Coping with the lockdown and how to enjoy it

Since the start of the lockdown, I have noticed that I am coping a lot better than those around me. By ‘around me’ I mean Mrs Word of Ward (in person) and the rest of the world (through the interweb). There are a couple of things I really, really miss such as going to the pub, the cinema and the beach. The pub the most obviously. The rest of my time is spent reading, writing, drawing, watching films/tv and playing games.

I am not saying this to gloat or sound boring. I am in fact, incredibly humble and fantastically exciting. Maybe not that humble, I guess. But I digress. How can you stop being bored? The key is to diversify. Don’t just watch Netflix all the time, mix it up and do different things at different times of the day. Although a Netflix and Amazon Prime combo is pretty impressive.

Reading

I have a ton of books that would take years to read even with the lockdown, but Kindle makes this reading matter almost limitless and if there is something new coming out, it is currently the only way to get it. You can waste a ton of time just looking at their daily deals. I also read comics but mostly in graphic novel form. I have Comixology account but you can also buy individual ones. Comics are for grownups these days you know.

Gaming

The lockdown is the perfect time to be a gamer. I am currently playing a delightful combo of Divinity Original Sin 2, which is a top-down RPG and kind of a chilled experience, and also Doom Eternal, which is batshit crazy fun. There isn’t much point recommending much here as you either have a console or you don’t. My PS4 has been a lifesaver and you can download everything.

Learn something

Emerge from the lockdown speaking a new lingo. Or learn a new skill. There are a ton of online courses and a lot of them are offering content for free. As I write this, Mrs Word of Ward is learning about classical philosophy through a website called Class Central that currently has a load of Ivy league classes for free. I am improving my drawing skills on an earlier post that I am a big Embiggen your brain this lockdown

This is an opportunity to do one of those constructive things you always meant to do but was to busy. Take that chance. When I am allowed back into the pub or able to walk to a coffeeshop and have a latte, I may look back on these days with a certain wistful longing. The fact that I work from home and can do this anytime but don’t is an issue I have to deal with. A lot of poor bastards will be going back to an office or some such edifice. Dazzle them with your French or mastery of Stoic philosophy. You could even start a website. WordPress is so easy, even I can work it out.

Above all, don’t go on the internet and whine about being bored. This is an opportunity! Vive la lockdown!