joyful2beeblogs

By Melodie Elaine Estes

If you find yourself feeling like you want to get out of the house, these ideas are good anytime and under various circumstances too.

I learned some tricks to keep boredom at bay. Sometimes we have too much time on our hands. Remember the song by Styx, “Too Much Time On My Hands”?

"Too much time on my hands
It's tick tick tick tick ticking away (Too much time on my hands)
Now I don't know what to do with myself (Too much time on my hands)
Too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands"

Does that feel familiar? These are some methods for decreasing boredom during long periods of having to stay home, whether it be from not enough money, no friends available, or if you are tired or sick causing you to be home bound. Since my experience applies more to others in my situation, these suggestions are more for single, married, older or retired people and may apply to families with children.

Try to eat outside sometimes, whether you are eating from a restaurant or at home. Be sure the tables are cleaned with a soapy rag at least. If you can tolerate the outdoor conditions and the restaurant has an outdoor area, try to eat there. Some restaurants have outdoor heaters, fans, a roof or sheltered area against rain or sun. So go there when you have the time.

When you are tired of being at home, another way to find a change of scenery or peace and quiet is to pick up a carry-out meal or take out orders and eat in your car. (A simple meal like a sandwich or even a salad or something you can handle can be easily eaten outside or out of your home.) But if the weather is nice there are parks with picnic tables. There is always a parking lot away from lots of cars for alone time to listen to music or for contemplation.

Another potential outing is to find the less busy, small drug store near a big “box” store with it’s own drug store, where people are shopping for more items. If you only need a few items, find the little drug stores that don’t have lines of customers all the time. I found one and go there once a week to pick up small items and some household goods. Yes, they may be a little more expensive but easy to get in and out of, if you’re in a hurry.

Of course, I don’t go shopping a lot, especially not during pre-holiday sales where stores get really busy. I look for parking lots with fewer cars, so fewer shoppers. I also choose large outlet stores with lots of space, so I am not bumping into people on every aisle.

Planning ahead is good for the times you need to give presents like birthdays and Christmas. Sometimes I start Christmas shopping early before stores get crowded. There is of course the option of ordering online and putting the address for the recipients on the order.

Sometimes I find things to do around my home; watch Netflix and YouTube. There are so many more things to see on YouTube that are informative; tutorials can teach you how to fix or do just about anything; even take up a new hobby! You can also watch old shows or some old movies.

Use the time at home to get rid of stuff you are not using or don’t want anymore. I moved from a three bedroom home to a two bedroom condo and donated or threw out a lot of things. But I am still finding things 10 years later that I saved “in case I needed them” but I never needed them! One way to decide if you want to keep something is to check for how much dust is on it!

There are wonderful thrift stores that help good causes. Check them out for what they will accept and what condition the items need to be in for them to accept them. Also be sure the money from the sales of your donations are going to those who need it and not largely to the owner.

Why not learn something new! There are phone apps to help you learn languages, like Duolingo, or you can record and identify bird calls on an a phone app named BirdNet. It identifies the birds by analyzing its call as recorded (and shows the bird’s photo as well its call and actually tells you about the birds!) Listening to the birds and learning about them gives you a better appreciation for nature.

There are also internet apps that identify trees by their leaves. You can take a picture with the app or upload one from your phone to the app and it will identify them. Look up anything on your computer and learn new things about what you are interested in.

Get up and take a walk outside when the weather is good. Try to find joy or beauty in just watching, learning, living and communicating with the life that is all around you.