There’s something strange about being told you must do something – it inherently makes you not want to do it. With many of us being advised to work from home where possible and the increasingly likeliness of Ireland following countries like Italy and Spain in enforcing lockdowns, I’m sure there’s people out there already climbing the walls. With the gym closed and public gatherings grinding to a halt, somehow the day feels a lot longer than normal. I was thinking about why and it’s all to do with our mindset.
Think back to the last Sunday evening before work when you wish the weekend would last that bit longer. Days like that go by so fast you wonder did someone speed up the clock while you weren’t looking. But when someone tells you that you’ll be at home for the next 2 weeks, time seems to drag and drag.
An example of this comes from a childhood story of mine. Being the oldest in my family meant my parents were always pushy when it came to things like homework and study. Obviously, wanting the best for their child, they made sure I had my homework done. If I got my homework done faster than normal the question ‘have you no studying to be doing instead?’ was asked. As a kid, you can imagine how well I took this. I just wanted to be outside and playing football with my mates.
Then it comes to my sister, the middle child. Again, the same questions. ‘Why aren’t you studying?’ but perhaps a little less intense. And again, similar results. What’s interesting is that for the youngest in my family, my parents were more relaxed about these things (and everything else in general). The results were different. He would spend hours studying, so much so that myself and my sister would always hear ‘he’s always studying, I never have to tell him to do it. In fact, I sometimes have to tell him the opposite!’. Why? Mindset.
So with that in mind here’s some suggestions for the weeks ahead to avoid climbing the walls:
- If you’re a beginner runner, try a 6 week couch to 5k program like this one
- If you’re an intermediate runner, why not try a 10k program like this one
- Bored of eating the same food? How about trying this smart recipe suggestion tool that allows you to specify what ingredients you have and suggests a recipe for them
- Try some meditation
- Take a free python course
- Build a personal WordPress website for your CV
- Read some comics – I’ve recently gotten into Rick & Morty
- See if you like yoga
- Read a book
- Chill out and enjoy the time with family because we’re more than likely not going to see the likes of this again
Personally, I’m going to try and customize this site to look like a Gameboy while avoiding my college work.
Stay safe!
Paul Gleeson 