The pandemic has changed the world. It has affected how people function, and for some, it has affected their plans for the future.
As human beings, we like to plan. It’s part of our nature. Planning can reduce anxiety and even increase feelings of control and mastery. The ability to plan gives people a sense of agency over their lives. However, when those plans are shattered, people become lost in what to do next.
The pandemic has forced people to change how they think about their plans for the future. It is no longer possible to plan for things with the same level of certainty as before. Instead, the pandemic has made it clear that anything can happen anytime and that we must be prepared for anything.
That being said, just because the pandemic has made it difficult to plan for the future doesn’t mean we can’t be productive. There are still plenty of things that we can do during this time. Here are five productive things you can do during the pandemic.
Learn a New Musical Instrument
Learning a musical instrument has been known to be related to cognitive development among people. It’s because it can have plastic changes in people’s brains. It can also help improve memory, attention, and processing speed.
With so much extra time at home, why not use this opportunity to learn a new musical instrument? It could be something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. Or maybe it’s something you never even considered before but now seems like the perfect time to try.
Whatever the case, learning a new musical instrument can be a great way to pass the time and make some cognitive gains during the pandemic.
Start a Garden
Gardening has been shown to have several benefits for mental health. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help improve mood and increase feelings of well-being. It’s also considered to be a moderate form of exercise, burning about 300 calories for every hour doing it.
If you’ve wanted to start a garden, now is a perfect time. You can finally get started with so much extra time at home. And who knows, you might even find that you enjoy it and want to keep doing it even after the pandemic.
Take Online Courses
With so many people stuck at home, online courses have become more popular. Several online courses are available for just about anything you want to learn. So whether you’re interested in learning a new language or taking a class on web development, there’s probably an online course for it.
If you’ve already gotten your bachelor’s degree, you should consider getting a postgraduate one. There are various online platforms you can utilize for this. For example, there’s onlinepostgrad.com which offers all sorts of postgraduate courses. A postgraduate degree can undoubtedly increase your chances of getting hired or your overall pay. It’s generally an excellent way for you to improve your career.
Taking an online course is a great way to use all this extra time at home. It’s also a great way to learn something new that could potentially benefit the future.
Volunteer Virtually
You can always volunteer virtually if you’re looking for a way to give back during the pandemic. Several organizations are looking for volunteers to help them with various tasks. These tasks can range from social media to customer service.
Volunteering is a great way to feel good about yourself and make a difference in the world. It’s also a great way to meet new people and potentially make new friends. So if you’re looking for a way to be productive and feel good about yourself, volunteering is a great option.
Write a Book
Now is a perfect time if you’ve ever wanted to write a book. With so much extra time at home, you can finally sit down and start writing that book you’ve always wanted to write. Who knows, you might even find that you enjoy it and want to keep doing it even after the pandemic.
Writing a book is a great way to pass the time and potentially make some money. It’s also a great way to express yourself and share your ideas. So if you’ve wanted to write a book, there’s no better time than now.
The pandemic has undoubtedly been disruptive, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be productive. There are still plenty of things we can do during this time. Whether you’re interested in learning a new skill or giving back to the community, you have options. Use this time as an opportunity to do something productive and make the most out of a difficult situation.
