How to Love the Sh*t Out of Lockdown: So Many Activities

I have never coloured in as much as I have in lockdown.

Okay, that’s a lie. Kindergarten would have been my peak colouring-in period. I remember my mum talking to me after a parent-teacher night and telling me how my teacher thought I was very bright. I thought it was a reference to my colouring skills.

I am loving the colouring in this lockdown though. I bought some Faber-Castell markers — the good ol’ connector pens! — and I’ve been putting them to work. I’m impressed by my ability to stay in the lines after all these years.

While we’re on the subject, those mindful colouring books for adults are great. Children’s colouring books are great too and I judge no adult if you’ve bought one during these weird times. The temptation to colour in Elsa’s ice dress is real.

Lockdown presents an opportunity to unlock and embrace our inner child. I truly believe it is one of the pros of this situation. If you have all this spare time on your hands, why not use it to do things that bring you joy and take you back to a simpler time in your life? On top of the colouring, I’ve found myself doing puzzles and kicking the footy around with housemates. These aren’t necessarily just activities for children, but there is a sense of purity and simplicity when I do them. It’s a feeling I relate back to being a kid. And it’s kinda nice to feel that way given the severity of what we are facing at the moment.

The activities you chose don’t have to be ones that evoke your childhood either. If arts and crafts don’t interest you, that’s ok. Housework, jobs around the house and life admin can all be very therapeutic and needed.

Taking advantage of this sort of spare time can make the world of difference to your mental health and wellbeing in lockdown. Find what brings you comfort and happiness, and go with it. Seek out new hobbies, try that activity you’ve always wanted to but have put it off for whatever reason. Most of us will never have this sort of time to spend doing things we enjoy and not feel guilty about it. Lockdown limits us in many ways, but it also opens the door for new and fun things to come into your life and make a positive impact. And I’m going to try to go with that for as long as this thing goes on.