Everything-From-Home: Safe and fun things to do during weekend lockdowns in Pune

Just when you thought that the arrival of vaccines meant you’d be safe to leave your PG in balewadi and enjoy meeting friends for weekend plans, the case rates began to surge in Maharashtra, leaving you stranded. With increasing curfews and restrictions in place, you’re back to staying indoors, and since you’ve already made all the Dalgona coffee and banana bread you possibly could last year, you’re out of ideas for things to do. Well, we can definitely empathize with that, but thankfully our ideas for safe and fun things to do at home are endless.

So if you’re struggling to stay occupied during the weekend lockdowns, here are some non-WFH things that you can enjoy from your own space.

Pick up a DIY project

It’s time to put all the YouTube videos you’ve watched to good use. If you’ve had a DIY project in mind for a long time that you’ve been putting off because you’re too busy, these weekend lockdowns could be a great time to get your hands dirty. Go ahead and build that terrarium or refurbish your dresser. Or maybe you want to spend time in the kitchen, with a recipe that’s going to take up time and effort to yield results (we recommend croissants, if you’re up for a challenge). But, if you haven’t got a DIY project in mind, we’ve got some ideas for you to try. Why not paint a simple mural on your wall to give your space a makeover? And if your landlord won’t let you do that, you can give your furnishings an easy-to-remove revamping with the pattern contact paper of your choice (there are tonnes of options online). You could also start an upcycling drive by sorting through your old and unused belongings and converting them into items you would actually use. Our advice – start small, repurpose the old jam jars into vases and see how you progress, before jumping into an ambitious project to make kitchen shelves by dismantling an old wardrobe.

Create a work-free space

Ever since WFH became our new normal it feels like work has invaded every aspect of your life. Think about how often you check your email or end up working off the clock. But the weekend lockdowns in Pune can be a chance for you to get back your work-life balance. Why not set up a designated work-free space in your home where you can sit back and relax after a hectic week. This could be a room or part of the house free of all work gadgets and plans, that you can instead fill with things you enjoy doing – a book you’ve been meaning to read, an art project you want to start, or a sound system for your favourite tunes. Even if you don’t have enough physical space to create such a zone, you can take some simple steps to make your weekends work-free. Change your phone settings to stop syncing work emails over the weekend, or update your calendar to let your colleagues know your office hours. Having a few days without office obligations will make you feel a lot less overwhelmed by WFH.

Take a break from screens

How many hours have you spent on video conferencing calls and social media in the past few years? Too many. And since WFH isn’t going anywhere any time soon, screen time is still higher than ever. So give your eyes a break over the weekend and go on a screen detox. We don’t mean you should delete all your accounts or go to extreme lengths for this, but cutting down on your phone usage over the weekend might actually help you feel more relaxed. Not only will you not feel the constant pressure of checking notifications and responding to texts from people you’d rather ignore. You could take up journaling, reading, or actually getting eight hours of sleep to make up for all the time you’d otherwise spend scrolling through Instagram reels. And if you’d rather not cut out on social media altogether, consider performing a cleanse on whom you follow so that you can cut out any negative or stressful content from appearing on your feed.

Go on virtual tours

If you’re a weekend adventurer feeling like you’re missing out on all the action you could have had, think again. The wonders of technology have got you covered. There are a whole range of virtual reality tours that you can explore online from the comfort and safety of your own home. If you’re a wildlife enthusiast, why not tune into the live cams of safari streams from South Africa, or journey through a national park using Google Earth. Or become an armchair tourist and explore the sights of cities like London, Paris, Zurich and more via tourist board websites set up by different countries. And of course there are endless options for film and theatre enthusiasts as virtual streaming platforms are making more and more content available online for viewers across the world.

Plan a holiday

But perhaps virtual tours aren’t enough for you. In that case, you can use the time during the weekend lockdowns to plan a holiday for once the restrictions are lifted. This is a great chance to research some lesser travelled paths and even make advance bookings. And you don’t need to worry so much about the budget because the weekend lockdowns have definitely drawn back the cost of living in Pune, so you can put all the money you saved by staying at home towards your vacation expenses.

So those are some of our ideas for fun things you can do from the safety of your home during the weekend lockdowns. Remember the increased restrictions are only temporary so, don’t let them get you down. Try out our ideas and activities, and you’ll find that time flies. Stay home, stay safe.