Overcoming and coping with lock-down loneliness

First and foremost, you are not alone in this situation. Even those who have routines and plans will still feel the dread of isolation creeping up on them. Realistically there is only so much you can do to keep yourself occupied, boredom isn’t exactly black or white. Most of us are bored of doing the exact same thing day in and day out, although this does happen without a pandemic and its subsequent lockdown. You should be proud of yourself if you’ve managed to keep a normal-ish routine in quarantine because most of the people I know are a complete mess, including me. That feeling of loneliness is inevitable and it shouldn’t be ignored, so we must try to overcome and fight that emotion. It is important to remember that everyone quarantines differently, and that you should not dwell too hard on everyone else but try to help yourself as much as you can.

One way of overcoming lockdown loneliness is gaming, whether it be a chance to connect with your friends or to pursue a long-term activity to keep you occupied. Some of my friends aren’t big texters so one of the simplest ways to check up on them and spend time with them is through online gaming. If you’re not a fan of online gaming and you’d prefer to cope on your own, playing a RPG (role player game) such as the Witcher would be a great way to fill time. Here comes my shameless unpaid Witcher 3 promo. I kid you not I’ve spent 100+ hours on this game and I do not regret it at all. If you like horse riding, sunsets and swords I guess this game is for you. Depending on when this blog is uploaded, the Witcher 3’s 5 year anniversary was recently celebrated therefore the game is likely to be on sale. It’s a bit ridiculous but you could honestly play Sims and minecraft for hours on end, if you have animal crossing that’s even better.

Another way of coping is through reading or movie challenges. Or if you’re an anime fan just go watch One Piece or Naruto again, I’m sure quarantine will be over before One Piece. There are loads of movie challenges online; you watch a certain type of movie everyday for a month or complete the IMDb top 100 list. These sorts of challenges can fill time quite easily as well as broadening your taste and palette. You can also involve people quite easily by asking your family to watch with you or you could even discord your boyfriend and watch the happy romcom ‘Gone Girl’ together. Book challenges are especially fun and can also be a way of connecting with people through apps such as Goodreads or book communities on twitter and tumblr. You could work through specific genres of literature or simply find recommendations through Booktubers.

I, for some reason, decided to spend the first month of my quarantine on an intense art project where I built and painted gifts for my friends birthdays (which I haven’t given to them and by the time I do it’ll be very belated). Developing your hobbies and skills that you already have is a semi-lazy way of filling time as it doesn’t require you to learn anything new but it’s the perfect opportunity to better yourself. Whether it be baking or painting, you can practice and then perfect your craft. Honestly if you prefer being lazy do you queen, enjoy your tiktok and reddit browsing. One thing to remember is that you’re not alone and that there will always be someone or something that will keep you company in such times.

Stay safe guys 😀