Boredom-Busting Ideas to Try at Home during Pandemic

Sometimes, I feel bored over something. Why do people get bored easily? They can get anxiety or even depression. It's a feeling of unsatisfied or uninterested which can lead to boredom. In some cases, people may complain of boredom when they're uncomfortable dealing with their thoughts. 

James Danckert, PhD, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo, found that people highly prone to boredom perform poorly on tasks that require sustained attention (Experimental Brain Research, 2012). A review of boredom research that was conducted in educational settings suggested that boredom is some combination of an objective lack of neurological excitement and a subjective psychological state of dissatisfaction, frustration or disinterest, all of which result from a lack of stimulation.

How to deal with boredom? How can we overcome it?

The Surprising Benefits of Online Video Games for Children

Some children play video games for recreational and they still can maintain excellent performance in school. There's a research shows benefit of playing video games. Research by the Queensland University of Technology has found that games can improve thinking ability in children. Games often require children to follow instructions, respond to problems, and consider their actions. It can help develop thinking skills. 

Some of online video games can help players developing leadership skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to deal with unexpected consequences, because they enhance a player's skills of observation, intuitive abilities, alertness, and concentration.

My son loves to play video games as well. We might not realize that video games actually can improve social skills. How come? Online games have created a fun and engaging way of connecting with other players. My son and his friends usually use a platform, it's a VoIP (instant messaging and digital distribution platform), with this tools they can communicate to each other with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, and send media/ files in chats.

MY BERRY FARM: Fresh Premium Strawberry Bandung

Strawberry is a sub-tropical fruit. It turns out that strawberry is actually not a berry family, but the genus is from the rose family (Rosaceae). Strawberry was first cultivated in the United States around 1835 and has become a widely grown plant in home gardens and widespread in agriculture. All cultivated strawberries are developed from four main species. The first, the wood strawberry (Fragaria vesca), is a fragile woodland species native to the mountains of Mexico, South America, and the West Indies. Meadow strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) in eastern North America was introduced to Europe during the 17th century. The beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) is native to the mountainous regions of the Western Hemisphere, and a fourth cultivated strawberry species developed classified as Fragaria moschata is common in Central Europe. Most of the strawberry varieties cultivated today were developed from the North American varieties, known as Wilson, Crescent, Sharpless, and Longworth. (Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation)

Currently, strawberry is widely cultivated in Indonesia, especially in the highlands. Many strawberry varieties are grown in Indonesia, such as California, Kelly Bright, Mencir, etc. Strawberry is a favorite fruit, for topping or garnish for cakes, jams/purees, smoothies/juices, puddings, or fruit salads. 

MY BERRY FARM

Me Time Tips

Self-love has many benefits. I think it's one of the life satisfactions. We should give more positive attitude towards our life and encourage us to pick up the good habits. I love to have my self-love by doing "ME TIME". 

Anyway, what do you usually do in your free time? I'd prefer to do something I love, doing my hobbies or things that make me happy, such: reading a book or magazine, going for a walk, simply having a cup of coffee or tea then daydreaming. We all know that self-love is important, so let's find what works for ourselves and completely let go for as-many-minutes-as we have. I do really thank God, because I have a supportive life partner who always gives me time to break from all the routine. 

Here are some "me time" tips that you can do in your spare time: 

Work from Home (Remotely), Why Not?

It's my last business trip before the pandemic (February 5th, 2020)

Work from Home 

I've been working from home since 2013 as a content writer. I was taking a job as a full time freelancer after I resigned from one institution as a teacher. I really thank God and always try not to take everything for granted. Being a freelancer is quite challenging, yet interesting. The good things is - I can finish all my task and look-after my family at home at once. 

In 2017, I worked as digital marketing officer, at that time I came to the office several times in a week, but I signed the MoU (of course) as a freelancer as well, so I could finish the rest of my office-tasks at home. I really enjoyed my job for sure. 

Last two years I chose different working path, it's been more than a year I work at the office on weekdays. I work in one of radio stations in Bandung. When the first time I was hired, I was placed in the content and digital marketing division. However, after 3 months dealing with on-air division, I was entrusted to jump-right-in to take care of the entire on-air program as well. It's like my dream came true, cause radio is my passion since long time ago. It's so exciting, yet challenging!  

In 2019 Coronavirus attacks world, then in February 2020 the virus strikes Indonesia. Because of that, in the last 9 months I work remotely from home again. Remote work is a working style that allows professionals to work outside of a conventional office environment. I build communication and coordination with all radio crew remotely.  

Here are my working field that I handle remotely: