So, we’re all stuck in lockdown (and, unfortunately, it’s not Lindsay). There’s not much we can really do about it. Life has dramatically contracted into our own four walls with the occasional foray outside – tending to make you feel like you drew the short straw in The Walking Dead, searching for a couple of loose batteries or tinned peaches amongst the ruins of life-as-we-knew-it. 

Sounds a bit doom and gloom, doesn’t it?

Regardless, that’s what it’s begun to feel like. In many ways, I actually find the encroaching existential dread of leaving my house further than the driveway (to drop off homemade crisis-cakes to the oldies in the family) quite fun. In all honesty, I feel a bit like I’m in the Hunger Games, but with worse fashion and a lower chance of death-by-spear.

However, I have found myself at a complete loss of things to do. As soon as lectures ended, deadlines passed, and tutorials disappeared, I found myself staring at my Microsoft Teams notifications, wondering where it all went wrong. And I’m sure many of us have felt this way too – in the absence of trips abroad and internships, and past the novelty of doing something stupid to your hair, I get the feeling we’ve all been left at a bit of a lost end.

So, from my own existential panic, I thought I’d give you a list of ten constructive things to do while we’re in lockdown.

  1. Call a friend and have a natter about what’s bothering you, the latest season of Dead to Me (what was that ending?!), or a particularly interesting leaf you saw.
  2. Support Black Lives Matter. Sign as many petitions as possible (search online for the BLM Ally Resource Guide), donate if you can, and attend socially-distanced protests if possible. 
  3. Educate yourself on something cool but probably useless – side-note: if anyone wants to have an intense chat about the colours of college scarves, I’m your girl.
  4. Do some online tutoring with the Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative.
  5. Pick up a book series you haven’t read for a long time and steadily be dragged back into your pre-teen Greek Mythology obsession (although I am doing a Classics degree, so technically it’s research).
  6. Have a look at some online courses – there’s bound to be something for everyone (‘The Ancient Greek Hero’ by Harvard is fantastic, just so you know).
  7. Deeply annoy your pets with your love until they audibly sigh when you come into the room. 
  8. Learn a new skill – bake a cake, try your hand at knitting, practice debating with your parents (bonus points if they don’t yell at you).
  9. Drink too many cups of tea.
  10. Take the opportunity to rest – this is the most free time you’re probably ever going to get, so you might as well make the most of it!

If all that fails you can always become a famous TikToker.