Is Your Life Boring Living During COVID-19?

Dealing with extra time and space can be challenging.

I’ve finally had to admit that living alone during Covid-19 is a lot harder than having a family or partner to share the everyday times when there is nothing to do. When I was little, I remember asking my sweet Grandma Esther, “What should I do now? I’m bored.” (I was about 10.) She would always say, “Go to the corner and stand on your head.” What I heard was that she wanted me to figure it out by myself.

Recently I’ve been speaking with many people, some who live alone and some who live with family but I hear the same complaint — -nothing to do. And yet, there are others for whom the time flies by, and before you know it, it’s time for bed. Which type are you? I think what it comes down to is what childhood lessons stuck with you. Along with that were your role models. How did your parents, your siblings, and your extended family and friends structure their lives?

If you’re in the “nothing to do” group, this might be an excellent opportunity to rethink your approach to how you spend your time, therefore, how you spend your life. What if you took the time to ask yourself what your ideal life would be. Try being your fairy godmother; just imagine your perfect life. You might even write down your elements. Evaluate which ones are present right now and which are missing. Which is missing but crying out for some space?

Or you might answer the question, “Who Am I?.”

On a blank piece of paper write down all the adjectives that describe you, the good ones and the bad ones. Then, evaluate which to enhance and which diminish.

Once you’ve done this, the next step is to figure out what you can do, in tiny increments, to modify your new element or adjective list. Which of the qualities you’ve identified do you want more of in your life? Think about:

How would it feel to be in sync with this vision of myself and my life all the time?

Which of the qualities I’ve identified do I want more of in my life?

What have I wanted to do in my life but haven’t dared to do it?

How am I going to accomplish what I need to do to be at my best?

So, you will have identified some changes to work on in how you spend your life and who you are. Great start!

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” Henry David Thoreau