While time spent at home can be relaxing in short bursts, there’s no doubt that the prospect of prolonged isolation can be daunting. Here at New Forest Cottages, we’ve collated our top tips and boredom busters to help the days pass more quickly. You may discover a new hobby and come out of quarantine having completed that list of things you’ve always wanted to do but have never had the time.
Visit a Digital Museum
We may not be able to go out and about at the moment, but that doesn’t stop us from visiting some of the world’s greatest museums and landmarks through a virtual tour. Take an online tour of The Louvre in Paris, view the collections of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, The British Museum has an interactive timeline which is fun to explore, and the Dali Museum in Florida has a virtual tour around the entire building.
The Great Wall of China has an interactive 10km virtual tour from Jinshanling to Simatai sections. Take a virtual leap to the remote Easter Islands and Chilean landmarks for a virtual tour with this app that connects with your phone or VR glasses. The iconic Taj Mahal also has a virtual tour, as well as the ancient world of Machu Picchu. The New Forest National Park is home to some of the UK’s tallest Douglas Firs and mighty Redwoods, but to see these magnificent trees in their natural habitat take a look at Yosemite National Park’s impressive virtual tours.
Create a Photo Book
Yes, we’ve all probably thought it would be nice to have one, but never got round to transferring photos from your phone and laptop to the cloud or an external hard drive. Use this opportunity to keep all your photos safe and upload your favourites to a photobook website as a present to yourself and potential Christmas and birthday gifts.
Take an Online Class or Tutorial
There are thousands and thousands of really outstanding free tutorials online from IT and home chemistry experiments to cake baking, calligraphy and gardening. Learn something new with a couple of hours each day dedicated to honing new skills.
Up your Credentials
Now could be the time to boost your career progression with an online qualification course. You will most likely need to pay for the course tuition fees and exams, but it is worth checking with your employer to see if they will subsidise you, or check to see if there are any grants available. The qualifications can be done over a matter of hours, days or weeks at a time to suit you. Just make sure the course provider you choose is accredited to the correct examining body.
Teach your Pooch Some New Tricks
With lockdown including not travelling in your car to an area where your dog can run off the lead, mental stimulation can help tire your four-legged friend. Teach them something new and film them to upload on to social media as a way to cheer up the nation!
Write an Email to Your Future Self
With the world experiencing unprecedented chaos, take note of your thoughts, how you feel about what’s happening and what your hopes, dreams and aspirations are for the future. Include happy memories, things that made you smile and goals for the future. Then, schedule a date to receive the email. Some people like to write and receive them more than once – say twice a year or every five years. They are lovely surprises to pop up in your inbox when you’ve forgotten all about them. Try websites such as Futureme.org.
Plan the Small Details of your Dream Holiday
Many of us are dreaming about what we’ll do and where we’ll go as soon as it’s safe to travel again, and we’ve got plenty of time to research it. Fancy a relaxing escape to the New Forest? Even when the forest is at its busiest, there’s always plenty of space to pack a picnic, walk among the free-roaming ponies and relax without seeing a single soul. There’s so much to do in the New Forest with 220 square miles of woods, heathlands, villages, sandy beaches and coastline. See our New Forest Cottages blog for inspiration, from our favourite pub walks to the most festive Christmas markets.
With best wishes for good health and positivity, from all the team at New Forest Cottages