2020 has been the year of digitalization because of the current situation in the world. Lockdowns and pandemic stress have caused anxiety and led people to find new sources of entertainment – in this case, the Internet. They have discovered new interests and hobbies; some of them even managed to turn these hobbies into careers. Currently, lots of countries, especially in Europe, are heading into a second lockdown, so people are expected to get back to old online entertainment sources or find new ones.
Remember that being at home doesn’t have to be boring. Here is the list of activities you can do for enjoyment and stress relief:
1. Online courses
During the lockdown, people have a lot of free time, even if they work remotely. One of the most productive ways to spend this time is to look up online courses on the Internet and expand your horizons. You have access to millions of courses in different languages online. You can choose a degree similar to your current job, for example, if you are an investment manager, you can learn finance management or value chain management. Certificates from the top universities of the world will not only improve upon your professional portfolio but also help you in career growth. In addition to this, you can take up a course from a completely different sphere to increase your general knowledge, develop as a person, and challenge yourself.
2. Cooking
The first lockdown showcased that cooking was one of the most popular activities to pass some time. Even people who thought that they would never shine in the kitchen, have baked some delicious cookies or prepared a tasty dinner. The Internet provides endless possibilities including some simple, intermediate, and complicated recipes of millions of dishes from all over the world. Whatever you wish, you can find it! You have a chance to learn cooking from scratch or improve your existing cooking skills. In addition to this, there’s a countless online tutorial on various platforms, such as Youtube. Watching videos and visualizing the whole process makes cooking so much simpler and fun.
3. Digital books
Buying new books is almost impossible when you don’t get to go outside, or all the bookshops are closed. That’s why digital or audiobooks are an excellent alternative. Not only do they cost cheaper, but also you don’t even have to go outside to buy them. With just one click, you can download any book that you want to read. One of the benefits of digital books is that you can read them on many devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, kindle, etc.
4. Learning new language
At some point in your life, you’ve made a promise to challenge yourself and learn a new language but postponed it because you were too busy with work and social life. Now is your chance! Spanish, German, French, Korean, or Japanese – Whichever language you choose to learn, the Internet offers unlimited sources and platforms for it. If you want to invest more in a new language, you can even buy some excellent courses that provide completion certificates. However, if your goal is simply to speak the language for yourself and not professionally, then free courses are more than enough.
5. Turn your hobby into a career opportunity
There are quite many platforms that can help you do that, for example, if you are a music enthusiast and want to test yourself in this industry, use Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music, or other digital music services. You can use them just for fun to share your tracks or playlist with the world or invest some time and money in it and turn it into a career. If you plan on choosing the second option, get ready for some fierce competition, and don’t expect to go viral overnight. An easy way of becoming famous and achieving your goal quickly is buying saves/shares/followers on SpotifyStorm.
6. Play an Instrument
Taking up a musical instrument has lots of benefits, including relieving stress and improving brain activity. Also, it can make you feel better about yourself and create a sense of achievement. Learning to play an instrument isn’t particularly easy, but since you don’t plan to become a professional player, watching Youtube tutorials and spending an hour a day learning is enough.
7. Catch up with friends and family
It is a perfect opportunity to catch up with your family members, friends, or colleagues through social media platforms. Unfortunately, you can’t meet them face to face, but that doesn’t mean you can’t communicate with them through social networks, such as Facebook.
8. Films and TV shows
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other video streaming services have become even more popular during lockdowns because people have spent quite some time watching films and TV shows. Most people associate the film industry only with fun and entertainment, but the truth is they can also teach you some valuable lessons and help you grow as a person. That’s why devoting some time to these platforms is not only pleasant and entertaining but productive, as well.
9. Start a blog
People plan on starting a blog almost every week but never seem to find time for it. Well, you have all the time in the world now, so get to it! Choose the platform that fits your taste the most and select a topic you want to write about; it could be about: fashion & beauty, sport, cats, politics, economics, or any other theme you have some experience with and want to share your strong opinion.
10. Tik-tok
Tik-Tok has become so trendy in 2020 that we had to list it separately. It’s one of the most popular social media platforms in the world and mainly targets the new generation. It offers many types of short videos, but almost all of them are humorous. Tik-Tok is a fun way to spend some time and share your favorite videos with your friends but be careful because you might waste hours scrolling.
These ten activities will make the time you spend at home more enjoyable and productive.
