How to stop lockdown days from blurring into one…
Have you felt that since lockdown started, the days are whizzing by?
Even though we’re going out less, and seeing people less, time seems to be speeding up!
How is that?!
It reminds me of a study I heard about: that time seems to go slower when we’re younger (remember summers that seemed to stretch on and on?) because we’re learning and doing so many new things.
On the opposite end, time seems to speed up when we’re older, because we’re not experiencing as many new things.
We have less to learn.
Fewer new experiences.
It made me realize that during lockdown, we need to use this information for our benefit.
We need to find ways to add novelty into our days.
But as you can imagine, this is no mean feat!
How do you add novelty into your day, when you’re stuck at home all day?
How do you add new experiences, when there’s nowhere to go, and no one to see?!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot.
Because the days, weeks (and now months) are flying by. And I don’t want 2020 to disappear in a blur of nothing!
(I had 2020 pegged as an amazing year… hmm!)
So here are some ideas I had for adding novelty into my day:
- Learning a few words and phrases in Spanish (one of my clients is learning Spanish, and I’d like to cheer her on with a few words in that language);
- Finding new walking routes near me — there are trails I can’t get to with a stroller, so it’s time to break out the toddler-carrying backpack, and go explore!
- Making a new recipe, or baking a cake (I bake a lot, but have never made a proper cake);
- Sending homemade cards to friends, or creating encouraging quotes to post in my building;
- Wearing an outfit I wouldn’t normally wear, or having a “themed” clothes day (even better if I have a zoom call wearing it!)
My themes could be: colour… clothes I would never normally combine… a friend choosing my outfit… or dressing like a toddler (= anything goes!)
There are a few for starters. And hopefully I’ll think of more.
How about you — how could you add more novelty into your day?
Or are you doing this already?
Because 2020 doesn’t just have to be the year of quarantine…
It could be the year you cut your own bangs (!); wear a different colour every day; write a letter every week to a different friend; or make a new dish every week…
Let’s show COVID that we’re stronger than it thinks ;)
Claire O’Connor is an accountability coach and writer, working with people who need motivation and structure or who feel lost and stuck. She helps people prioritize their tasks and make progress.
