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It’s been more than three months now that the English-speaking world has been all but shut down. The coronavirus pandemic has seen all but the most essential workers practically grounded by their governments. Of course, with almost half a million reported fatalities from the spread of COVID-19, it’s for the best. However, it’s certainly pretty boring!
In the first couple of weeks of lockdown, it was all fine. Many initially rejoiced at the thought of paid time off work to get stuck in to all those series they’ve been meaning to get through on Netflix or the streaming platform of their choice. Although restrictions to movement are now being lifted in many parts of the world, the advice is still very much to stay inside if you can. It’s not like concerts, pubs, and the other activities we used to hold dear are even possible yet anyway!
By now, you’ve probably watched everything that tickles your fancy! So, what is there to do when you have no more shows left to watch?! Here are some ideas!
Get in Shape!
A lot of people started lockdown with the best intentions. As well as binging out on Netflix, loads decided they’d use the time to get fit and healthy using the often-free content provided by personal trainers on platforms like YouTube. However, after about the first month, finding that motivation to do your daily workout routine becomes difficult.
Whether or not you entered lockdown with fitness aspirations doesn’t matter. Now that we appear to be coming out of the other side, it might be time to work on that beach body again!
In many parts of the world, the public has more freedom than it did in April and May. This means, you can get out to do your exercise. We no longer have to pretend we’re Charles Bronson in solitary confinement working on those washboard abs!
Exercise not only benefits our bodies but also our minds. When we workout, our body releases endorphins that lift our mood. Given that most of us have spent the last three months locked away, we could probably all do with some of those natural feelgood chemicals!
Instead of starting “Game of Thrones” again, why not get out for a jog, bike ride, hike, or even just a brisk walk. You can use the time to explore parts of the area you live that you might never have visited before too. It’s a win/win!
Get Through that Reading List!
Most of us have a mental list of books we want to read before we leave this mortal realm. If staring at your laptop or TV screen has started feeling like a depressing waste of life, maybe it’s time to start working your way through it.
These days we all spend so much time looking at devices that it can actually have a detrimental impact on our health. Staring at screens right before bed disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm and stops it producing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Poor sleeping habits can have all kinds of negative effects on our bodies – much worse than just being cranky in the morning!
If your body doesn’t regularly get enough sleep, you increase the risk of contracting all kinds of life-threatening ailments down the line. These include heart disease, high bloody pressure, strokes, diabetes, stress, and other conditions.
Of course, reading isn’t just about avoiding screens to ensure a good night sleep. Just like watching shows, it’s often pure escapism.
After three months of forced isolation, we could probably all do with escaping an increasingly hostile world for at least an hour or two each day.
With Amazon still delivering, digital books via Kindles and other mobile applications, and even audiobooks, great literature has never been more accessible. With all the extra time on your hands, there’s never been a better time to take advantage of it either!
Hit Up an Online Casino
Digital versions of real-world activities have seen a massive explosion in popularity over the last few months. From online concerts to virtual pub quizzes, loads of people have been making the most of a bad situation by providing such entertainment outlets.
With brick-and-mortar casinos closed around the world and just about all sports cancelled, online casinos have also seen a surge in usage. Those gamblers that would usually head to their local bookmakers or casino have been forced to move online and many are finding that the virtual casino is actually even better than the real-world one.
Virtual casinos are accessible, offer great odds, and don’t require any travel to get to them. Even better than all that though is the fact that they offer juicy bonuses to lure new players in. It doesn’t matter if you’re not much of a gambler either. You can still enjoy online casinos thanks to what’s known as a no deposit welcome bonus.
Casinos use no deposit bonuses to encourage new players to register for an account. Once they’ve got a potential gambler’s email address, they can market directly to them. Meanwhile, players use no deposit bonuses to try out new software, games, and casino operators, as well as for a risk-free shot at winning real money!
If you’ve never played at an online casino and are thinking of giving it a try, going with a well-known name in the industry is your safest bet. Most casinos are fully licensed these days but given the sheer number of almost household names in the iGaming industry, it makes absolutely no sense to use a company you’ve never heard of. Stick with the biggest names and look out for risk-free and other bonus promotions to make your money go further.
Social Distanced Socializing
There has never been a better time to be on forced lockdown. Today’s technology has meant that we can enjoy many of the things we used to like doing strictly in the physical world in a more virtual way. That includes socializing!
Thanks to applications like WhatsApp, Messenger, Zoom, Skype, and others, we can have a get-together with family and friends without actually being physically close to them. If you used to have a cocktail night with friends, why not host a virtual one? If your mum likes to play quizzes, you could host one with your extended family over video conferencing software. It’s almost as good, apart from being unable to give your nearest and dearest a big hug!
Even Netflix itself has realized the importance of socialization during the period of lockdown. It introduced a Watch Party feature so you and friends or family can chat whilst watching the same show! So, even if you’ve watched all the content that you had on your own must-see list, you can revisit them with loved ones. Alternatively, you can give a chance to some of the shows all your buddies have been raving about in their company too!
