Adults suffer from cabin fever when they are inside for too long just like children and it can lead to all sorts of different emotions. If you are forced to stay inside because of a storm or overly cold weather and find yourself sitting around or lying in bed, you can quickly start to feel out of sorts.
Being inside for too long without stimulating your body and mind can cause you to feel restless, lazy, sluggish, and even – in severe cases – depressed. There’s something about being confined to the four walls that surround you that can be mentally and physically demeaning.
For adults with kids, they can busy themselves by participating in activities with their children and feeling a sense of purpose through their parenting duties. For adults who don’t have children or have kids that no longer live with them, it can be a big struggle to stay active while indoors and busy themselves until life returns to a normal routine.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do about the bad weather and sometimes you just have to fight through it and kill the time until it passes. But don’t worry, there are some fun activities you can busy yourself with while you’re stuck inside as an adult.
1. Learn a Musical Instrument
Playing a musical instrument is my most recommended activity to look into as it not only can take up long periods of your time, but it can also improve your mood. Music makes people happy and being able to play it creates an even bigger mental thrill, especially when just learning.
Choose a fun musical instrument and start learning the basics. Soon, you will look forward to storm days where you can sit inside, learn a song, and entertain yourself. Playing a musical instrument may not impact your physical activity but it is very stimulating so your mind will be busy. By the time you have put a few hours into learning your instrument, your mind will be too tired to waste time feeling bored and confined.
2. Toys from Your Childhood
Children seem to do fine during a storm and can easily entertain themselves when they are indoors for long periods of time. Adults should really learn from that and adapt!
Find a toy you loved as a child and bring it home for the next storm day. You’ll love the excitement and nostalgia it brings with it.
For me, I found a cool nerf gun I had as a kid and had tons of fun with it. I bought one for my partner, we set up targets around the house, and we created a game out of it. Next thing you know, the storm day was over and we were exhausted from the excitement and physical exertion we spent on being kids again.
3. Workout
Working out at home is an obvious activity that you can really get into during a storm and throughout the entire year. Not only will it give you something to do while you’re inside, but it will provide tons of health benefits that can overflow into the rest of your life.
This doesn’t mean lifting weights or jumping on a treadmill. There are tons of different workout options to choose from that you will love and look forward to doing.
When you find the perfect exercise routine, you’ll fall in love with exercising and look forward to getting the chance to complete your next workout.
4. Stay Busy in the Kitchen
The kitchen can be a space that takes up a ton your time spent indoors. From learning to be a better cook, to giving your kitchen a much-needed deep clean, it’s an important place in your home that keeps you on your feet and keeps you active.
Kitchens – much like musical instruments – can positively impact your mind and body through the time you spend there. On top of these benefits are also the extra benefits you’ll receive if you spend time cooking better meals for yourself that lead to eating healthier.
Don’t Just Sit Around and Waste the Day!
The biggest tip I can leave you with is to not just sit around and waste the day. It’ll leave you feeling sluggish, sad, and like you didn’t accomplish anything. Staying active in some way is important if you find yourself having to spend long periods of time indoors.
From cooking up something in the kitchen to bringing out your inner childish self, there are lots you can do inside your home. Have some fun and you’ll feel better for it.