’t all real friends? Test the Facebook friendship theory by initiating a video call with a Facebook friend you’ve had no contact with. Most people have at least one.
It may be wise to verify the identity of the person before calling. Verifying their details via Nuwber will confirm (or otherwise) their name and location. You can also learn about their occupation among other things. This will help you weed out any lurkers and potential scammers.
Alternatively, you can scroll through your address book and stop scrolling at a whim. Call the number at the top of the screen for a chat. Yes, your dentist needs love, too.
6. Plan a Random Act of Kindness
A small act of kindness can make a massive impact on someone’s day. It can create a memory that lasts a lifetime. Take some time to think up some ways you can make other people happy and inspire them to share that happiness with others.
Whether you send flowers to a stranger, write a note of encouragement to a student, or help someone with their bags, thinking of ways you can brighten the world for others will brighten the world for you too.
7. Create an Indoor Garden
In Stranger in a Strange Land, one character has a rare, live, indoor lawn. But you don’t need to be in a Robert Heinlein science fiction novel to enjoy the outdoors indoors. Plenty of plants and even trees will thrive indoors. So why not turn an area into an indoor garden that you can cultivate and enjoy, day or night, rain or shine?
8. Pay Attention
What brand is your microwave? How many tiles are there in the bathroom? Does your clock have numbers or numerals? You might be surprised by how much you take for granted, even if it’s all your stuff. How much of it do you really see?
Entertain and train yourself with a mindfulness challenge to notice the world around you. You might find that you make some changes to your environment after. Everything is more rewarding when you increase your awareness.
9. Cook with a Twist
Julie Powell, author of Julie and Julia, changed her life via cooking. You too might be inspired by Julia Child’s French cooking. Or you might try inventing a meal that only uses ingredients that begin with the letter A.
Food can be fun. If you’ve ever been told not to play with your food, now’s your chance to do so and still eat a delicious meal at the end of it.
10. Master a Party Trick
Juggling. A card trick. Some magic. Playing a well-known song using glasses of water. These things can be pretty impressive when you do them on the spur of the moment. But being able to juggle your friends’ cell phones without costly screen repair bills takes practice. Thus, you can entertain yourself at home by learning or honing a skill with which you can take everyone by surprise.
Whatever you do to entertain yourself at home, do something that you’ve never done before.
Guys: paint your nails. Girls: pee standing up. Whatever it is, your home is a safe place to try new things and entertain yourself at the same time.
