Compared to the third quarter of last year, this year, sales of luxury real estate increased by 42 percent. From this information, we can make two deductions. The first one is that despite the global pandemic, some people’s wealth has not suffered the slightest dent. The second is that filthy rich people are truly the only ones spared when Mother Nature wreaks havoc on Earth.
For one thing, they will never get bored. We imagine those luxury homes to be equipped with swimming pools with adjustable temperatures, an entertainment room the same size of a lower-middle-class family’s apartment in San Francisco, and a game room that looks like an arcade for when arcades were still a thing.
For you, a mere mortal, there’s Wi-Fi. You can scroll through your social media feeds until your thumbs get sore and your eyes rheumy. That’s all you have to amuse yourselves with in the middle of a global health scare that has limited everyone’s movement for almost a year now. ;
And this is where we feel the need to intervene. Just because you cannot afford to live in a luxury house, does not mean you have to be a helpless captive of technology. There are other ways to entertain yourself without inspiring an episode of Black Mirror. Consider these recommendations:
Bond with your furry friends
There are many benefits to be had from bonding with your doggo or kitty. Those furry companions of yours get you your much-needed boost of dopamine and serotonin every time you play with them. So give them more quality time.
Instead of scrolling through the Instagram pages of influencers serving curated lives, why not teach your dog a trick or two? Spend an entire day getting your pup to master a dance routine from the music video of a K-pop artist like Red Velvet. It’s not doable, you might argue. But that’s only because you haven’t tried. Stop underestimating your pet. Friend, you are not your parents.
Read a book
When was the last time you read a book from cover to cover? Back in college maybe? It’s high time you give reading another try. Ease yourself into it. Start with something light, such as one of Dostoyevsky’s oeuvre, or War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
Of course, we are kidding. It does not matter if you read The Twilight Saga or its very racy and very up-your-alley spin-off. The important thing is you rekindle your love of reading. Or if there’s nothing to kindle again, learn to appreciate reading, instead of wasting eight hours scrolling through e-commerce products you can’t afford.
Fix things in the house that needs fixing
If you’re the handy type, this is the best time to tinker with everything loose and creaky in the house. Is the doorknob in your bathroom not locking properly? Fix it. Is there a leak in your garage? Seal it.
Not only will you make use of your time in the most constructive way, but you’re also saving considerable dollars from repair costs. According to Business Insider, yearly home repair typically costs up to 4 percent of a house’s total value. If your house is valued at $200,000, that’s $2,000 per annum. That’s enough to buy you a return ticket to your dream destination post-pandemic.
Create a scrapbook
You might say scrapbook’s passe. Now we say everything passe is hip and cool. So if you want to use these months of intermittent lockdowns to morph into a hipster, start with scrapbooking. If you’re not the creative type, do not fret. Fake it until you make it. You got Martha Stewart to guide you through your scrapbooking journey.
Start knitting
After scrapbooking, graduate to knitting. It’s not too late to work on knitted sweaters to give away to your friends and loved ones during the holidays. If you’re the anxious type, knitting can help with your nerves too. According to experts, it’s as relaxing as meditation or yoga. So if you’re not very stretchy, knit some stretchy things instead. Your loved ones will appreciate the effort.
Fact is our living conditions affect our health, both mental and physical. Quarantining in a small house, the things you can do to prevent yourself from going off the rails are quite limited. Furthermore, living in cramped quarters puts you at greater risk of contracting the COVID virus. Just consider what happened in London where crowded residential areas saw 70 percent more infections compared to more affluent districts, with spread-apart houses and communities.