I feel myself getting dumber each day in quarantine.

[AAPPKK]

I mean, ideally you take some time to learn a new skill or something, and read books about new things.

But realistically, sometimes you just have to sneak some education into your quarantine coping. We've thrown some more educational shows into our netflix binging. Travel shows, etc.

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[playyamy]

This is a realistic response for me, sadly. I thought the pandemic would lead to an online learning and book reading renaissance, but it hasn’t. I’ve done more, but not as much as I imagined. I think it’s important to realize that it’s not just the lack of free time or the allocation of free time elsewhere that prevents self-enrichment. I think discipline is needed. Still learning that.

To answer OP: I’m taking Udemy courses that are laterally related to what I do (look up t-shaped learning). And I try to read 1-2 books per month.

Go easy on yourself. Remember when you were in school? Could you sit around all day learning then without breaks for socialization, relaxing, stuff like that? No. Most people can't. It's not just about discipline. It's mental health. Quarantine took things like socialization, escape from their homes, and physical contact from many people. And you don't function as well without that. It's actually going to make it harder for most people to do things like take classes, because they're not at full health. And you can't replace socialization with classes for your mental health any more than you can replace vitamins with proteins for your physical health.

Not saying discipline isn't great, but shaming yourself for lack of discipline without looking clearly at the various factors can often just be some form of self destruction or self loathing trying to backdoor its way into your psyche.

[KARSASA]

Here is what I have been doing and how it's going:

- Chess - I always knew how to play, but challenged myself to really learn the game and get "good". I have a friend who I used to think was unbeatable. I've beat him twice now!

- Woodworking - not traditionally an intellectual pursuit, but you develop skills and craft something cool. I started making a board game in December and I'm about halfway done.

- Learn the ukulele - I am a cheap ass so I've been looking at and pricing out ukuleles for months now. I finally bought one and will do my first lesson tonight.

- Listen to podcasts - History, politics, current events, daily news. I've learned so many cool things this past year. Also, you can listen and learn while you are doing chores around the house.

- Exercise - I lift weights and go out mountain biking frequently. For me, this is the easiest way to get out of a moody brain fog.

- Reading - I've read 2 books so far this year in 2021. Last year I read 3/4 of a book.

[PEANUTUT]

I'm not in quarantine, but I broke my foot so I'll call it the same thing since I'm stuck at home for 4 months (only 2 more months to go!)

I decided to use this as an opportunity to learn and grow, just like you

-Read 20 books (16 since the start of January - including taking notes) on a variety of topics - finance, investing, self-help, career development, science, philosophy etc, as well listened to many podcasts and productive YouTube videos

-Studied toward a new certification for my line of work (and set to receive a pay bump by the time I return)

-Created a budget using YNAB (You Need A Budget) and organised my finances. I now have a financial plan and looked into retirement planning as well.

-Made my initial move into investing in ETFs, and am doing some paper trading now on a few stocks I have my eye on

-Read and understood all I need to know about my various insurance policies, super, medicare and other important things I just had a vague idea about previously

-De-cluttered my phone, laptop, home office and home

-Begun learning Spanish and Russian on the DuoLingo app

-Bought a guitar and began learning how to play it from JustinGuitar

-Set up home automation - sensors, cameras, garage, wall plugs etc (so convenient not having to get up with a broken foot!)

-Begun tracking my mood and habits in the Mood Tracker app

Switched from doing Tactical Barbell in my training to doing a new bro-split bodybuilding protocol just for fun
-
-I've also bought a lockpicking set and am waiting for that to arrive so I can learn how to pick locks

And then I've continued my previous practices:

-Cold showers

-Meditation

-Practicing Mindfulness and Gratitude

-Journalling

-Study and implement Stoicism and Buddhist practices into my everyday life

Then on top of all this I still fucked around and did some lazy shit like

-Video games

-Binge watched Attack on Titan, the whole MCU line-up, Friends, Brooklyn 99 and other content from AnimeLab, Netflix, Disney Plus etc

-Reddit

-And other mindless stuff because I think it's important to have that too (in moderation)

[KARSASA]

I joined the app Hello Talk. It’s a way to chat with people and learn a new language. I really like it for three main reasons:

I want to learn French, so I’m staying sharp by learning a new skill

I’m lonely AF and it’s fun to talk to people

It’s a way to practice social skills with new people (you can send voice notes and things like that)

You should try it! Vous devriez l'essayer!

Also (unrelated to HelloTalk but helpful for staying sharp) - I try to walk every day and either call someone or listen to a podcast.

[viperor]

Excel / Sheets! Seriously. Quantify your life, man. Learn the numbers and the formulas. Learn yourself and your world in a new way. Get control of things. It’s a big ol’ puzzle for your brain and you can go as deep as you want. Bonus points to integrate iOS shortcuts and Jailbreak’s Activator. I could go on for days...

[Photony]

I have the same feeling. Looking at the recommendations on here and people I interact with saying that if you do not come out of this lockdown with 5 new skills has been more nerve wrecking for me personally.

While I know and understand what needs to be done, I don’t feel I have the energy to do so anymore.

[KBIGHTTT]

No. You are not going dumb. May be you have less things to do or just avoiding things to do. ( like myself). But, create a new hobby or read a book or learn something online what interests you. There are thousands of free courses as well. It will just keep you busy and give you confidence. 🙏

[GALALAGA]

I read. It started as me making myself stay off my phone more because I didn’t like how much I was on my phone. Then I was bored and didn’t want to watch tv all the time, so I borrowed a book from my bookworm daughter and now I read always. I feel smart. Lol

[FAKerOR]

Depends on how you are but all the above mentioned activités are great! Aside from that as I was saying online gaming is a great outlet. This is because you interact with other people who’ve had different experiences in life and are at varying stages as well. This leads to possibly stimulating conversations you can have and help keep you on your feet when you’re communicating with them. Other than that the action of playing certain games also requires focus and brain power in order to do some tasks/missions/quests etc

[RainbowcityDAO]

I started taking some on line courses from udemy. I’m decent with excel but I learned a lot more holy shit! I can do that?! I started learning sign language...I can now do my abc’s. Lol. I ordered a painting kit. And I think I’m going to take an on line genealogy course. My job eliminated my position and I got a nice severance package. So now I’m doing things I didn’t get a chance to do while I was working 50-60 hours a week.

[XIYEXIYE]

Trying to get back into physical activity. I was a gym rat and during quarantine was really hard. I had a couple weights, but I was a powerlifter, so it wasnt the same as lifting heavy weight. Quarantine has passed, gyms are open with precautions, but I remember being really down on myself this summer and eventually forcing myself to do some bodyweight exercises and go for a lot of bike rides.

Even when the gyms did finally open it still took some effort to return to a normal workout routine. I had to battle myself to get there for a couple months.

[xiaohuhu]

Learn a language at a basic level - learn the 50 most used verbs in present, past and future tense and go from there, you'll be able to communicate basic shit v quickly.

Listen to podcasts - for markets I recommend The Exchange, unreal for hot takes and daily updates

[Pavel leslie]

Two words: Book Club

I’ve never been in an honest to god book club outside of school and now I’m in two that are drastically different (in terms of books and membership) and wow has it been incredibly fulfilling during these past few months! I’m reading new things I wouldn’t seek out on my own, I’m consistently talking to groups of people (familiar and new) who live all around the country/world, and through listening and speaking the ideas just flow, collide, and grow. Couldn’t recommend it more! Get some friends or family together, have them invite a person or two, pick a book that sounds interesting to the group, and enjoy the ride!

[canyouer]

I started intermittent fasting and also a few minutes of cold shower before turning up the heat. The key for me is to get hot and sweaty and jump straight into the shower. And the key for me for intermittent fasting is realizing that the morning hunger spike goes away after 5-15 minutes and doesn't come back.

[Cullly]

I use to be the cook in the family but ever since my kids left home I’ve kind of given up with the two of us (wife and me) having scheduling issues. At the end of summer I was furloughed my wife word from home and finally a month ago I started relearning how to schedule meals and cook again and it’s challenged me in positive ways.

[XUNing]

Podcasts, online chess, and working out are the best ways I have kept my mind sharp through all this and tbh while I am quite anxious and bored and can’t wait for the world to open up, I do still feel as cognitively sharp as I’ve ever been. Also take your vitamins.

[BlackPinker]

Find a online side hustle, build a website, learn a new skill, find out if the government is doing subsidies for courses. Currently in australia diplomas of mental health are $500 when they are usually $15k.

[bitterguy28]

I mean, ideally you take some time to learn a new skill or something, and read books about new things.

Yups i focused in other things than Reading and online activities , i tried working in our Plants and some animals .

I bought some Ducks and Love birds for Breeding as those are In demand in my place from Pets to Food in table , Love birds is for the animal lovers and Ducks for Food Lovers.

But realistically, sometimes you just have to sneak some education into your quarantine coping. We've thrown some more educational shows into our netflix binging. Travel shows, etc.

So you are still a student ? if does then yeah You have different views and living than ours who's having obligation to earn and feed.

[Jazmin Leslie]

maybe you need some fresh air. go hiking with few friends or family. enjoy the sunshine. my brain works slowly when staying indoors for a long time. Just go out and feel the real world.

[newwest]

Infact many whom I know have become more creative during this 1-year period. Celebration virtually with new concept etc, learning new skills, cooking to be specific those who dint know, discovering and knowing many things have become now part of their life. So, you would need some vacation it seems, refresh yourself and be back with your full force.

[EvieLannister]

how about trying to raise a dog, like Huskie. he will make you go crazy sometimes and he likes damaging your house! I lost my peace the instant my huskie entered my house. He wants me to go out with him and play with him, I think senile dementia is impossible if you raise huskie...

[freedomno1]

Just find something fun and educational reading WSB on reddit from speculators
Reading Finance blogs like Mrmoneymustache
Some gaming get a few tech toys and test them out
Learn Wim Hof and try to become the Iceman
Binge watch some good anime like Higurashi
Turn your real life into a game and try to level up a bit you know fun things like build-up cooking skills, tech skills, rock climbing skills to escape zombies, take a free online certification for an area e.g mcgill
https://www.mcgillpersonalfinance.com/
Learn De-Fi, Uniswap etc.

More Stuff you do faster the level up if it's entertaining you win

[lookforpeony]

I mean, ideally you take some time to learn a new skill or something, and read books about new things.

But realistically, sometimes you just have to sneak some education into your quarantine coping. We've thrown some more educational shows into our netflix binging. Travel shows, etc.

I feel the same too. Good thing is that, i've been reading my review books again and watch netflix when i'm feeling drained due to excess reading hard topics.

[Scripton]

I think there are online courses that you can look into if you are bored af. Try out cooking.

[bitterguy28]

I feel the same. Every I stay up and get up late and my mom gets annoyed because I missed her well-prepared breakfast. Tomorrow I'll start learning cooking to please my mom

Don't worry next time you'll mother will prepare foods for the dogs instead of feeding you because they are more excited than yours.

I think there are online courses that you can look into if you are bored af. Try out cooking.

Yeah there are tons of videos now all over internet about cooking and that is really worth a try.

[Rruchi man]

Self growth and development is a conscious effort. To be better and sharper, one must be disciplined. Discipline is very important because I believe we all know the right thing to do, we know that by a reading a book or by listening to a podcast, we make our brains sharper, we know that by daily exercising, we keep fit. We know also that by eating well, we make ourselves less susceptible to diseases. Knowing all these is not only enough, one must be disciplined to get desired results.
 
 If you feel yourself getting dumber each day, i believe you know what you should be doing, but it is discipline to do them that you lack and so it is telling on you because you have made the wrong choices. It is not too late to change your habits and make a conscious effort to be disciplined.

[peter0425]

I think there are online courses that you can look into if you are bored af. Try out cooking.

i am a Food lover and also a Great cook ( as what my Wife keeps on saying lol, So yeah having Online course for cookery is great idea to survive this pandemic boredom .

And also many skills oriented people are willing to share via Internet just deal with them specially those free.,

[boyptc]

The anxiety and stress level that this quarantine brings to us depends on how we deal with it. Learning new skills if you don't have many things to do is a must so that your time is worthwhile.

Skills that are not just about learning to code or anything related to computers. But there are plenty of them that you can do in your house.

[acener]

I don't really feel dumber due to quarantine but I know that I am being lazier than I was before the quarantine.
Most of the time I just want to stay in my bed and use my mobile phone or laptop since I couldn't go out due to covid19.

[boyptc]

I don't really feel dumber due to quarantine but I know that I am being lazier than I was before the quarantine.
Most of the time I just want to stay in my bed and use my mobile phone or laptop since I couldn't go out due to covid19.

Maybe you don't any other obligations that you need to fulfill and you can stay as free as you are and not to do things that you need to do to keep surviving.

But even with or without that, we're feeling the same. Technology and gadgets are helping us to avoid higher stress levels. Imagine this quarantine happened in 2000.

[mich]

During these times in quarantine it is very important that we exercise not just our bodies with physical exercise but also we must exercise our minds.

Challenge yourself with online quizzes or television shows force your mind to work.  This is a tool I use to make sure I dont lose my mind in quarantine.

[DuckPoloicE1]

i try not to waste time , i read books when i have nothing to do , go out with new people , considering taking a programming lesson soon

[BADecker]

I feel myself getting dumber each day in quarantine.


Now you know why they stick sharper prisoners in solitary confinement... so they are dumbed down to where they can't think of ways to break out.